Connect with us

Mobile

HTC ThunderBolt ICS Update Held Back by Connectivity Issues

Published

on

HTC ThunderBolt owners can add another chapter to the saga of its missing Ice Cream Sandwich update as HTC USA today claims that it’s still working out connectivity issues, issues that seem to be holding back the update from a public release.

Read: HTC: ThunderBolt Ice Cream Sandwich Update Will “Be Here Soon”.

In a tweet today to a curious HTC ThunderBolt owner, the HTC USA Twitter account let loose an interesting but unsurprising tidbit as to the whereabouts of the missing HTC ThunderBolt Ice Cream Sandwich update, an update that has been held back since the end of August.

According to HTC, the company is working on correcting connectivity issues with the update. This is the same response we saw HTC give to a Droid Incredible 2 owner back at the end of November and it’s something that we heard about previously in regards to the HTC ThunderBolt.

htcthunderbolt

The HTC ThunderBolt ICS update is apparently being held back by connectivity issues. Same as the Droid Incredible 2.

Back at the end of October, we heard from a HTC ThunderBolt owner, suffering from connectivity issues, who claimed that Verizon told him that they were closing his support ticket because they were going to issue an update to fix the problem. Verizon had hoped to get that update by Thanksgiving with the rep saying that it would be coming soon but obviously, that holiday came and went with out a release.

From HTC’s response though, it’s looking like the update that will tackle these issues is indeed the Ice Cream Sandwich update and it appears that it’s a fix for these connectivity issues that’s holding the update back.

Read: HTC Still Working on Droid Incredible 2 ICS Update, Months After Delay.

So while this isn’t the best news, it is, again, a sign that the update is still going to roll out to HTC ThunderBolt owners, it’s really just a matter of when.

Earlier this week, we reported that HTC USA’s Twitter account had said that the update would be coming out soon but with it now saying that it’s still ironing out issues, owners could definitely still be in for a wait.

18 Comments

18 Comments

  1. Don

    12/20/2012 at 2:26 pm

    This is nothing new. They mentioned ‘connectivity issues’ two months ago. I really don’t think they are working on it at all. Many thunderbolt owners have already upgraded to other phones.

  2. Joe

    12/20/2012 at 2:41 pm

    Yeah, how many Tbolts can still be out there? Glad I rooted mine and installed a slick ICS ROM. This whole situation is a boondoggle! VZW and HTC should be ashamed of themselves…

  3. Sean

    12/20/2012 at 5:56 pm

    I dunno how can you advertise an update date when there is an issue that you can’t pinpoint and/or readily fix. I know in one of these false hope articles I commented on how HTC should reach out to one of these developers that has been able to get ICS to work and work together to get the update going.
    Heck HTC (Verizon too), stop giving us “political” responses and just release a statement on what the issue is. What details can you give regarding this connectivity issue? Some if not all of us can handle the details, just be open about it. Or even just tell is its not financially feasible to continue on with the failed update and let’s all move on.

  4. shaboss

    12/20/2012 at 6:46 pm

    HTC and Big Red suck! Leaving in March 2013. Hurry up.

  5. Josh Moore

    12/20/2012 at 6:46 pm

    ANyone know of an ICS rom that the video and netflix works?

    • kermit

      01/07/2013 at 8:53 pm

      Look for netflix.apk version 1.8.1 — it works on ics.

  6. John

    12/20/2012 at 8:17 pm

    Why don’t they just do the right thing and offer a deep discounted alternative phone for TBolt owners? Dumb asses! Oh no, that would be inconsistent with their plan to lose as many customers as they can. SUCK IT HTC! You too VZW.

  7. ronhoo

    12/20/2012 at 10:48 pm

    I believe them when they indicate there is a connectivity problem. As far as I am concerned the problem has existed for quite some time and became more prevalent around the time iphone 5 w/ 4g was released.

    I’m guessing Verizon adjusted the network to accommodate the iphone 5 (and newer phones). The 1st generation 4g hw in the tbolt probably needs a workaround to operate correctly with mods made to the network.

    This is my opinion. Any others?

    • Brad Brown

      12/21/2012 at 12:42 am

      Ronhoo you just might be on to something! When lte was opened up in my area all of a sudden I started to notice connection problems with my incredible 2 and as time goes on it seems to get worse, also apps are getting less reliable as they get updated more and more.

      • ronhoo

        12/22/2012 at 8:44 am

        Hey Brad

        Sometime in the summer, I noticed the connection problems as well and yes it just got worse and worse. Sometimes the data is completely unusable. I would guess Verizon is tight lipped about this issue and has put a gag over HTC’s mouth. Could you imagine the class action lawsuit over the degradation of the service whether intended or not. Unlimited data or not, folks are not getting what they are paying for.

        I’d like to think HTC wants to fix it, but as people have mentioned, there is no incentive for Verizon to resolve this issue. They *want* everyone to update their phone to 1) lock them in for another 2 years, 2) get an extra $30 upgrade fee (all those new iPhone 5 upgrades resulted in several million dollars!!!) and 3) remove those pesky unlimited data plans. Anyone who has an unlimited data plan, there is no potential for Verizon to make any more money. Now that folks are on limited data plans, Verizon can’t wait for them to exceed there 1gb cap. More revenue.

  8. Rizzo

    12/21/2012 at 7:23 am

    I called them HTC again. They told me this HTC USA twitter is not HTC. it’s basically someone pretending. ICS is not coming. The rep said he has the TB and it is staying on gingerbread.

  9. jg

    12/21/2012 at 1:31 pm

    A rep at our local Verizon store informed me that his HTC rep indicated there was no way the TB was getting ICS. I feel that HTC is just hoping to stall this long enough so that enough users are on other phones when they finally announce that they aren’t releasing it. My only frustration is in the stringing of all this along, I mean if ICS doesn’t work well with the phone then that is just the way it is. I lived through the initial reboot 3 or 4 times a day fiasco so if they can’t get it working right I would rather they not try.

  10. John Doe

    12/21/2012 at 2:28 pm

    What does it profit VZW or HTC to not issue a press release clearly stating if ICS is coming or not? Their unwillingness to do so, increases my despise of both every day that passes. I’m not able to come up with a reason that makes good business sense.

  11. WL

    12/22/2012 at 11:50 am

    “Verizon beats AT&T by a small amount in its average time-to-update (eight months) but unlike AT&T, the company is consistently bad across manufacturers at distributing updates.”

    https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2012/12/the-checkered-slow-history-of-android-handset-updates/

  12. bob

    12/24/2012 at 10:25 am

    I don’t care anymore. Upgrading to a Galaxy Note II. HTC sucks and so does the Thunderbolt!

  13. graywolfman

    12/25/2012 at 7:27 am

    Wow, connectivity issues? My Thunderbolt had that for months and months, only getting worse. Factory resets, 3 defective refurbished units, and a 45 minute call later, they sent me the HTC Rezound for free. Of course they requested I wait 3 months and use my upgrade/lose unlimited data, buy a phone from CraigsList or eBay, or spend full retail on a brand new phone before they sent me a better device. I told them it would be UTTERLY RIDICULOUS to go out and buy a phone to replace a device I paid for to use on a service I STILL pay for just to be able to use my phone as advertised. I would have said no to an HTC device, but it was free and already has ICS. It works great, but I will not be giving HTC any money in the future, nor will I be using my upgrade and lose my unlimited data. I’m having too much fun using 12GB/month watching Netflix at work to spite them. The first 4G device is no longer working on their network, they know it, but won’t admit it. With the Thunderbolt at work I wouldn’t even be able to look at it without losing a bar of service. With the Rezound I can watch Netflix under my desk if I want to and still have 3 bars of service. When I do get a new phone, Samsung here I come.

  14. seegee

    01/03/2013 at 1:46 pm

    lol looks like htc pulled the tweet referenced in this article. i am a thunderbolt owner and i have already written htc informing them i will never buy one of their products again. it was a rock-solid product when it hit the market, but htc neglected it so bad that now it sucks. complete. and. utter. htc. fail.

  15. Jack

    01/16/2013 at 3:04 am

    Screw this… I waited long enough. Going to get my new Droid Razr Maxx HD today after work. ALL DONE with HTC and this nonsense.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.