HTC ThunderBolt: Ages Worse Than Charlie Sheen

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One of the hardest parts about reviewing phones is knowing which phones will hold up over time. The HTC ThunderBolt is a prime example, one which, to my dismay, I own. While all phones age, the ThunderBolt has aged worse than Charlie Sheen in the last 9 months.

We’ve covered the issues of the HTC ThunderBolt before, numerous times, but here I am again. 9 months after I purchased the HTC ThunderBolt, and agreed to use it as my phone for two years, I can barely stand to take it out of the house, let alone put it in my pocket.

What’s so bad about the HTC ThunderBolt? I mean, it does have Android 2.3 Gingerbread on it. It has 4G LTE and it has a large 4.3″ display– and don’t forget the kickstand.

Well, here’s the thing.

Like most phones, there is a period of enjoyment that comes right after purchasing a device. The Honeymoon Phase. Next up is the a period of Complacency, where the phone may not be shiny new, but is still cool enough, fast enough and able to do enough, that you aren’t drooling over the next phone. Eventually the phone hits the Seven Year Itch, when you can’t take it any longer and you are ogling new phones and checking your renewal date on a bi-weekly basis.

Normally, you can count on the middle phase to last at least a year, but the ThunderBolt has already hit the seven year itch, with little chance of lasting through the second year of my contract.

My Biggest ThunderBolt Issues

• Laggy — just like Charlie Sheen couldn’t be bothered to show up on time for his own show, I feel like the ThunderBolt is constantly trying to recover from a Charlie Sheen night out on the town. Navigating through Android and using many apps will result in just enough lag to be noticeable, to lag that lasts long enough I may as well put the phone back in my pocket.
• Battery Life — You know how your smartphone or laptop battery used to get after a year and a half of use? Six months in my battery life was so bad I had to buy the extended battery just to get through the day. Now that I have 4G LTE available, I need all of that massive extended battery. I’m afraid to think how this will be a year from now, when I still have 3 months left on my contract.
• Too Old Too Quick — Just like many venues should have known better than to book the “Winning”, “Tiger Blood” loving Charlie Sheen, I should have known better than to buy a first generation 4G LTE phone with a single core processor and no high resolution display.

Now, like so many other ThunderBolt owners, I have buyer’s remorse.

It’s sad that a phone can’t even go a year without aggravating users and feeling like a dead phone dialing.

Perhaps the ThunderBolt can ring up Charlie Sheen for some tips on a comeback. I’m not even sure an ICe Cream Sandwich update could save the ThunderBolt.

If you own the ThunderBolt, how do you feel 9 months in?

Charlie Sheen image via Twitter.

About the Author (Author Profile)

Josh is technology enthusiast who enjoys pushing new gadgets to their limits and helping the average user make informed choices about technology. Josh has had technology articles appear on WalletPop and MSNBC as well as coverage from CNN.Josh also teaches business technology courses and is the Editor at Notebooks.com. He uses a Galaxy Nexus and a iPhone 4S and his Tablet is an iPad 2.Follow Josh on Twitter @Josh_Smith or email him josh@notebooks.com. You can findJosh Smith on Google+