• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Is it smart for me to buy a thunderbolt now? Is it outdated?

CaptainObvious

CaptainObvious

Well-Known Member
I'm really itching for a new phone. I love my droid 2 to death, but the only reason i bought it last august was because the droid x's backorder was a month long wait and i couldn't wait that long, so i settled for the droid2. There's not a single thing i don't like about my phone really. It's speed is just fine for me and i've never had any defects or anything with it so far.

But...i've always wanted a phone with a big ass screen. In the beginning i forced myself to justify my purchase by using the keyboard more. And while it's good to type on, i barely ever use it anymore.

My main uses for a new phone (thunderbolt) would be the same as i use it now. Apps/games, web browsing and taking quick pics every now and then. My phone is buttery smooth with launcher pro and as it is today, i don't have any issues with apps not loading or lag.

I'm trying to figure out if the main issues i always hear about with the thunderbolt would even be a big deal to me:

Battery life: Battery life is crap on my droid 2 and i always have to carry a spare battery/car charger, so that's something i'm used to. If it really sucked that bad on the bolt, i'd just do what i've been doing and that's fine with me

Recessed power button: Is this common? I've heard about this quite a bit the past week. I wouldn't want to get a phone and have this same exact thing happen

4g: i don't even know if i'm in a 4g area. I'm in Tacoma, washington

Screen resolution: I know it's not qhd, but how does the screen look in comparison to other phones? Some users in the droid x forums said the bolt's screen is dimmer and washed out. Do you find this to be true?

Single core: I know alot of people are making a big deal about dual cores, but are phones even making use of them yet? Wouldn't the single core snapdragon still be better than the one in my droid 2? Have you guys experienced lag?

Build quality: I'm spoiled by my droid 2. I've dropped it more times than i can count and not a single scratch. How do the materials feel on the bolt? Is it more plasticy, rubbery, metal?

Video chat: could i video chat from my phone to someone with skype on their computer?

Is there any single feature i should hold out for?

I have another upgrade coming next april, so i'd only have this phone for a year before jumping on whatever's newer. So if dualcores and all that aren't made useful until say later in the year, that's not a big deal to me. As long as i can run my basic apps like angry birds, i'm fine.

I'm gonna check out the phone in store tomorrow morning. Just wanted to get some opinions to think about while i'm holding it in my hands
 
Welcome to the forums. My recommendation is to SEARCH. Most if not all your questions and concerns have been previously addressed. As for the phone being outdated..?? If you consider the first and true 4G phone outdated...
 
Depends on what you are looking for. I have the thunderbolt, and it is awesome. this 4g is amazing. I am in San Diego an it runs on 4g 98% of the time. Love it. I wanted the Droid Bionic, but an soooo tired of the locked bootloaders. If you like custom ROMs I would go with HTC over Motorola in my opinion.
 
milan03 said:
Please don't buy a ThunderBolt.
Thank you.
Click to expand...
Please explain? I love this phone. I came from an HTC Inc and i loved that phone but now that i have this gorgeous 4.3" display...i cant look back. Plus within having the phone for 5 hours it was rooted with s-off and running at 1.4 ghz. You will not be able to do this on future phones...they are all going to have locked bootloaders. Plus im not sure when but Verizon WILL have tiered data, most likely this summer. So get grandfathered in while you can. This is my suggestion. As for battery, im not in a 4g area but i have the leaked update and the battery is not as a bad as people are saying, granted im only on my second power cycle. This is usually the worst time for the battery and its really not that bad. As for my power button, i dont see it becoming recessed because when i first got my phone the button was kind of hard to press. Now its a little easier, still a little difficult but certainly not a complaint. My biggest suggestion to you is to walk into the Verizon store and play with a TB for like a half an hour. This will tell you everything you need to know.
 
I'd go for it. I don't see it as outdated (other than design), I just see it as not using all the bbest specs HTC has to offer. IMO, its the best single core phone available. However, you dont seem like the type of person thatll be happy with any one phone for long.
 
skinnhc said:
My recommendation is to SEARCH. Most if not all your questions and concerns have been previously addressed. As for the phone being outdated..?? If you consider the first and true 4G phone outdated...
Click to expand...

Sorry about that. I searched and didn't see any new answers outside of 1 thread about the screen quality compared to dx. I was also hoping for some fresh opinions from different people on the topic about how it compares to other phones (on screen quality).

And the single core issue is for the most part a nontopic. Seems to be anyway. People disregard any conversation about it by simply saying newer is better. I know it's relatively outdated, but i'd like to get some opinions about how well games/apps run on the thunderbolt's processor. Especially considering single core phones are still coming out, it doesn't feel like apps will be all about dual core this year. I don't know. Being a dumb consumer, when people talk about the newer phones coming out and how outdated current phones are, i feel like they're saying "the day these new phones come out, your phone is outdated and all it's precious apps will break!"

And i only heard about the recessed power button from one thread. Just wanted to see if it was a common problem or just your everyday manufacturer defect courtesy of htc!

Didn't see any answers on the skype from phone to computer either. Maybe i'm just not looking hard enough.

I didn't mean to write all this to attack you with a big blob of text, just wanted to clarify i'm just trying to get as much information as i can so i can be one of them "educated consumer" types


xkingofgodzx said:
Please explain? I love this phone. I came from an HTC Inc and i loved that phone but now that i have this gorgeous 4.3" display...i cant look back. Plus within having the phone for 5 hours it was rooted with s-off and running at 1.4 ghz. You will not be able to do this on future phones...they are all going to have locked bootloaders. Plus im not sure when but Verizon WILL have tiered data, most likely this summer. So get grandfathered in while you can. This is my suggestion. As for battery, im not in a 4g area but i have the leaked update and the battery is not as a bad as people are saying, granted im only on my second power cycle. This is usually the worst time for the battery and its really not that bad. As for my power button, i dont see it becoming recessed because when i first got my phone the button was kind of hard to press. Now its a little easier, still a little difficult but certainly not a complaint. My biggest suggestion to you is to walk into the Verizon store and play with a TB for like a half an hour. This will tell you everything you need to know.
Click to expand...

Thanks man!
 
Honestly you shouldn't have to apologize for your OP man. It wasn't insulting, condesending, or disrespectful... all I saw were sincere questions about a device you seem to be interested in. I don't see any reason to be sorry for that?

Wish I knew more about it so I could help you out. Yes the processor in the T-Bolt is a lot faster/more fluid than the one in your Droid. I have dicked around on my buddies Bolt some and found it to be very responsive. I personally liked the look of the screen. No it didn't seem as bright as my DX's screen, but it seemed more detailed, even though the resolution is about the same. I can't really explain it, it just seemed more 'crisp' or something.

But I'm sure you'll see that for yourself when you drop in at your local Verizon store and compare it next to your Droid. If you do pick it up, I hope this forum can be of better help than I am. Wish I had more info I could share with you.



Edit : Oooops... I just noticed you're actually on the D2, not the OG Droid. In that case the processors are actually pretty close. But like I said I did find the Bolt to be very speedy. The biggest advantange I can see is that you won't have that pesky locked bootloader holding you back from truly customizing your device to the max! Why Moto decided to take away the very thing that really make the OG Droid sell like hot cakes is beyond me.

Stupidest move I've ever seen in business, and the reason I'll never buy another Motorola device.
 
The Evo and Thunderbolt at least have had a manufacturing defect with recessed power buttons. Sucks if it hits you, but it's not widespread.

Skype works between phone and desktop, no problem.

HTCs - like most phones - are rigged out of the box to show and push every feature, the color TV equivalent of turning all the controls to max. Subsequently, they get a lot of bad press for battery power. Judicious use of services and settings tends to cure most all of that - still - having a spare charger, battery, or the like for any large display Android phone is a good idea.

Too much press is made over the screen on phones, arguing tech a vs. tech b (usually s/amoled(+) vs s-lcd to be specific) - but truth is, it's a media device that can do many things your TV can - except unlike your TV, these phones lack even basic adjustments - no contrast, and no gamma (my kingdom for a gamma adjustment!). In the end, fan bases go nuts - but bottom line is, you can compare a slew of Tech A and get as much variation from unit to unit as you do to Tech B. While fans insist otherwise, common sense will tell you I'm right regarding mass-produced little screens like this. Besides - without those adjustments, all screen prefs are really just that - personal preferences. Take any OMGZ! THE SCREEN!!1! phone, compare it to a properly calibrated HDTV running the same content and it's not even close - without contrast and gamma, the emperor has no clothes.

So - bottom line, the Bolt screen is as good as you'll find without upgrading to a higher res screen - and even that I don't trust, per THX and SMPTE specs on screen size, distance, and display resolution.

I don't have the Bolt, I have the previous generation Evo and find the screen is way better than the pundits give it credit for - by comparison to my HDTV.

As for outdated. Ummm. OK. A few short months ago, this was the busiest forum we had, with bedwetting hitting tidal proportions as everyone slagged the rumor mills and suffered in anguish at having to wait, because the Bolt was such an advance. It didn't get outdated in two months, except among early adopters who must have the latest. Right now, it's HTC's top phone in the US and that's saying a lot. It will be surpassed by the upcoming Sensation and Evo 3D, but you'd have to switch carriers to consider those - and lose Verizon LTE.

The Thunderbolt is a rock-solid choice, you'll likely be very happy. As with any new HTC phone, put it through its paces during the return period to ensure you don't live with the occasional lemon.

All in my opinion. ;)

PS - HTC phones have had signed and locked bootloaders for quite some time, that's not new and it's not coming - that's the deal today and yesterday. Unlike Motorola, they aren't encrypted - and there's not a shred of evidence or rumor that HTC is considering encryption or ever has. Another point that the popular press won't defang because alarmism drives advertising click-thrus.

Agree with Outlaw71 - no need to apologize for great questions - and being told to search because the truth is out there is against our Zero Tolerance Policy.

PPS - You're on the right track - there is nothing like the big-ass screen. ;)
 
The screen is sharp but not retina sharp obviously but what I couldn't get over was that at max brightness, the screen was not as bright as other devices. I did multiple side by side comparisons.
 
Early Mon said it best.

I really like the SAMOLED screen in sunlight. Otherwise it is too bright, the colors seem funny, and it comes with a Samsung phone.

The T-bolt's screen is horrible in sunlight. Horrible.
 
I will take screen clarity over brightness anyday. Think about it, do you run around with your brightness turned up all the way? No. Very rarely do I ever have my screen at full blast. O don't see how anyone coming from a Droid x can say the x has a better screen. To me s-lcd(thunderbolt) is a perfect balance between lcd(DX) (which is a little washed out, but colors are truer to life) and s-amoled(galaxy s)(where the colors are almost cartoonish).

But that's my preference. All the garbage about the bolt being old tech is just nonsense. Besides as was stated earlier there are higher spec phones out there. But you have to switch carriers to get them. The bolt is the best phone available for big red, and I don't see any substantial difference other than the dual core of the bionic in any phone launching for VZW this summer. So it will likely be king of the hill for a while. Atleast on this network.
 
I think you will get a wider variety of answers if you take the time to really read through the TB section of the forums. I know that's like saying "do a board search" but in all honesty, you should cast a wide net when looking for opinions/tips/troubleshooting. The people here by and large are VERY helpful and knowledgeable.

I read through every TB post that I felt was relevant to my history of usage with my OG (rooted) Droid before I took the plunge.

I've had issues with date dropping out due to a bad SIM card (or some snafu at VZW) and my phone often thinks it's in Oakland, CA (and I'm on the East Coast).

Also- go into the VZW and PLAY with the phone. See if you like the feel of it in your hands. Understand, too, that getting the extended battery may be something you end up having to do.

Would I purchase the phone again, knowing what I know? Probably.
 
I think people are thinking too deeply. If you were intending on getting a Droid X (which has the same processor and speed of what you have now) you should be more than happy with a Thunderbolt plain and simple. You want a bigger screen, I wish the big V would make a 4G phone in Dinc sizing lol. Droid2 is perfectly sized lol.
 
I've had a couple problems with my Bolt but I would buy this phone again if I had to do over. I love it and now that I'm rooted, I love it even more.
 
Just for the sake of giving another vote to count in an "unscientific" poll, I've had an OG Droid anda Droid X prior to my Thunderbolt. It's the best I've had and it does everything I need it too plus I'm fining out more that it does most days. If you like your Droid 2, you'll love the Thunderbolt!

Just my two cents, but smart phones are getting to be just like computers these days. No matter what you buy today there will be something "better" to come along after you've bought it and long before you're ready to get a new one. And even when those newer phones come out, yours will still work quite well for the next two years at least because most of it's usefulness depends more on the network than the phone itself.

Good luck and have fun Captain! :cool:
 
xkingofgodzx said:
Please explain? I love this phone. I came from an HTC Inc and i loved that phone but now that i have this gorgeous 4.3" display...i cant look back. Plus within having the phone for 5 hours it was rooted with s-off and running at 1.4 ghz. You will not be able to do this on future phones...they are all going to have locked bootloaders. Plus im not sure when but Verizon WILL have tiered data, most likely this summer. So get grandfathered in while you can. This is my suggestion. As for battery, im not in a 4g area but i have the leaked update and the battery is not as a bad as people are saying, granted im only on my second power cycle. This is usually the worst time for the battery and its really not that bad. As for my power button, i dont see it becoming recessed because when i first got my phone the button was kind of hard to press. Now its a little easier, still a little difficult but certainly not a complaint. My biggest suggestion to you is to walk into the Verizon store and play with a TB for like a half an hour. This will tell you everything you need to know.
Click to expand...

It was my sarcasm. Surprised that you didn't get it but oh well.
I love my ThunderBolt, but I really dislike topics of this kind. If I see that someone is playing the waiting game and always waits for something "better" I politely ask them not to buy the current product.
Why would I waste my energy trying to be a salesman and make someone buy my favorite phone if I know they'll come back with something stupid like "but this phone has dual core, more RAM, will include washing machine, and will play football with you"
Everything about this phone has already been answered in this forum, absolutely no need opening another thread imho.
In the meantime I'll be enjoying my 4.3" screen, and wide open LTE network. :)
 
Thunderbolt is a good phone but it's not without its quirks.

Battery life is the biggest one. It's probably half of a Droid 2's battery life at stock. I don't think the extended battery should be optional on this device. Without the extended battery it doesn't last long enough for you to be able to use it as much as you want without worrying about running out of juice, with the extended battery, you can.

The phone is outdated. Outdated does not mean bad or unusable, but there are significantly more advanced phones on the market for the same price. You are really paying for a good phone with LTE, not a great phone. If the Thunderbolt was $99 it would not be outdated, but because it competes with stuff like the G2X and Atrix, it is in fact outdated. If Motorola simply relaunched the original Droid X, same specs and all, but it had LTE, it would be a better phone than this Thunderbolt.

Build quality issues are plentiful. Just like the Incredible, the entire back of the phone is a squeaky cover, it's especially bad with the extended battery. The power button sinks into the top of the phone over time becoming increasingly difficult to press. It can even get stuck down and make the phone reboot before it comes back up.

Only 2GB of app storage. Android phones almost a year old have shipped with 5-6+GB of storage for apps.

Signal reception is better than the Incredible's but worse than the Droid, Droid 2, Droid X, Droid Pro, and Fascinate.

If I didn't sell my previous phone immediately when I bought my tbolt I would have returned it and waited for something better.
 
I don't know how everyone else feels but I feel any Android phone is outdated after the first 2-3 weeks it is out. Manufacturers are onto the next device that will be released within the next 2-3 months.
 
chris2k5 said:
I don't know how everyone else feels but I feel any Android phone is outdated after the first 2-3 weeks it is out. Manufacturers are onto the next device that will be released within the next 2-3 months.
Click to expand...

I think many people feel that way (especially early adopters), while others feel that as long as it runs the latest version of the OS very well (or some other personal metric), it's not outdated.

Thing is that nowadays it's _practically_ impossible to be an early adopter of any new smartphone, hence, the frustration for some.
 
HTC and Samsung are especially guilty of this releasing a new phone every 2 months thing. Motorola has been pretty good in not releasing phones left and right.

I just wish all of them would release a phone or two once a year and let people save up to get the new device.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom