HTC Thunderbolt Issues Are Unacceptable
Yesterday, HTC ThunderBolt owners got two pieces of bad news. First, the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update that was supposedly coming out in Q2, the one that Verizon planned on getting out in late-June, failed to arrive. Second, Skype 2 rolled out without any official way of getting the long awaited video calling feature to work. And this is nothing new.
The HTC ThunderBolt has been plagued with issues since before it launched back in March. Despite early warning signs, the ThunderBolt launched with great fanfare. Heck, we even came up with 10 reasons why it was a better device than the iPhone 4.
However, after being out for three months, it’s becoming apparent that it’s not the phone that ThunderBolt owners probably had in mind when they signed over two years of their life.
But I’m not here to criticize that decision. Who could have known that the HTC ThunderBolt would be in this kind of shape three months after launch? What I am here to point out is that HTC ThunderBolt owners deserve better. They deserve better from HTC and they deserve better from Verizon. After all, this is Big Red’s first 4G LTE phone, one that was as, if not more popular than the Verizon iPhone 4.
I’m pretty sure that ThunderBolt owners never thought they would be carrying around a phone with so many issues three months after launch. If you are lucky enough to not have these issues, let me share the troubles of HTC ThunderBolt owners.
- Still No Gingerbread Love: I’m positive that back in March, ThunderBolt owners had no idea that they would still be without Android 2.3 Gingerbread this far down the road. Yes, it’s coming, but what other problems will it bring with it? After all, it has to be an extremely tricky update if it has taken this long to arrive.
- Front Facing Camera without a Purpose – ThunderBolt owners expected the phone’s front-facing camera to have a point. Without Android 2.3.4 or Skype support, there really isn’t one.
- Reboot Issues – And I’m also pretty sure that ThunderBolt owners had no idea that they would be dealing with a random reboot issue that has been going on for nearly two months.
- Lack of Apps Means Defeats The Point of 4G: There’s no Hulu, no official way to install Netflix, no real reason for that 4G radio that’s planted inside the ThunderBolt
- The Battery – The battery life is atrocious and it’s not because ThunderBolt owners are misusing the phone, it’s because the ThunderBolt has a 1400 mAh battery. That’s small. Verizon sells a larger battery but that’s just more money that ThunderBolt owners shouldn’t have to throw away.
- A Broken Mobile Hotspot – More than a few ThunderBolt owners can’t hold a connection using the Mobile Hotspot application, one of the most intriguing aspects of the device.
Now don’t get me wrong. There are definitely ThunderBolt owners out there who love their phone and probably more than a few that haven’t experience any issues. But there is no denying that this phone has been a disaster for some people and that’s not the type of user experience that HTC and Verizon should be providing to any of their customers especially for a device of this magnitude.
I bet there are more than a few HTC ThunderBolt owners out there who are upset with HTC and Verizon and I have a feeling there are a few more that are regretting not waiting to at least see what the Motorola Droid Bionic has to offer. I know if I had bought it, the thought of returning it would have crossed my mind at least once and that’s an ugly thing.
How has your experience with the ThunderBolt been?
I’m experience with my HTC thunderbolt is good I haven’t had any problems ..for the ppl who have never get a phone when it first come out always wait a month or two like I did
anyone having the issue that they are getting multiple repeat texts from the same person. like a hiccup or something.
I have been getting he double texts sporadically since I got the Tbolt at its launch. It has been occuring much less since the full Gingerbread update
Im sorry but I love this phone. An amazing upgrade from the.shot Samsung Fascinate. So glad I got the TB <3 its 100% better than the bionic if you have the extended battery, which is now free, as the battery would have been my only issue. I'm not complaining… Go thunderbolt:)
where did you get the extended battery for free?
My headphone jack sucks!! I constantly have to move it around at the base to get full sound. I’ve tried several headphones, thinking it was a bad cord, but it still does it. I also have horrible call quality. I live in an area where Verizon has awesome service but the calls are all staticky, and everyone I call says they can hardly hear me!!
I made a facebook page for Thunderbolt owners to voice their displeasure.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/HTC-and-Verizon-owe-Thunderbolt-owners-reparations/337860922897180
I love my Thunderbolt. I’ve never thought of taking it back.
I just received my second replacement in two weeks. This one will not rotate. I got used to my first Thunderbolt, and problems occurred, and they haven’t sent me a working replacement yet. Verizon doesn’t seem to care!
The Fedex driver told me if it wasn’t for replacements, she wouldn’t have a job.
all of the whining here is ridiculous, everything i have read shows me that everyone here deserves a piece of crapple. i have had this phone from day one, never had a problem with it everything i try works and worked from the first day. all i can say is USER ERROR go by a piece of crapple.
[...] came out with the first widespread 4G LTE smartphone in the HTC ThunderBolt, a phone that many (myself included) think is up there with the worse smartphone launches of all time.On its earnings call, HTC [...]
[...] came out with the first widespread 4G LTE smartphone in the HTC ThunderBolt, a phone that many (myself included) think is up there with the worse smartphone launches of all [...]
I am going on my 4th Thunderbolt since April! The first one the battery port came detatched, the second one the speaker blew so no one could hear me, now they just sent me my 3rd last Monday haven’t had it a week and the power button no.longer works. I have to plug the phone in to be able to turn the phone on. Verizon is making me try one more Thunderbolt then they want to give me a Samsung Chase I don’t want a Samsung I love the HTC I just want one that works this is getting so frustrating I’m about to try and go higher up! I pay my expensive bill every month and just think I should be able to get a NEW not refurbished phone by now! Well I will update wheny 4 th Thunderbolt this week :(
I just got my 5th Thunderbolt since last april last Monday this is the second this month. I have had so many different issues, blown speaker, to the phone just freezing. Verizon said this would be the last last one I would have to take and they would upgrade for free,they have been calling everyday since I turned this one on. Didn’t have any issues til today now the phone is freezing up and screen is not working. So tomorrow I’m back to Verizon they are pretty sick of me but I’m just as sick of them. I took my gtandkids on vacation last week hoping to use my GPS to get us around my phone week completely out half way thru the trip. In fed up and will not take another refurbished Thunderbolt!
Other than the battery mine has been solid since the release. While I believe many posts represent valid complaints, I know that lots of the Jack A…. are their own worst enemy. If you want to install loads and loads of crap on your phone and expect everything to play nice get an Apple product and join the mindless masses. My teenagers have managed to screw up every computing device I’ve ever bought them (currently one Motorolla and one Samsung device). Learn how to factory reset like they and stop downloading all that garbage….It’s a tool, not a toy.
When I got a new Thunderbolt the 32Gb Micro SD was not connected. One day after I git it the Verizon store I got it from offered a 16Gb as a replacement . NOT HAPPY NOW. I said no of course. When I came back after a little research and talked to a girl this time she pulled the SD card out and put it back in and it has worked almost perfectly since then EXCEPT – it did reboot once,.. . . . no other problems at all. Put that in your perfect world compared to anything else. I knew before starting that the battery life was a little short but I have a few chargers everywhere I go so that is not an issue. I can get a bigger battery for a lot cheaper online and maybe free from Verizon from what I’ve heard.
I absolutely love my thunderbolt. I havent had any of these issues with mine so far, and even the battery in mine isnt that bad. I think the phone is sexy, runs super fast, and has fit all my needs perfectly. Love my phone so much!! Every phone has problems and coming from someone who used to have the iphone, I wouldnt trade it for the world!
I am on my 3rd replacement HTC smartphone and it has not even been a year. That speaks for itself. Today at a corporate Verizon store I was told that they no longer offered that product . The phone was not cheap. We should be compensated on our next purchase.
I also hate Verizon customer service and there policy. I’ve had good luck with my bolt but thats not what this comment is about. Verizon (unfortunately) has the best network and they know it. with that in mind they don’t really care about customer service because they know the people who demand a network that doesn’t drop calls will stay (like I do.) I never buy a phone from Verizon. I always get one at Best Buy and you can exchange and try out the phones for the first 30 days. Best Buy also has a nice trade in policy so if you really don’t like the phone you might only loose half vs 100%. I always buy outright and not on contract because it gives you that freedom. I’m sure there are other stores than BB and I would agree to look at them because one thing BB does is a license check for every return to you do. So you might want to check out Coscto Radio shack and make sure you interview the and look up the policies in (FULL DETAIL) BEFORE MAKING THE PURCHASE. Also the outright price of BB is more than Verizon but if you get the right guy they will do a price match for you. It is there store policy to do it but not all managers will. ( As I said there are other stores out there I’m not so gun ho about Best Buy. But it’s better than buying from Verizon.
I brought and returned 10 thunderbolts from BB until I found the one that I liked Yes I’m a little crazy but my hearing is messed up and I can’t have a bass sound. Due to the quality control every phone that is made even though it might be the same model is different a little. That goes for all industries.
I’m now on another phone the Droid Razr Unlike my comment I did buy this one at Verizon But I also knew what I was getting myself into ( and I don’t recommend it) I did it because of price and i was in a hurry) I do however have a perfect thunderbolt as a backup at which I got at best buy. Something in my mind made me want to be the first to have this phone. A problem I had with Moto is the volume rocker does not work when on the phone. Verizon and Moto is not aware of the problem yet people are complaining. I tried the max ( but the sound quality was crap so I went back to the razr. My point and the manager told me this in a Florida store (Broward County) Verizon trains there people by saying every phone has an issue it’s a matter of selling the one the customer will live with. And that is the society we live in today God bless the 99% too bad I don’t think they will make a difference but it’s crap like these principals I can ‘t stand. One might ask if I had such a good thunderbolt why didn’t I go back? You are Well on my bolt I needed a screen lock if I held the phone on my sholder it would drop a call. So it was a choice of that or the volume button not working unil I pulled it from my ear. but I did give up battery life because I had an extended battry but Somthing really made me stick with a messed up phone.
Anyway like I said never buy from Verizon if you want backing or at least a 30 return policy with no limit. and remember when buying a phone you will never get a perfect phone (like one should) But these pieces of junk are made in the rice patty fields of China. There should be a law on quality but right now I’d investergate a phone just like you investergate buying your house because that is what I do.
I dont quite have the same issues as the previous posts.
I love soo many things about my thunderbolt..one major point being that its one of the only verizon phones that does voice and data on the 3G network i am located in. However, i am now on my 4th replacement phone. It seems after a month or two of use, my extended battery will fail and die, when it should have another 12 hours of juice. Then it wont come back on or the phone wont reboot properly. Ive done everything from replacing the charger to the battery to the phone. I really dont want to switch or pay for a different phone. What is the darn problem?
It sucks this phone has given me nothing but problems the back light comes on all by itself ill be sitting at my desk with my phone next to me all of a sudden the back light turns on then it goes off then back on then off it freakin SUXS ASS!!!! Also batt life is horrible and text messaging is BAD sometimes I don’t get any messages my friends send me I’m like wtf??? This is my fourth thunderbolt and I’ve had it since it came out last year Verizon had to send me 3 diff phones new ones just cuz of the texting issues have they been solved HELL NOOO AND I’M NEVER EVER GETTING ANOTHER ANDROID AS LONG AS I LIVE AGAIN!!!! I recommend ppl out there don’t get an HTC they are horrible!! Can’t wait for the IPhone 5 this summer I’m getting it good bye to piece of crap thunderbolts!!
Ohh and I’ve had to do numerous reboots and factory rests on all the thunderbolts they have sent me!! uhghhhhhh irritating!!
I love my thunderbolt. I’ve had it since it came out and have not had any problems or replacements. Bad reviews come from people who don’t know how to properly use it. USER ERROR.
This is the most ignorant comment I think I’ve ever read. Your good experience does not mean everyone with the same phone have the same experience you do. I am a very technical savvy person (I’ve been in IT for 20 years), and I HATE my Thunderbolt. I definitely feel cheated by HTC and Verizon. Every time I pull my phone out of my pocket, I dread the experience I’m about to receive.
I’m thinking about switching to Verizon (ditching Sprint – no LTE in my area and WIMAX is dead) and getting a used Incredible 2 to replace my EVO 3D. Has HTC/Verizon solved most of these complaints about the phone by now?
[...] it was not owners of the company’s HTC ThunderBolt, HTC’s first 4G LTE smartphone. And they apparently didn’t talk to Samsung Galaxy Nexus [...]
Got my thunderbolt a month after release and have had rebooting and lag issues including the screen not turning, force closes, and random freezing which I have to lock the phone and then unlock to fix, happened twice during this post. Never buying another HTC I have no respect for a company that continues to sell such a horrible product. Quietly brilliant my a$$.