Happiness is owning a ThunderBolt!

[FrankXS]

Why I think Happiness is owning a ThunderBolt.

-Still cutting edge technology. Gotta love that.

-Almost 4 months since release and still the best phone on VZW. Even after two other competitors hit the street. Most new high-tech phones are obsolete in 30 days And I don't even see a VZW phone expected to be released this year that I would rather have.

-In less than 4 months HTC/VZW has already released two bug-fix/updates to the original software and another big one with feature upgrades and an OS upgrade is due in the next few weeks. Can't beat that for update support.

-The ThunderBolt does everything I want it to do and does it well. Admittedly, the recent updates contributed directly to that, but hey, it's a top notch phone right now. With no real competition on VZW as far as I'm concerned.

-I'm sitting here right now using my UNLIMITED MOBILE HOTSPOT to write this with a fantastic 4G/LTE connection. Sure glad I got the "first 4G phone" from VZW and was able to lock in not only unlimited phone data but also unlimited MHS/MBBC data. Wow! Even better than I had hoped for.

-Answering a call and talking to a client while I am still using the MHS to research on the web AS WE CONTINUE SPEAKING! Apple who?

-I bought the extended battery and basically I never even think about the battery. I just use the phone and whenever it's convenient I charge it. How many phones don't even give you the OPTION of fitting a huge 2750mAh extended battery. Way to go HTC!

-Using the built-in standard HTC Sense Interface/non-rooted I am happy with the function and performance of my email, web browsing, FLASH PERFORMANCE WITHIN WEB PAGES, Text messages, love the Notification bar and recent programs for fast task switching, 7 home screens (holy cow), the People app, Syncing of Contacts to the Google Cloud and FAST AS CAN BE PERFORMANCE of the phone in almost every function.

-Did I mention CRAZY FAST 4G/LTE DATA DOWNLOADS! SHEESH!

Yes - this is a phone I am going to be happy with a long time. Compare this to the last smartphone I bought on the 1st day it was available a couple of years ago, it was virtually forgotten and outdated inside of 60 days. Amazing.

Yes, Happiness is owning a ThunderBolt!

-Frank

 

[NotAnotherSN92]

Frank, you got it all right my friend! I do not regret for a second ordering this phone the day it was available.

 

[willymakit]

Well worth it, I have never looked back.

 

[realitydigg]

Very happy with this phone! had fun showing 4G speedtest results to a friend with an iPhone yesterday. I could probably find one a day to do that to I expect this phone to get better, and I like where it is starting from.

 

[chuckh0308]

I just wanted to post to say that I am also posting using my unlimited 4G hotspot plan! And today after a long reset, my TB is behaving MUCH better than it did yesterday after doing the update. Even with it's little bugs here and there, you're right, it is still the best 4G phone.

 

[robrecht]

... 6 home screens (holy cow) ...

OMG, you lost one of your home screens?

 

[Randomhero180]

Love my phone after the recent update! It is so fast and no bug issues at all so far.

 

[MegaSoundwave76]

Frank,

Couldn't have put it any better. This phone rocks. I did get a holster just recently that works with my extended battery that will come in use when I'm at work so that I can carry my TBolt on my belt and have a pocket open for my work issues BlackBerry (which, someone stole my BB holster at work, go figure!!). Needless to say, my wife wasn't happy with me buying the holster because she doesn't like the holster look that some guys walk around with (she equates it to the "fanny pack" some folks use) and posted it that to Facebook. So one of my buddies (who happens to have an iPhone4) tries to I guess make fun of me for the holster episode, so I proceed to rip him apart about his iPhone4 and drawbacks. He's not a very techie person (even though he is a software salesman I might add!) and I point out that you need to go through Apple to have the batter pulled and swapped out in case it dies, you have to plug your phone into iTunes in order to keep your phone and contacts synced (which they are fixing in ios5) and that my 4G speeds are on the order of up to 5x more than his on AT&T. Oh, he tried to point out the plans changing and I had to pull out "uh, you didn't read the fine print about being grandfathered in, huh?". I don't consider myself a techie fanboy (I do like the iPhone4 and I really don't make fun of folks who get one because it is a great device and works for many folks), but I hate it when someone who doesn't know what the hell they talk about tries to rip someone else's choice apart because it doesn't jive with the popular choice. Well, last time I looked, Android has an almost 40% market share in the US right now. And the Thunderbolt is helping solidify that. Love this phone and there were many reasons why I decided to replace my Samsung Fascinate with this far superior device.

 

[dmw_4814]

Why I think Happiness is owning a ThunderBolt.

-Still cutting edge technology. Gotta love that.

-Almost 4 months since release and still the best phone on VZW. Even after two other competitors hit the street. Most new high-tech phones are obsolete in 30 days And I don't even see a VZW phone expected to be released this year that I would rather have.

-In less than 4 months HTC/VZW has already released two bug-fix/updates to the original software and another big one with feature upgrades and an OS upgrade is due in the next few weeks. Can't beat that for update support.

-The ThunderBolt does everything I want it to do and does it well. Admittedly, the recent updates contributed directly to that, but hey, it's a top notch phone right now. With no real competition on VZW as far as I'm concerned.

-I'm sitting here right now using my UNLIMITED MOBILE HOTSPOT to write this with a fantastic 4G/LTE connection. Sure glad I got the "first 4G phone" from VZW and was able to lock in not only unlimited phone data but also unlimited MHS/MBBC data. Wow! Even better than I had hoped for.

-Answering a call and talking to a client while I am still using the MHS to research on the web AS WE CONTINUE SPEAKING! Apple who?

-I bought the extended battery and basically I never even think about the battery. I just use the phone and whenever it's convenient I charge it. How many phones don't even give you the OPTION of fitting a huge 2750mAh extended battery. Way to go HTC!

-Using the built-in standard HTC Sense Interface/non-rooted I am happy with the function and performance of my email, web browsing, FLASH PERFORMANCE WITHIN WEB PAGES, Text messages, love the Notification bar and recent programs for fast task switching, 6 home screens (holy cow), the People app, Syncing of Contacts to the Google Cloud and FAST AS CAN BE PERFORMANCE of the phone in almost every function.

-Did I mention CRAZY FAST 4G/LTE DATA DOWNLOADS! SHEESH!

Yes - this is a phone I am going to be happy with a long time. Compare this to the last smartphone I bought on the 1st day it was available a couple of years ago, it was virtually forgotten and outdated inside of 60 days. Amazing.

Yes, Happiness is owning a ThunderBolt!

-Frank

ARE YOU ALL HIGH OR SOMETHING, OR SIMPLY ON VERIZON'S OR HTC'S PAYROLL?!!

I have owned my Thunderbolt since the day they went on sale (March 17th) and this phone, which I paid $249 for and had my contract extended for another two years, has NEVER worked right! Right from the start, this phone has had issues with losing data connectivity because it can't switch properly between 4G and 3G networks. I'm not sure if this was a problem with Verizon's 4G network, or a problem with HTC's hardware, but the end result is a problem for me, the customer. I also constantly use Google Navigation because I drive a tractor-trailer and I use the turn-by-turn directions to find my destinations. I got REAL tired of the Google Navigation, right in the middle of a trip, saying "searching for GPS". This would happen all the time, and it would stay like that all day long, until I backed out of the turn-by-turn directions and then restarted them (just the turn-by-turn directions, NOT Google Navigation itself), and sometimes even that wouldn't help! This is because the phone has some problem with its GPS signal. One time, the GPS wouldn't work for almost an entire week!

And then there's the OTA update PUT OUT BY VERIZON on or about May 12th, which basically rendered my phone useless due to the CONSTANT random reboots it started suffering (it NEVER, not even ONCE, rebooted on its own prior to that update), even rebooting right in the middle of phone calls! This update was supposed to, in addition to other issues, specifically improve data connectivity and GPS signal issues, niether of which seemed any better after I installed the update. So, basically the update just rendered my phone practically useless, and it's been that way for nearly 60 days now! I did download and install an update Friday night that is supposed to reduce random reboots, but it's too early to tell if that fixed my issues (it hasn't rebooted once since then, but it's gone as long as 4 or 5 days occasionally without rebooting before).

Oh, one other thing - the free mobile hotspot is no more, at least if you downloaded & installed Friday's OTA update. With all the problems I've had with this phone, I should have free mobile hotspot through the end of the year as compensation.

I generally like HTC phones, and I do like the Thunderbolt, but in terms of working as it was advertised to, this has got to be the worst phone I've ever owned! And, the forums all over the web are rife with people complaining about the very same problems on their Thunderbolts I've experienced with mine, so I know it's not just me or my phone in particular.

I'm glad you're happy with your Thunderbolt, but that has NOT been my experience!

Dennis

 

[dmw_4814]

One more thing - I was getting, at most, about 2 or 3 hours of battery life out of this phone, which is ridiculous (HTC should be ashamed of how short the battery lasts in this thing)! I realize I could buy an extended battery, but why should I pay extra just to get decent batterty life?!! Besides, you can't put the Thunderbolt in any kind of a case with the extended battery, and I'm very anal about protecting my phone with a case. I have a Seidio Innocase Surface case/holster combo, which I couldn't use with the extended battery.

Dennis

 

[dmw_4814]

I stand corrected - I see Seidio now offers a Surface case/holster combo that fits the extended battery!

Dennis

 

[ambushbug73]

My experience has been all positive as well, love the phone. Never had a single random reboot and I routinely get 12-16 hours on a stock battery and stock software. The longest I've got off a single charge is a little over 28 hours. I guess the best way I can express my satisfaction with the product is by the fact that we bought a second one about a month back for my fiance, haven't had any reboots from it either.

 

[anon(394005)]

One more to add.... the kickstand! It is just flat out awesome in functionality, as well as aesthetics! The few other phones out there with a kickstand just don't compare (they're either too small or don't look very good on the phone). For me, the kickstand is a must! I use it all the time.

 

[Slapnpop826]

And even happier-ness (lol) is a rooted Thunderbolt. I love my phone.

 

[cegabq]

I didn't get mine until April 11, but I've had no problems & am still loving it as well.

 

[Kronko]

Estoy muy feliz con mi Rayo. From day one, four months ago.

 

[KJ78]

Just got mine and I ditto all the points. Coming from a Pre+ which did very little right its nice to have something which does just about everything and does it well. And I have to specifically call out LTE. To me that's the killer app on this phone. LTE makes 3g feel like 1x.

 

[Helloneumann]

I have to agree with all the positive posts. I started years ago with my first smartphone (Moto Q) then a BB Curve, Storm 1 and 2, then to a Droid 2, and now a TB. I only experienced 4 or 5 reboots a week before this last update and GPS always worked for navigation although it did take a minute or so to lock, now locks in seconds. By far this is the best smartphone I have owned.

 

[SoDev]

The Thunderbolt is amazing. And even super duper extra amazing if you root.

Sent from the Bolt via Tapatalk

 

[BattleSwine]

Well said Frank. This hands down is the best phone I've own. Yes, I had the reboot issue. After the update not one. Still checking the rest changes, but GPS does seem to have improved performance. I am extremely happy. Especially 3G data and voice at the same time. I live near 4G and it's amazingly fast. Most of the time I'm in 3G and it's great to to research or d/l new emails with attachments while talking to the sender. No other phone on VZW can do that thanks to MSM8655 and MDM9600 chips. For all of the hype over dual core the Tegra 2 AP20H isn't faster than MSM8655. The Thunderbolt rocks.

Forgot to add I use Extended battery. Though I've used extended batteries on LG EnV, BB Storm, and BB Bold 9650.... So, might just be me as I've always needed more than stock battery offered.