switching from iphone to thunderbolt

[lippstuh]

I love Apple products and my first smartphone was an iPhone 3G. I switched to an OG Droid and never looked back. A month ago I was deciding on a new phone and I seriously considered the Verizon iPhone 4. I tried playing with a friends jailbroken iPod touch. I wanted to smash it. It's way too boring and simple. While I did enjoy the awesome games, I couldn't stand the UI.

My suggestion to you is that you should try Android with an open mind.

Sent from my ADR6400L

 

[JoseGutierrez]

I switched from an iPhone 4 on AT&T to the TB. Here's what you MAY miss:

(Note: There may be tweaks that allow functions as stated below. Please feel free to reply with feedback and try to limit the flaming. Thanks!)

-Safari: Browsing web sites on the TB is a "different" experience. Some may find it better or worse. Zooming in on text on the TB is nowhere near as smooth as the iPhone

-Email: Viewing a picture-based email on the Gmail app is worse than viewing that same email on the iPhone. iPhone nicely formats the email for viewing whereas the TB "show pictures" function is not smart enough to format the email for the screen.

-SMS: Texts on the TB do not activate the screen from sleep mode. You get a text, you hear the notification and see the LED but it does not automatically popup on the screen. Even when you wake the device, you still have to slide to unlock to read the full message. But when the device is awake and you get a text, it's way better than the iPhone.

-Home button: You cannot wake the device by pressing the home button on the TB. You must use the power button. Get used to wrapping your hand on that honker of a screen in order to reach the power button... every time.

-App Store: The Android Market is great to me but many will miss their iPhone exclusive apps like Instagram, Instapaper etc.. There are defintely fine alternatives but this is a dealbreaker for many. I suggest an iPad to get your iOS fix.

-Battery life: The big one. If you got a days worth of battery life (7AM-7PM) with the iPhone 4 under heavy use like I did, expect to get half of that with the TB (4G or 3G markets). To me it's not a huge deal as long as you are near a cord or have an extra battery (something an iPhone cannot support), but to many who need to function on the road without power options, this is a rude awakening. You cannot expect that much processing and data power without sacrificing battery life; not on a 1st-gen product.

Those are the only real cons that come to mind. I love my TB but to those thinking of switching remember this: there is a 14-day grace period on Verizon. Use it wisely.

 

[jakej914]

With regards to syncing, I actually paid for MobileMe, so I'm used to being everything being synced, and instantly available on all my devices (I had the iPad for a while, and I have multiple Macs). Moral of the story: I'm just not quite ready for everything being on the web, which is Google's philosophy. Not a deal-breaker, but rather something I have to get used to. I really just wish groups would sync between Address Book on my Mac and Google. Mainly because I use Address Book as my source of information for ALL of my email accounts, not solely Gmail.

With regards to the keyboard, for one reason or another, I'm a speed demon on Apple's software keyboard. The biggest problem I have with HTC's keyboard is that the spacebar just isn't big enough for me?mainly, I think, because I'm not used to it. Also, my dictionary seems to know what I want to say pretty well these days, although I do occasionally have autocorrect SNAFUs.

Again, these are things I just wasn't ready for...after getting my feet wet with Android, I just can't seem to settle for iOS anymore.

 

[jakej914]

Safari: Browsing web sites on the TB is a "different" experience. Some may find it better or worse. Zooming in on text on the TB is nowhere near as smooth as the iPhone

Agreed. Although I think the pending Gingerbread update could offer some improvements.

Email: Viewing a picture-based email on the Gmail app is worse than viewing that same email on the iPhone. iPhone nicely formats the email for viewing whereas the TB "show pictures" function is not smart enough to format the email for the screen.

Yeah, it's not quite as pretty. If you're a gmail user, however, there is a lot more overall functionality on Android as opposed to any other platform's built in mail client.

SMS: Texts on the TB do not activate the screen from sleep mode. You get a text, you hear the notification and see the LED but it does not automatically popup on the screen. Even when you wake the device, you still have to slide to unlock to read the full message. But when the device is awake and you get a text, it's way better than the iPhone.

I personally would rather the screen stay off when receiving a message. The sound, and the light is enough for me. I feel like there's probably an app/mod that would light up the screen though. Long-time Android users would know far better than I would, however.

Home button: You cannot wake the device by pressing the home button on the TB. You must use the power button. Get used to wrapping your hand on that honker of a screen in order to reach the power button... every time.

I especially hate this just because the power button stinks so badly. However, of the upcoming LTE devices (within the next few months), I just think the TB will be the best overall, from what I've seen.

App Store: The Android Market is great to me but many will miss their iPhone exclusive apps like Instagram, Instapaper etc.. There are defintely fine alternatives but this is a dealbreaker for many. I suggest an iPad to get your iOS fix.

For the most part, I was able to find some pretty good alternative. However, I love to photograph with my phone, and I dearly missed Camera+ and SynthCam.

Battery life: The big one. If you got a days worth of battery life (7AM-7PM) with the iPhone 4 under heavy use like I did, expect to get half of that with the TB (4G or 3G markets). To me it's not a huge deal as long as you are near a cord or have an extra battery (something an iPhone cannot support), but to many who need to function on the road without power options, this is a rude awakening. You cannot expect that much processing and data power without sacrificing battery life; not on a 1st-gen product.

There's no comparison when it comes to battery life. However, with some tweaking, even within a few days, I was able to get pretty decent battery life.

 

[BigPhil]

Im new to this forum, I'm using the ATT Iphone4 but just picked up a TB and have 14 days to decide if I want to keep it and port my number over or return it as I did the Fascinate I played with about 6 months ago. GF is using a HD2 from Tmobile and thinks I should give it a shot. My main reason for trying out the TB is better reception and overall quality on the Verizon network.

Ive been using cell phones since the Motorola Classic in the late 80s so if I list all the phones Ive used in my signature it would take up a whole page. Ive been an avid BB user for 4-5 years, jumped to iOS for the multimedia features and great apps, and now giving android a shot.

Ive been using the TB at the same time as the iphone4 for about a week now. Honestly, I can see a difference although tons of differences. I like the TB cuz LTE is blazing over ATT's 3G, I can use it as a hotspot, although I can do the same with MyWi on the iphone4. The screen is huge, I can watch vids without worrying about skipping and waiting for it to load. It takes some getting used to as iOS is really simple to use.

BUT... oh the battery sucks. I consider myself a heavy user. On the iphone4, a 100% charge would last me about 4 hrs, I have chargers in every car and 3 different places in my house and carry the huge 2000 mah battery case. The TB lasts like 3 hrs maybe under minimal use. Meaning I just browse, read feeds, go on FB, check in on FS and thats it. Since I didnt port my number yet, no one calls or texts me on it yet Im out of juice in 3-3.5 hrs max. I already ordered the big extended for it. The TB charges much slower than the iphone4, 20 min in the car for the iphone almost always tops it off while it adds maybe 15-20% to the TB. Much bigger phone, the TB has the huge screen but with the extended it might turn out to be too big for the pocket even compared to the iphone in a big extended case.

Ill play with it another week before I decide what Im gonna do

 

[nismo591]

How much would you say you have spent on cell phones in an the past two years?

Way too much. I didn't even mention I owned the original droid before the x and the TP2 and storm 2 as backups.... I've handled about every OS out there. Even have a xoom iPad 2 currently

 

[terrain]

Good point -- my Viphone does seem to charge FAST -- although TB not too bad either. When I was using my Viphone as my primary I would get about 4.5 to 5 hours heavy use before I needed to plug in (I always laugh when Iphone4 users say they are heavy users and get 36 hours battery life - LOL) -- TB about 1/2 of that heavy use but I have plugs everywhere and an extra OEM battery. It's by far the best LTE Phone on the Market

 

[androidburn]

1. I have no problem with Dolphin HD Browser. Love it. Haven't missed the iPhone.

2. Email - in a word, K9 and you'll hate your iPhone email. It's that superior.

3. Texts work fine on both, IMHO.

4. I don't mind the power button but I understand this. I liked the fact that the phone is locked securely from turning on.

5. A long time ago some of the iPhone apps were specific and Android lagged behind. As of now, there is nothing I truly miss. Some things are still somewhat better but closing in, e.g. Facebook, Chat (but Trillian is now close to even trumping Beejive.)

6. Battery... on the bright side, there are options. I also have an extended battery and it's a choice. I get better life with the phone on 4G than the iPhone 4 for many things. If you're in a city and near a charger much of the day, there isn't too much to worry.

 

[willis936]

One thing I really miss: plants vs. zombies. It would be pure sex on this screen.

-stock HTC Thunderbolt tapatalk

 

[akira751]

Im new to this forum, I'm using the ATT Iphone4 but just picked up a TB and have 14 days to decide if I want to keep it and port my number over or return it as I did the Fascinate I played with about 6 months ago. GF is using a HD2 from Tmobile and thinks I should give it a shot. My main reason for trying out the TB is better reception and overall quality on the Verizon network.

Ive been using cell phones since the Motorola Classic in the late 80s so if I list all the phones Ive used in my signature it would take up a whole page. Ive been an avid BB user for 4-5 years, jumped to iOS for the multimedia features and great apps, and now giving android a shot.

Ive been using the TB at the same time as the iphone4 for about a week now. Honestly, I can see a difference although tons of differences. I like the TB cuz LTE is blazing over ATT's 3G, I can use it as a hotspot, although I can do the same with MyWi on the iphone4. The screen is huge, I can watch vids without worrying about skipping and waiting for it to load. It takes some getting used to as iOS is really simple to use.

BUT... oh the battery sucks. I consider myself a heavy user. On the iphone4, a 100% charge would last me about 4 hrs, I have chargers in every car and 3 different places in my house and carry the huge 2000 mah battery case. The TB lasts like 3 hrs maybe under minimal use. Meaning I just browse, read feeds, go on FB, check in on FS and thats it. Since I didnt port my number yet, no one calls or texts me on it yet Im out of juice in 3-3.5 hrs max. I already ordered the big extended for it. The TB charges much slower than the iphone4, 20 min in the car for the iphone almost always tops it off while it adds maybe 15-20% to the TB. Much bigger phone, the TB has the huge screen but with the extended it might turn out to be too big for the pocket even compared to the iphone in a big extended case.

Ill play with it another week before I decide what Im gonna do

4 hours to kill a Iphone 4 battery, you are more than a heavy user

 

[MikeDUBS]

The input from everyone here has really helped solidify my feelings on wanting to make the jump from iOS to Android. I can't wait till I can make the switch. I'm ready to get my hands on this phone and see what it (I) can do.

 

[YourMobileGuru]

-Safari: Browsing web sites on the TB is a "different" experience. Some may find it better or worse. Zooming in on text on the TB is nowhere near as smooth as the iPhone

Completely disagree here. I have had the oposite experience with this, The stock android browser is like you mention but not the Sense one... it is smoote as butter and fits text to the screen width better IMHO.

-SMS: Texts on the TB do not activate the screen from sleep mode. You get a text, you hear the notification and see the LED but it does not automatically popup on the screen. Even when you wake the device, you still have to slide to unlock to read the full message. But when the device is awake and you get a text, it's way better than the iPhone.

There are third party apps which will do that for you if you want. It is a choice to have it this way, not a defect.

-Home button: You cannot wake the device by pressing the home button on the TB. You must use the power button. Get used to wrapping your hand on that honker of a screen in order to reach the power button... every time.

Again this is a preference not a defect.

-App Store: The Android Market is great to me but many will miss their iPhone exclusive apps like Instagram, Instapaper etc.. There are defintely fine alternatives but this is a dealbreaker for many. I suggest an iPad to get your iOS fix.

Or an iPod touch. In less than a year this will no longer be an advantage as iOS app growth is still growing but seems to have plateaued, but Android app development has continued to skyrocket. I read somewhere -- thought it was on AC but maybe I was wrong -- that Android will have caught up to or possibly surpassed iOS by the end of 2011 or Q1 of 2012.

-Battery life: The big one. If you got a days worth of battery life (7AM-7PM) with the iPhone 4 under heavy use like I did, expect to get half of that with the TB (4G or 3G markets). To me it's not a huge deal as long as you are near a cord or have an extra battery (something an iPhone cannot support), but to many who need to function on the road without power options, this is a rude awakening. You cannot expect that much processing and data power without sacrificing battery life; not on a 1st-gen product.

With respect to the iPhone the two are not even in the same league and it is not fair to compare battery life. The iPhone is like Windows 3.x (before true multitasking was invented in Win95) compared to Windows 7 (true multitasking on Android)

 

[lionsson]

-Safari: Browsing web sites on the TB is a "different" experience. Some may find it better or worse. Zooming in on text on the TB is nowhere near as smooth as the iPhone

One of the first thing I do on my browser is to go into settings and set Plugin to On Demand. This will cause the browser to run a lot smother since it will not load the Flash content until you click on a content box. Makes a lot of difference.

-SMS: Texts on the TB do not activate the screen from sleep mode. You get a text, you hear the notification and see the LED but it does not automatically popup on the screen. Even when you wake the device, you still have to slide to unlock to read the full message. But when the device is awake and you get a text, it's way better than the iPhone.

There is an app called SMS Popup
Click Here from you TB to go directly to the Android Market.
This app basically wakes you device when you receive a SMS, and you can even enable a popup.
Or Scan this Barcode

-Home button: You cannot wake the device by pressing the home button on the TB. You must use the power button. Get used to wrapping your hand on that honker of a screen in order to reach the power button... every time.

WidgetLocker Lockscreen is a lock screen replacement that has many feature and one of them is to wake up your device with hardware buttons, It maybe what your looking for.

Click here from your TB to go directly to the Android Market

or scan this barcode

 

[MikeDUBS]

So what are some "essential" apps to get on the phone so that I can get up and running and start enjoying this phone to the fullest?

 

[YourMobileGuru]

So what are some "essential" apps to get on the phone so that I can get up and running and start enjoying this phone to the fullest?

either Handcent or Go SMS for one. I've been using Handcent for most of a year but recently discovered Go... both are great but Go does not have adds.

 

[Joelist]

VZWRocks is quite right. The Sense browser is vastly superior to stock and to Safari mobile. It has smooth pinch and zoom and - unlike Safari or stock - automatically resizes text to fit the screen.

As to SMS, I use the one in Sense and have no issues with it at all. Even better, Sense has a multi-protocol IM built in as well.

Regarding video chat, remember facetime has a big limitation - it only works over WiFi. Once we get our Skype (which is coming) we can freely video chat with or without wifi.

 

[YourMobileGuru]

As to SMS, I use the one in Sense and have no issues with it at all. Even better, Sense has a multi-protocol IM built in as well. .

Nothing wrong with it but I originally started using Handcent mainly because it has a setting that will break your messages up into 160 character piece (or convert them to MMS) rather than have your messages truncated when sending off network. MMS does the same thing but looks nicer and does not have adds. They are both also them-able.

 

[jakej914]

So what are some "essential" apps to get on the phone so that I can get up and running and start enjoying this phone to the fullest?

Google Voice. You can text for free, have one number that rings all your phone, you can keep the GV number should you change phones/carriers, the list goes on. Integration in Android is fantastic.