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HTC ThunderBolt Owners Fuming Over Missed Ice Cream Sandwich Deadline

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Four days ago, HTC missed the deadline for the HTC ThunderBolt Ice Cream Sandwich update deadline and owners are not too pleased about HTC’s failure to hit that goal and it’s subsequent silence about the update’s new release date.

Over the long weekend, we heard from numerous HTC ThunderBolt owners who are at the end of their rope when it comes to the aging HTC ThunderBolt smartphone.

We’re also seeing numerous owners voice their complaints on HTC’s official Facebook page, complaints that have not been addressed by the company thus far.

Read: HTC Admits It Will Miss ThunderBolt Ice Cream Sandwich Update Deadline.

The frustration from HTC ThunderBolt owners, in regards to the Ice Cream Sandwich update, ranges from polite annoyance to downright anger.

Public examples include:

Screen Shot 2012-09-04 at 9.05.02 AM

And:

Screen Shot 2012-09-04 at 11.58.04 AM

We’ve also privately heard from ThunderBolt owners, several of whom echo these sentiments.

A lot of the frustration towards HTC and Verizon doesn’t appear to be because of the lack of Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich itself. Instead, it appears that a majority of ThunderBolt owners are upset that HTC promised one thing and completely let owners down without any sort of explanation.

Thus far, HTC has said nothing to clear up the situation, only saying that it’s still working with Verizon on the update and that the update should still be coming at some point.

Screen Shot 2012-09-04 at 9.09.12 AM

What this means is that the update might be rolling out in September or, it might not. It’s completely up in the air as the company refuses to say anything more concrete than the statement above.

With the HTC Rezound ICS update, HTC and Verizon were able to roll out the update a few days after missing its deadline but at this point, it’s unclear if the same thing will happen with the ThunderBolt’s ICS update. It hasn’t shown up on Verizon’s website yet and neither company is providing specifics.

So, until then, the ThunderBolt’s new OS is sitting in release date limbo and ThunderBolt owners aren’t the least bit pleased.

36 Comments

36 Comments

  1. Opa

    09/04/2012 at 12:39 pm

    Verizon and HTC customer service is not a priority. Never has been never will be.

  2. galaxy

    09/04/2012 at 12:52 pm

    Anyone who believed that this update would actually release by August 31st was a fool. Anyone who thinks we will get an explanation as to why is an even bigger fool. We Thunderbolt owners mean no more to HTC and Verizon than a ball of dust that has collected in one of the corners of their corporate office towers, waiting to be swept up and disposed of.

  3. Alex

    09/04/2012 at 12:59 pm

    I’m waiting for the new iphone. I’m done with HTC! If they can’t keep a promise why should I be with them? I’m not blaming Verizon because verizon did not make the promise.

  4. Roy

    09/04/2012 at 1:42 pm

    Ok, I get it, we’re mad we didn’t get ICS from HTC/Verizon – but all this talk of ditching Android for iPhones is ridiculous. Just because 1 manufacturer isn’t supporting their phone as much as they should, doesn’t mean it’s the OS that’s to blame.

    • RP

      09/04/2012 at 2:40 pm

      I think their point is that on ios u always get the update (as long as the phone isn’t 3yrs old).

    • luis padilla (@NeoPadilla)

      09/05/2012 at 9:06 pm

      Of course you can blame the OS, Android is doomed because it has to be customized for each individual hardware setup. It can’t handle being installed on older devices without a lot of tweaking. iOS on the other hand will be getting a major update that will easily roll out to the aging 3GS.

      • Bo

        10/23/2012 at 6:02 am

        Not entirely correct. It doesn’t “have” to be tweaked for each phone. The problem is that with Android being as open source as it is, individual carriers and manufacturers are free to butcher it. The one advantage iPhone has is that all iPhones use the same OS.

        But Android is hardly doomed.

    • Andy

      09/18/2012 at 7:13 pm

      Alex you are a fool. Big red is the one to blame here. HTC have update ready a while ago. that’s why some owner’s already have the update by hacking the phone.

  5. Sue

    09/04/2012 at 1:47 pm

    Bought the Thunderbolt upon it’s release. I was geared up for an iPhone but the Verizon rep talked me out of it. Never again. I will go for the iPhone 5 and never touch an HTC product again. Our family has four phones, maybe that might hurt HTC a little, who knows. Very disillusioned.

    • jimmietv

      10/10/2012 at 2:27 pm

      same exact thing happened to me .now I’m stuck with this P O S apple I’m coming over

  6. Joseph Turkos

    09/04/2012 at 2:28 pm

    74 more days and my Thunderbolt and HTC will be history. Can’t wait.

  7. Mikekoz

    09/04/2012 at 2:30 pm

    I have a Thunderbolt, and would like the update, but am not real concerned when it comes. My phone is working perfectly the way it is, and even when it DOES start rolling out, I may just see what other people’s experiences with it are before I take the plunge. My guess is the update does not rely on just HTC or Verizon, but both of them together, that is why HTC cannot give a solid release date. Relax folks…it is not like your phone is going to self destruct if you do not get the update now!!..;p). And for those saying they are going to buy an iPhone…I would rather have a HTC phone on ANY Android OS other than an iPhone! Do not support Apple! They are trying to remove their competition from the market by trying to make Samsung remove all of their products from the US market. This is not good for anybody! The funny thing is, Samsung makes about 30% of the electronics in the iPhone!! Plus anybody who has used an iPhone and an Android device would know one is not a copy of the other, unless you think Apple invented the rectangle.

  8. Tom Craig

    09/04/2012 at 2:41 pm

    My life has not changed one bit by the OS upgrade delay. Switch to an iPhone over a update delay? Not…..

  9. PHILLIP

    09/04/2012 at 3:38 pm

    There are a couple of things I would like to point out. First, I come from the telecommunication industry with over 20 years experience with one of the largest telecom companies in the country. With that being said, I have experience when companies rolled out products and updates that was not ready for consumer use and caused all kind of problems and issues down the road. I would rather have a product / update that is working correctly than having it recalled. Secondly, I’m as mad as the other guy, this is my fourth Thunderbolt and my last, period!!! The phones are not up to the quality as to my last phone which was an i-Phone, once my contract is up I will be purchasing a new i-Phone. So my friends at HTC, thanks for the experience. :-q

  10. Lynn Boone

    09/04/2012 at 3:42 pm

    I have had my Thunderbolt since its release. I have been, and still am pleased with its performance. Technology is like buying a new car. As soon as you sign on the line, and take it off the lot, the same vehicle comes out with additional options for the same price.

    As rapidly as technology changes , I am actually pleased that the TB has even been considered for the upgrade. When it gets here, it gets here. I’d rather sit through the delay than than receive a half baked update that disables some of the currently working features.

    Since VZW dropped the credit they used to apply on the old “New Every Two” program last year, I am not so sure that I want to shell out cash for a new phone in November. Mine works perfectly fine, and I have yet to have a phone that didn’t have a lot of life left in it when I upgraded.

    When it gets here, it gets here, and hopefully it will be right. I have never been offered an upgrade after a vehicle purchase.

    • Alex

      09/04/2012 at 3:54 pm

      I’m so happy for you. But you can’t compare a phone with a vehicle.

      • Lynn Boone

        09/04/2012 at 4:12 pm

        Thank you, and comparing Apple to Android is like comparing apples to oranges. Each operating system has thins that people like and I am too with that.

    • Scalia

      09/11/2012 at 12:20 pm

      I totally agree with you, Lynn. I’m very happy with my TB and am not concerned about the timing of the update. I’ve test-driven the iPhone and it’s simply not for me. If others like it, that’s fine, but I very much prefer an Android OS. When my contract expires, I may get another Android with more processor speed, but that’s not because I’m disappointed with the TB.

      • roper tubg

        09/14/2012 at 6:26 pm

        You don’t have an idea how ICS is. it is beatifull!! You most have it in your thunderbol

  11. Dennis Ault

    09/04/2012 at 4:55 pm

    I don’t think HTC is to blame. Verizon is notorious for delaying updates because the new software does work with its bloatware. Verizon is the one who don’t care about their customers. Greed is what drives VZW.

    • Scalia

      09/11/2012 at 12:25 pm

      You’re right, Dennis. Note HTC’s reply that was reproduced above. They said, “We continue to actively work with Verizon on ICS software for their version of the Thunderbolt.” Again, “their version.” It appears that HTC is obliquely pointing to Verizon as the cause for the delay.

    • Bo

      10/23/2012 at 6:04 am

      I agree with you. My Faxcinate got Froyo something like 3 months after all the other Galazy S phones and it was because of Verizon.

  12. David

    09/05/2012 at 3:34 am

    I bought the Thunderbolt when it came out. It was a sweet deal – I get to jump from AT&T, which was putting out crap Androids with poor coverage, and move to Verizon to get a premier Android with LTE plus unlimited data for life (I hope).

    I was very disappointed with Verizon’s technology support. It promised fixes to battery drain, GPS lock, and a few other bugs, and failed to deliver. Additionally, it promised Gingerbread June 2011 and instead pushed an update that locked down teathering.

    So I took initiative.

    I rooted and flashed my phone and got Gingerbread, recovered teathering, fixed my GPS problems, stabilized LTE coverage, and improved battery life in June 2011. I got more features and removed the bloat on the phone. All these problems I keep hearing from people like those on this comment list were not problems for me. I flashed regularly. New radio? flash. Update to my favorite rom (BAMF)? Flash. When Gingerbread finally came out from Verizon in October, I’d had it for four months already.

    While battery life was better, it still wasn’t awesome. Thus, when the Rezound came out with it’s souped-up battery, I snarfed the battery. That added an extra 20%. I was sitting pretty.

    Then the Galaxy Nexus came out, and I handed my Thunderbolt to my wife. She’s been pretty happy with it, and I never looked back until the ICS leak came out on Aug. 21. I took her phone and flashed it, and the new radios.

    Folks, the leak is nice, but it is buggy. The interface is smooth, includes Sense 3.6, and has all the ICS functionality. However, the kernel appears to lock the cpu at high speed even when the screen is off (battery drain), and she has some issues sending Google Voice texts (they hang in the outbox until she’s on wireless). It’s working well enough though.

    “What is my point?”, you’re likely wondering if you’re still reading.

    Remember that faceless corporations, even if they’d like to care about your needs, can’t address everything and won’t condone anything besides their own policy, so ignore that. Take ownership of your device. Don’t wait passively for help. Take the initiative to learn how to truly own the phone, and make it do what you need it to do.

    Or, don’t. You have other choices if you really don’t want to take that initiative. Apple’s products are totally locked-down and they pretty much say “take it and obey, or go away”. If you’re into that, buy an iPhone. They’re good products that don’t need tinkering. Or you could try Windows Phone. It’s looking like it’s another product that won’t let you tinker. it might or might not work they way you want it out of the box – time will tell.

  13. JC

    09/06/2012 at 10:27 am

    I just posted this to HTC’s Facebook page, not sure if they will allow it.

    I asked your customer service line why HTC hasn’t rolled out ICS for my phone yet. They stated that it’s because they don’t support older phones, and they only provide updates as a courtesy.

    This is completely unacceptable.

    The “older” phone in question is a Thunderbolt, a little over a year old. It was the premier 4G device on Verizon’s network, and was supposed to be leading device HTC had at the time. Motorola doesn’t seem to be having difficulty in supporting it’s long term customers, nor do they dismiss any possibility of loyalty with such a ridiculous canned statement. Neither does Apple, nor Samsung. All of which I will consider for a replacement of my HTC.

    It takes a long time to build brand loyalty, and seconds to erase it. You have succeeded. You have failed on customer support, failed on marketing, and failed on technical ability since you can’t seem to roll this update out. If you view your technology as disposable and not worthy of your time to support then you obviously feel the same way about your customers.

    Not only am I dumping my HTC phone, I’m also dumping my provider, and it’s because they even trusted you enough to offer your phones in the first place. Furthermore I’m dumping my stock, and I’m blogging everywhere and anywhere possible to encourage others to do the same.

    Samsung screwed the pooch when they tried to force bloggers to work their booth at a recent trade show. But they did the ONLY honorable thing by owning up to the problem and making it right.

    Don’t bother trying to respond to this post. Do the honorable thing. Own the mistake, correct your policy, apologize to your customers and kick your engineers in the ass and roll out ICS.

  14. dj drin

    09/14/2012 at 11:36 am

    As soon as I get extra money I’m getting rid of this HTC thunderbolt and getting the Samsung s3

  15. forrest whittington

    09/15/2012 at 6:53 pm

    I bought this thunderbolt over a 4S because of reviews stating that though apple was a better overall phone, the thunderbolt was faster and the hard drive worked better. Now that I’ve had it for only two days I can say that it is riddled with bugs, and no faster than my 3G Samsung from three years ago.
    I was hoping ics would remedy what I believe to be software problems, and if I have to wait a bit for HTC to get their s**t together, that’s what I’m gonna do.
    All good things come to those who wait and a half ass os would only cause more problems despite when it was put out. My only hope is for them to get it right. This time.
    But make no mistake. If this heavy phone shows more of the same problems. I will be giving it to my 10 year old son to play baseball with and buying a 4S.

  16. Paniote

    09/17/2012 at 6:19 pm

    You complainers must have a sad life to be so pressed on something so trivial. I would like to see ICS as well, but life without it doesn’t make me want to go out and buy an over priced I phone. If you absolutely need ICS go grab a ROM and stop crying.

  17. Terry Mullins

    09/18/2012 at 1:31 pm

    Am I the only one who thinks that just maybe the update delay is a clever ploy perpetrated by Verizon to nudge us toward giving in and upgrading to an i5?

  18. Terry Mullins

    09/18/2012 at 1:50 pm

    Think about it folks….HTC is being silent because they’re not going to bite the Verizon hand that feeds them. My guess is HTC had this update finished weeks ago as promised but Evil V is sitting on it to drive up i5 sales among frustrated TBOLT owners. Makes sense if you are an evil, greedy corporation. I personally would not be surprised to see the ICS for TBOLT come out AFTER the sales spike for the i5 subsides.

    • george mellen

      09/21/2012 at 12:40 pm

      Terry, that scenario makes more sense than anything I have read to date. Schedules are set based on cash flow … sometimes outflow, sometimes inflow. This situation is clearly a “maximizing-of-short-term-profits” scheduling!

  19. galaxy

    09/19/2012 at 8:10 am

    I liken Verizon’s customer care philosophy to ones clearing of their sidewalk and patio of ant hills. When they become bothersome, they sweep them aside. Thunderbolt and Galaxy Nexus owners, case in point. They bother to think about the plight of the customer only as long as it takes them to bring the broom up for the next stroke.

  20. Mary Karr

    09/19/2012 at 11:34 pm

    For whatever reason the Thunderbolt hasn’t gotten the newest Android upgrade, Ice Cream Sandwich, I will never go to an iphone. Apple is way to restrictive on the software that can be used on their phones. And for those of us who like to tailor a program to the way we want – well, you just don’t get all the flexibility that you can with the Android OS. As for HTC – I have had many smartphones, and the one that can handle the everyday “abuse” and still works great is HTC. Their phones have always been the most stable and lasts the longest for me giving me about a three year lifespan, if not longer. I don’t trade in for the next model like many people do. Heck, I still have my 1988 Chevy S-10 Blazer… So I can wait for the new OS upgrade and if it never comes – well, I will be very disappointed with Verizon – NOT HTC. But Verizon has me because they have the best phone service in the places I go as an animal rescuer after a Hurricane. Someone has to have a phone that works in those instances. Funny thing is – my husband works for AT&T and we both prefer Verizon.

  21. trevor maylord

    09/22/2012 at 5:48 pm

    for all the pissed off people on here im sorry ive had 3 tb already from htc because they are awesome and love me i guessssss but to the point im a beta tester and as most of you know that is not fun the update that i recieved had more than a handfull of bugs its not the os but getting sense 3.6 to work seamlesly but many problems have aroused out of it and the bugs that i did report does nothing thus is because doing a halve drop to sense 3.5..9 in order to get all the sensor inputs to be recondnized

  22. Kelly Wilson

    09/23/2012 at 11:05 am

    I bought the HTC thunder about a year and a half ago. I honestly don’t need ice cream sandwich, The software on the phone is fine by me. I will be able to get a new phone in December but I honestly don’t need to because I am so pleased with my HTC Thunderbolt. Dont be so greedy, ICS isn’t even that big of a change (to my knowledge.)

  23. Dan JB

    09/30/2012 at 1:05 am

    Food for thought here guys. I’m on the DROID Incredible 2, exactly the same as the DROID Incredible S in Europe & Asia. The S has had ICS for oh 3 or 4 months now. That means 1 thing, HTC is ready. I won’t blame HTC for that. Hopefully we TB and DI2 owners will get our promissed update but I won’t hold my breath.

    I will be switching phones soon. Honestly while HTC had a good run, I am frustrated that app data space is limited to 1 GB of data on even new phones and the new ics phones have an app hungry task KILLER. Not cool. im looking at the Razr HD Maxx now because its spec are very promising. People leaving for iPhone because u get updates, well lets just say im not to pleased with how iOS 5 made my iTouch keyboard VERY unresponsive. Therefore if and uodate is.truly delayed to fix kinks, that’s cool. I just think the big V wants us to pay money fo “better” phones.

  24. Mark B

    10/01/2012 at 1:49 pm

    Here we are more than a month late and still no ICS for the TBolt. Time to move on to the SIII or drop android all together. I know I won’t miss HTC or my TBolt due to the troubles I’ve had. Will need to switch providers too, unless willing to pay full price for a new phone to keep unlimited data if I stay with Verizon. Verizon should at LEAST allow us the subsidized phone price under the grandfather clause of unlimited data for those of us who got ripped off with this terribly buggy phone and versions of AndroidOS.

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