True Thunderbolt Issues

[paa79594]

Alright guys, my Thunderbolt has really been upsetting me lately. I can get past the terrible battery life, for the most part, but when it comes down to GPS, I can't take it any longer. I can never lock on to anything. By time I set up my destination, map it (already driving at this point) by time I physically get to my destination, the phone has yet to lock on GPS.

I tried gasbuddy today using the GPS feature, and gave up after about 8 minutes or so. Is everyone else's this bad? Do I have a dud? I need GPS!

 

[scodoublet]

There's an app in the market called GPS Status that helped me with this same issue. Just get it open it up then hit the menu button then tools, then Manage A-GPS state, then hit the reset button then the Download button. This improved my GPS quite a bit.

 

[paa79594]

Thanks, I'll give it a shot.

 

[INK]

Beisdes Light leaks most of the problems are LTE's fault.

 

[lazymac]

There's an app in the market called GPS Status that helped me with this same issue. Just get it open it up then hit the menu button then tools, then Manage A-GPS state, then hit the reset button then the Download button. This improved my GPS quite a bit.

yeah, but you have to do this every time in order to get it to lock. for me, it worked temporarily, but overall, made my gps even worse. i'm with the OP. this needs to be addressed.

 

[MOTOX2]

yah you have to open it sometimes...depends, my gps sucks without it though....60 miles off and the verizon guys at the store don't want to help me....so after an hour gave up downloaded it....and it works most of the time, except for a rare time i have to open it.

 

[paa79594]

I would love to trade in my Bolt for a different phone, even downgrade to a Dinc2. Ugh, annoyed.

LTE is pretty crappy, even my market won't load after I've restarted a few times.

 

[Edwill86]

Since this forum is dominated with negative posts id like to say my Thunderbolt is great!

9-15 hours of life with 4g on all the time, gps locks on 90% of the time quickly, no light leaks, no reboots, no real problems to speak of.

 

[michaelsalvo4god]

My wife has a Tbolt. Aside from the frequent restarts, its a good phone. I guess every phone has its faults.

 

[jdg1]

Everybody is running to the Charge

Since this forum is dominated with negative posts id like to say my Thunderbolt is great!

9-15 hours of life with 4g on all the time, gps locks on 90% of the time quickly, no light leaks, no reboots, no real problems to speak of.

I was one of the last holdouts for the BIONIC but I'm tired of the wait. I know rumor is that the new data caps won't affect me (at least that is the rumor) since all my lines now have unlimited data. Of all the LTE phones out today, I really want to like the TB but as you say it has so many negative comments in the forums.
Just out of curiosity, did you get your TB recently or did you get it at launch. I'm trying to pinpoint whether the issues are an early manufacturing problem or is it still consistent today. With my luck if 1 out of 10 are always bad, they will definitely send me that one!

 

[The_Engine]

I can only say that I have none of the mentioned issues. GPS is good. I am running the leaked MR2 and have no restarts. I wish I got better battery with 4g on all the time but its simple enough to shut it off and on as I need it. I have been pleasantly surprised by this phone considering the negativity.

I would look into the MR2 leak if you have GPS issues. If not bring it back to VZW.

 

[Xtgirl]

I had one gps issue when I was in upstate NY and it said I was on the opposite side of a lake than I was, but otherwise I haven't noticed gps issue. I have only had a resetting issue while running the Sirius xm app and I just swap out a second standard battery for the poor battery life issue. I really like this phone when you take the poor battery life out of the equation. I did have light leak very badly but used the silicone fix....stupid to have to fix your own phone but I wanted to lock in unlimited 4g data and still can't quite figure out how all of this tiered stuff is going to play out so I'm happy. I'll probably have phone envy at some point but in general the thunderbolt has great features and a great community behind it...the custom roms are great. I bought mine a month ago.

 

[JVH1982]

I don't have reboot issues, and the GPS Status app has yielded great results for my GPS fixing (8 sec fix time yesterday). My battery life is predictable: calls and certain apps deplete it expectedly, but nothing like my dad used to complain about - battery would drop 80% inside 3 hours with no use. He began restarting his phone every morning (like me) and removed ATK and has dramatically improved his battery life. I also don't seem to have all these issues with LTE, unless Chicago just has a more stable implementation than other areas.

 

[Edwill86]

I was one of the last holdouts for the BIONIC but I'm tired of the wait. I know rumor is that the new data caps won't affect me (at least that is the rumor) since all my lines now have unlimited data. Of all the LTE phones out today, I really want to like the TB but as you say it has so many negative comments in the forums.
Just out of curiosity, did you get your TB recently or did you get it at launch. I'm trying to pinpoint whether the issues are an early manufacturing problem or is it still consistent today. With my luck if 1 out of 10 are always bad, they will definitely send me that one!

I got mine launch day.

its not when you buy it, as some launch day ppl had defective devices out of the gate. its that this is a tech forum and most ppl come on them to complain/ask for help about problems not state how they like/have none.

PPl like me who have no issues dont post much as most of the topics dont apply to us. we sit by and read posts and see if we can help.

there are defective devices out there.. but this goes for all phones and thats what return periods and manufacturer warranties are for.. LTE is bleeding edge tech right now there are issues, but if you want to be on the edge you have to take the risk.

good luck and happy hunting~!

 

[SF DINC]

Root = 99.9% problem free......GPS locks instantly, pretty much reboot free....runing Gingerbread and Sense 3.0.....the benefits are endless.

 

[FrankXS]

Based on the title of this thread, I thought my experience with my un-rooted, stock TBolt would find interested ears... if not, stop reading now

I've been very happy with my TBolt. I am in an initial LTE city (Denver). I was very surprised to find that I even had LTE at my house. Even inside my house (have always had RF issues inside my steel-siding house, especially in my garden level office half below ground).

Recently I changed my plan to Nationwide FS+Mexico (from Nationwide FS) 'cuz I was going to Mexico for a week. I noticed that when I rebooted, my PRL changed from 15018 to 15015. I figured... hmm, good, looks like the plan change is in place. Phone worked well in Mexico. Exceedingly well. But, I kept Wireless data Roaming turned off and used Wifi while I was there to avoid horrendous data roaming charges.

Anyway, got back home, changed my plan back to Nationwide FS, rebooted and got PRL 15011. I fully expected to return to to PRL 15018 just like before I changed my plan. But I didn't.

Then, I no longer had LTE anywhere inside my house, nor hardly anywhere close by outside either. When I drove around through town I did have LTE. But no longer at my house. I called CS and asked if I could be pushed the PRL I had before this trouble (15018). I know that a PRL should not matter here, but I was out of ideas. First, the technician explained that he couldn't do that. And that the ThunderBolt basically provisions itself at each restart (including any PRL updates). Actually I knew that, but I was grabbing at straws. I'm thinking... damn, I guess my TBolt RF Radios took a dump somehow. Then he said... just a sec, let me check for outages around your area. BINGO! There was a large cell site down in my area. I waited three more days (now a total of about a week) and LTE was back at my house as always. Same PRL of 15011.

Lesson: Slow down, take your time. Give VZW a chance. Check for local network outages. And, more than anything, resist the temptation to automatically blame the ThunderBolt until you really have proof. It could be the network!

My TBolt is in such good operational status now I'm almost afraid to apply the next OTA (MR2). My MR1 TBolt is a hummin'. Why fix it if it ain't broke? Sure has been an interesting journey so far with this "VZW's First LTE Phone!".

-Frank

 

[fatboy97]

There's an app in the market called GPS Status that helped me with this same issue. Just get it open it up then hit the menu button then tools, then Manage A-GPS state, then hit the reset button then the Download button. This improved my GPS quite a bit.

Wow... amazing... this is a great app... I downloaded it at work (terrible GPS in the building), but after running this as described above I opened GoogleMaps and it locked onto my location within a second or two, and not just with 1,000 meters, but within 20 meters.

Thanks again scoboublet!!!

 

[blackberryconvert2011]

I got my TB on launch day. The contacts won't hold ringtones, the phone restarts for me about 2x a week and GPS takes quite awhile to catch up with me. But I came from a BB Curve and I am tickled pink with my TB...except for the hotspot which is crap, I'm 98% pleased!

 

[scodoublet]

Wow... amazing... this is a great app... I downloaded it at work (terrible GPS in the building), but after running this as described above I opened GoogleMaps and it locked onto my location within a second or two, and not just with 1,000 meters, but within 20 meters.

Thanks again scoboublet!!!

As somebody else in this thread stated you have to do it again down the road. I wouldn't say it's every single time you use the GPS but I had to do it for a second time last night maybe three weeks after the first time. A little annoying but worth it to get working GPS when you need it.

 

[thorgrim]

I was one of the last holdouts for the BIONIC but I'm tired of the wait. I know rumor is that the new data caps won't affect me (at least that is the rumor) since all my lines now have unlimited data. Of all the LTE phones out today, I really want to like the TB but as you say it has so many negative comments in the forums.
Just out of curiosity, did you get your TB recently or did you get it at launch. I'm trying to pinpoint whether the issues are an early manufacturing problem or is it still consistent today. With my luck if 1 out of 10 are always bad, they will definitely send me that one!

When you look at any forum, most posts are negative, its the nature of the beast as it gives folks a place to vent, if things are going well you dont go to a forum as your happy, its with anything in life. Also need to look at the percentage of negative posts to the entire population using the product/service.

Personally I browse forums to do a bit of research on top of other research I do on my own. I also so far love my TB I have every now and again a reboot, but that appears to happen when there is an update available on an app or software. And the occasional none sync to my car when driving, but think that is more user error.