Newbie to Android - did I make a mistake?

[SMRBerry]

I picked up a new Thunderbolt at the Verizon store on Thursday (launch day) using my last NE2 and it replaces my Blackberry Bold (OS 6)

Pros-

1. It is VERY fast. No lag at all. And, the 4G speed for web browsing is simply astounding.

2. Beautiful Screen - great for web browsing, reading email attachments, viewing videos, and photos, etc. Web browser blows away the Bold.

3. App selection and functionality.

4. While on 4G (Baltimore area), you can email or surf web while speaking on phone

5. Data plan is $30 a month vs $45 for BES, plus 4G hotspot is free until May 15th (then $20 a month)

Cons -

1. Battery life is, as reported, awful. I just can't imagine how HTC released a phone with such an underpowered battery.

2. Email is not nearly as fast and easy as Blackberry. I send and receive a couple hundred email each work day, and there is no way I can keep up on any Droid. Although, to be fair, after 10+ years of using a BB, there is bound to be a learning curve, especially when getting use to a touch screen keyboard (so far, I do NOT like it)

3. Weight and size - this thing is a brick

4. Screen is washed out in bright sunlight

5. BB beeps, I pick it up, one click and read a new message. For TB (and I guess every Android), you have to press the standby button to bring the screen up, then swipe the screen to unlock it, then choose Mail or Messages, then open inbox, etc. So many more steps to just read a new email. Maybe I am not doing something right?

6. Lack of keyboard short cuts.

Bottom line - BB seems far superior for email and work - but Thunderbolt is an incredible device for web and media, etc. In a perfect world, I would carry BB all the time and keep TB in briefcase for web, etc.

For those of you who migrated from Blackberry to Android - any advice or thoughts on these concerns? Thanks.

 

[SeattleYanksFan]

It is true, there will be no beating a Berry for email. For literally everything else though, Android is miles ahead. If all you do is email, you won't be happy with Android, so go back to a Berry. If you actually want to make use of your $30 data plan, give it time. Once you start figuring out how to make Android work for you, there is no going back.

And as for the several steps to reading your email, you can make it one step if you get the app WidgetLocker. It lets you access shortcuts and/or notifications from the lock screen.

 

[destardi]

I picked up a new Thunderbolt at the Verizon store on Thursday (launch day) using my last NE2 and it replaces my Blackberry Bold (OS 6)

Pros-

1. It is VERY fast. No lag at all. And, the 4G speed for web browsing is simply astounding.

2. Beautiful Screen - great for web browsing, reading email attachments, viewing videos, and photos, etc. Web browser blows away the Bold.

3. App selection and functionality.

4. While on 4G (Baltimore area), you can email or surf web while speaking on phone

5. Data plan is $30 a month vs $45 for BES, plus 4G hotspot is free until May 15th (then $20 a month)

Cons -

1. Battery life is, as reported, awful. I just can't imagine how HTC released a phone with such an underpowered battery.

2. Email is not nearly as fast and easy as Blackberry. I send and receive a couple hundred email each work day, and there is no way I can keep up on any Droid. Although, to be fair, after 10+ years of using a BB, there is bound to be a learning curve, especially when getting use to a touch screen keyboard (so far, I do NOT like it)

3. Weight and size - this thing is a brick

4. Screen is washed out in bright sunlight

5. BB beeps, I pick it up, one click and read a new message. For TB (and I guess every Android), you have to press the standby button to bring the screen up, then swipe the screen to unlock it, then choose Mail or Messages, then open inbox, etc. So many more steps to just read a new email. Maybe I am not doing something right?

6. Lack of keyboard short cuts.

Bottom line - BB seems far superior for email and work - but Thunderbolt is an incredible device for web and media, etc. In a perfect world, I would carry BB all the time and keep TB in briefcase for web, etc.

For those of you who migrated from Blackberry to Android - any advice or thoughts on these concerns? Thanks.

Email - press standby, swipe the locK screen, then just pull down the notification shade, boom right there. Never used blackberry, but never wanted to..
I love email on android, to me its fast easy reliable and full-featured.

 

[nygiants10]

SOunds like you shouldve got an iphone. Sounds like you dont have the patience for the buggy Android OS.

 

[willdogs]

I have both a blackberry for work and a Thunderbolt for play.

Stick with Blackberry. Nothing beats Blackberry for enterprise email especially for the amount of email you get per day. Trust me.

 

[SMRBerry]

SOunds like you shouldve got an iphone. Sounds like you dont have the patience for the buggy Android OS.

To the contrary, looking forward to tweaking all the settings, etc. I was waiting for this phone so that I could get a 4G device. No interest in the iphone. But, I do need a device that is fast and convenient for email, which remains the primary use of any smart phone I will carry.

 

[SeattleYanksFan]

To the contrary, looking forward to tweaking all the settings, etc. I was waiting for this phone so that I could get a 4G device. No interest in the iphone. But, I do need a device that is fast and convenient for email, which remains the primary use of any smart phone I will carry.

Ignore the troll.

I use my Android phone (Incredible, not TB) for gmail and my corporate email. I don't get 100s of emails per day, but I get plenty and they all come instantly (or pretty damn close). Just give it time before you determine whether it's unworkable for you. I think you will end up pleasantly surprised once you begin unlocking the power of Android. You can literally customize anything you want, so anything that doesn't work how you want it to, there is likely a way to make it match your needs.

 

[Tryn2getaclu]

FWIW, coming from BB Storm and first Android (so yea, big learning curve but I am getting the hand of the basics pretty quickly), I was frustrated with the native email app. There are a few threads on this and I followed the advice posted about K-9 email. I dumped the accounts in the native app, downloaded k-9 and re-setup my email accounts. I have yahoo, hotmail and 2 others in my url. All functioning much better. Can set separate notify tones for each, can poll every minute, and a bunch of other options and features not in the native email app.

I am still learning my way around but there are some shortcuts. As far as I can see, there is no way around the button and swipe to get in. But emails notify on top bar and one swipe down and all your notifications are in front of you (including each mail inbox that received new). So, after button and initial swipe, only one swipe down to see your inboxes and one click - you are in.

I am a lite-weight user but as soon as the charge dock is available, I'll get one as it seems to have a bay for charging a separate battery and I will just carry a spare all charged up when needed.

I still have MUCH to learn about Android but so far I an not regretting my TB. I am in 3G only and it is soooooo much faster than the BB Browser. The BB browser was so slow that I never used it (maybe 10 or 15 times in 2.5 years with that device). I just used the BB for phone, email and map directions when in rental cars (even that was horrible).

You can save batt life by toggling off 4G when you don't need it as I said, 3G blows the doors off BB's browser and is faster than my DSL at home too). I am getting 1800+ down and 900+ up on 3G. To toggle off the 3G, get "Phone Info" from market. open it and hit "phone Information", scroll to Set preferred network and choose CDMA auto (PRL). You can always switch back to "CDMA + LTE/EvDp auto" anytime.

There is also a Power Control widget that is pretty cool that lets you make changes on the fly - including screen brightness which also reduces batt drain, can toggle on/off various radios as needed.

I never used the keyboard shortcuts on BB Storm as they only function on the hard keyboards so no loss there (for me).

I do not find the weight an issue as I would expect a 4.3" screen device to be heavier than a 3.2" device. The extra screen size is so worth it. So far, I am satisfied but I am not a power-user. I think I will get used to the keyboards, I have large hands and these keyboards are so much bigger than BB's (on BB I could not use the portrait keyboard at all).

I'd say give it the 2 weeks, read thru these forums more as there are some great tips. Then decide.

 

[mlee21]

For e-mail purposes, nothing will beat blackberries.

 

[SMRBerry]

Thanks to all for the excellent advice. I do plan on giving the TB every bit of the 14 day trial period before making any final decisions.

 

[lamoglinsgal]

Try No Lock to disable the swipe to unlock. Or like someone else mentioned, you can access the notification bar from Widget Locker, as well as add apps and Widgets to the lock screen. Hang in there. There is a learning curve coming from BB.

 

[CyberPitz]

NoLock + WidgetLocker = Push the unlock button on the phone, click the email button you put on your lock screen, now you're in your email app.

 

[AustinTech]

Has anyone installed WidgetLocker On their t-bolt? On some phones it gets buggy. It looks like something perfect for me if it works.

 

[lamoglinsgal]

I just installed WL on my T-Bolt today and it's working flawlessly.

CyberPitz - is there a reason you're using both No Lock and Widget Locker? I've used one or the other, but not at the same time.

 

[CyberPitz]

I have it installed and haven't had any issues.

*EDIT* I used NoLock because on my OG Droid i would get my normal Lock Screen, then after unlocking would be WidgetLocker. I guess I never thought it's not supposed to work like that

 

[lamoglinsgal]

I have it installed and haven't had any issues.

*EDIT* I used NoLock because on my OG Droid i would get my normal Lock Screen, then after unlocking would be WidgetLocker. I guess I never thought it's not supposed to work like that

Gotcha! I wasn't sure if I was missing out on something.

No Lock is one of the smoothest slide-lock removers I've found on the T-Bolt, but I didn't like that it disabled weather animations. I know, I know. WL is actually pretty slick. And it's not such a bad idea to have a lock screen when you have little ones trying to steal your phone to play Angry Birds.

 

[androidffan]

You and I are in the same boat. I am coming from a BB curve on tmobile network. My phone has primarily been a work phone but being on the droid and VW network everything has changed. As long as I can keep this battery thing under control I think i will love the tbolt & become more efficient then using the BB.