Help So frustrated with the Thunderbolt

cwescapexlt4x4 · Apr 24, 2011

So 3 days into the TB and honestly, I am about to return it.
- battery life (i knew coming into it, it was less than idea - but by 3pm (not heavy use) it was needing charge and then shortly was critically low.
- Bluetooth pairing (or lack there of..) with my vehicle. It's not the car, had ZERO issues with my Motorola Droid and having to turn off the BT, then turn back on and then telling the car to pair (the only way the TB will pair after the 1st pair after re-boot) is unacceptable and really for as pricey of a phone ... come on.
- Ring tones aren't loud enough and when I have downloaded others I can't seem to use them.

Today is the make or break for the TB with me, if you have advise on these issues i would love to hear and maybe help keep the TB. Man I wish the Bionic hadn't had the troubles and was due anytime.....

CharlzO · Apr 24, 2011

cwescapexlt4x4 said:
So 3 days into the TB and honestly, I am about to return it.
- battery life (i knew coming into it, it was less than idea - but by 3pm (not heavy use) it was needing charge and then shortly was critically low.
- Bluetooth pairing (or lack there of..) with my vehicle. It's not the car, had ZERO issues with my Motorola Droid and having to turn off the BT, then turn back on and then telling the car to pair (the only way the TB will pair after the 1st pair after re-boot) is unacceptable and really for as pricey of a phone ... come on.
- Ring tones aren't loud enough and when I have downloaded others I can't seem to use them.

Today is the make or break for the TB with me, if you have advise on these issues i would love to hear and maybe help keep the TB. Man I wish the Bionic hadn't had the troubles and was due anytime.....

Hmm..battery-wise, the OTA supposedly coming soon should help some. But the majority of battery is settings and usage, but you had a Droid before, so I'm giving the benefit of the doubt that you've checked things that would affect it, including screen, sync, and rogue apps..

The BT thing is a little strange. I haven't had any issues with my Jabra in the car, but it's hard to pin point those things down.

And ringtones generally, in my find, have varied in volume simply from what it is, or where I got it, and what quality it is. The rings I use are just songs loaded from my PC, and are usually 196k quality, and I've never had a problem with it. haven't tried others tho.

Maybe try a replacement first, and see what it does? Elsewise, what are you looking at to go to instead?

fillyo · Apr 24, 2011

cwescapexlt4x4 said:
So 3 days into the TB and honestly, I am about to return it.
- battery life (i knew coming into it, it was less than idea - but by 3pm (not heavy use) it was needing charge and then shortly was critically low.
- Bluetooth pairing (or lack there of..) with my vehicle. It's not the car, had ZERO issues with my Motorola Droid and having to turn off the BT, then turn back on and then telling the car to pair (the only way the TB will pair after the 1st pair after re-boot) is unacceptable and really for as pricey of a phone ... come on.
- Ring tones aren't loud enough and when I have downloaded others I can't seem to use them.

-Lastly, make sure your screen brightness is set to a reasonable level, I use around 30%, which is still plenty bright.

Today is the make or break for the TB with me, if you have advise on these issues i would love to hear and maybe help keep the TB. Man I wish the Bionic hadn't had the troubles and was due anytime.....

- First of all, battery life does get better after you cycle through a couple times, I was getting 5-8 hours initially, now I can get 8-12 hours with light to moderate use. Root and install custom ROM, helps a ton, and gets rid of bloatware. Make sure Blockbuster app isn't syncing, that is a killer. Research that, you have to hit update, then turn off auto update or something.
- My phone pairs with no issues to my BMW 330, and I had a Ford Escape rental, and it synced to it perfectly, plus, that had bluetooth audio, which was great.
- Ringtone volume, did you go to sounds, then set volume, there are separate settings for ringtone, notifications, etc.

It gets better, don't give up! I absolutely love this phone, battery life you live with, but I get through the whole day now, plus, I am constant 4g.

Also, with the push back of the Bionic, there probably are issues with 4g/3g, and early adopters will have to deal with this. Let's see how the Charge works out.

BDBMike · Apr 24, 2011

I can only advise on the battery, but like fillyo said it does get better after a few cycles. After about a week I had mine up to 9-10 hours and still had about 20% battery. Also, I just rooted yesterday(ROM: Das BAMF v1.5 remix) and so far its been 7 hours and I have 63% battery left, so I have to say I'm rather thrilled about that.

BTW, this is with moderate usage which includes light gaming, apps(foursquare, yelp, etc.), texting, and a few phone calls.

Bramsy · Apr 24, 2011

- battery life
try JuiceDefender Beta
- Bluetooth pairing
NOT your car? umm takes 2 to tango and somebody doesnt want to dance. could very well be your car. i have no incite, sorry
- Ring tones
read other posts
Today is the make or break for the TB with me
good luck! i hope u can get the bugs worked out

konman · Apr 24, 2011

I love my TB I got 14 hours on a stock battery and 40 pct left(rooted and using kernel 1.4 along with some changes to my setpcu)

This is with 4g and gps off only when needed and sync set only every hour
Along with quick settings for back light adjustment.

Kori_Tamashii · Apr 24, 2011

I have the extended battery, and went nearly 77 hours on it without recharging. Admittely light use, but still, that's a hell of a long time. I got 99 problems, but battery ain't one.

Honestly, I think JuiceDefender Beta has helped DRAMATICALLY. Give it a shot.

bezerk19 · Apr 24, 2011

cwescapexlt4x4 said:
So 3 days into the TB and honestly, I am about to return it.
- battery life (i knew coming into it, it was less than idea - but by 3pm (not heavy use) it was needing charge and then shortly was critically low.
- Bluetooth pairing (or lack there of..) with my vehicle. It's not the car, had ZERO issues with my Motorola Droid and having to turn off the BT, then turn back on and then telling the car to pair (the only way the TB will pair after the 1st pair after re-boot) is unacceptable and really for as pricey of a phone ... come on.
- Ring tones aren't loud enough and when I have downloaded others I can't seem to use them.

Today is the make or break for the TB with me, if you have advise on these issues i would love to hear and maybe help keep the TB. Man I wish the Bionic hadn't had the troubles and was due anytime.....

Battery life on this phone is what I would expect on a 4G HTC phone, not the best but its okay, which is why I usually carry a charger at work and on my car.

As for Bluetooth pairing, I've never had any problems, I purchased a Bluetooth at Best buy and works great, volume is a little low but when i raise the volume on the phone it works great. Also I've synced on my 2011 Camaro Bluetooth and never had any problems, I'm surprised how well it works.

I have the stock ringtones so I've never really tried anything else. usually on high ringtone and vibrate it works great.

Good luck to you, all I can say is I love this phone and it works great for me.

BeZeRk

michaelkahl · Apr 24, 2011

It's not for everyone but I rooted, installed Das Bamf 1.5, updated radio, Juice Defender LTE OnOff, and all is working great. Honestly my battery was fine after installing LTE OnOff so don't root if you don't want too.

If you aren't happy return it or wait for the Droid Charge that comes out this week. Personally, I prefer HTC Hardware especially since the community seems to turn s-off quickly on these devices. This makes the software less important (even though I love sense).

In the end do what works best for you and don't look back. It's a phone, not an engagement so no one will be left devastated if you decide to jump ship to another phone

xkingofgodzx · Apr 24, 2011

I love this phone in every way. I absolutely loved my Inc, that phone changed my perspective of what cell phones are now. But this Thunderbolt is amazing. The ONLY gripe i have with this phone is the power button is a little hard to press. its not recessed but a little difficult to press. but its definitely not a big deal to me at all. i wish it had HDMI out and the charging port on the bottom of the phone like the EVO. But this phone is amazing.

cwescapexlt4x4 · Apr 25, 2011

OK thanks for the replies, the battery life was better today, but I did use it less as well.
I have started using a BT widget, but really i shouldn't have to turn off the BT, then back on for the pairing to happen 2011 Kia Optima SX with BT / NAV and zero issues with 2 M Droids. I have removed the device and re-added in the car .. permissions in phone (but maybe not phonebook - will double check) to always allow to pair.
The task manager I will uninstall, that loaded from the M D1 when activating.

I did choose another stock ringtone (standard one) and it's better but too generic, but testing for now.

I just wish I loved the phone right now, but will give it a few more days (before 14).

ilmar72 · Apr 25, 2011

I got 34 hours off my last charge. When I first got the phone I was barely making it to noon. I bumpcharge every day and I have the new RUU

[/IMG]

Kori_Tamashii · Apr 25, 2011

xkingofgodzx said:
I love this phone in every way. I absolutely loved my Inc, that phone changed my perspective of what cell phones are now. But this Thunderbolt is amazing. The ONLY gripe i have with this phone is the power button is a little hard to press. its not recessed but a little difficult to press. but its definitely not a big deal to me at all. i wish it had HDMI out and the charging port on the bottom of the phone like the EVO. But this phone is amazing.

Now that I think about it, that's another small gripe about the phone for me, too. It's not recessed for me, either, but it's a pain sometimes.

Dark Jedi · Apr 25, 2011

Like with any new device you have to modify how you use it compared to the old one.

Bramsy · Apr 25, 2011

ilmar72 said:
I got 34 hours off my last charge. When I first got the phone I was barely making it to noon. I bumpcharge every day and I have the new RUU

[/QUOTE]

wowzers! thats great!

AustinTech · Apr 25, 2011

You really have to learn to manage the battery for the t-bolt. I don't mean that you can't use your phone whenever you want, rather I mean you have to set up syncing appropiately. Its a bit of a learning curve if you've never had an Android based phone (like me), but once you get the idea you move along quickly. I have my work e-mail sync once every 30 minutes. Works fine for me. If I want it to sync at any time I can always push my "sync now" button. I don't have a job where people are going to get fussy if I don't respond to an e-mail in an instant. Some people do.

I am not experiencing the ringtone volume issue. I think the bolt plays ringtones very loud and I usually have my volume at around 60%. At 100% I get BLASTED with sound. Too much for me and it would drive my office nuts.

nateap87 · Apr 25, 2011

just to clarify, juice defender has been updated to work perfectly with the thunderbolt so don't get the beta version. honestly, with JD my battery EASILY makes it through the whole day.
ringtone volume? i also came from the droid so i know that you're probably just upset that this obviously superior handset has dismal volume compared to such an old phone. i think we were just spoiled by obvious things that should have been included. i.e. multi-colored LED light, two stage shutter button, LOUD ASS SPEAKER (my droid was known to my friends as the loudest phone ever).
bluetooth in your car? idk. that's just not my style. so i couldn't help you there. your phone has the same bluetooth radio as every other device. i'd call the manufacturer of the car or the phone.
hope this helped a little :/

Outlaw71 · Apr 25, 2011

Don't have any suggestions for the OP (don't have the Thunderbolt), but just wanted to give kudos to those participating in this thread. Much more helpful and less spiteful than some of the early threads I saw on here in which users disclosed issues they were having with their TB.

I was less than enthusiastic about this community at first, but this thread has given me hope. Glad to see actual trouble shooting going on instead of name calling. It's inevitable that new devices will have some bugs to work through in the beginning. It seemed like everyone with a complaint was automatically getting labelled a "troll" when I first peeked in on ya'll.

Glad to see that trend on it's way out.

cwescapexlt4x4 · Apr 25, 2011

Thank you all, it has been helpful! I have installed Juice Defender and uninstalled Adv. task killer. So I am trying to have an open mind today and give it a chance. I may yet adjust other settings, but I want to enjoy this phone.

slinky · Apr 25, 2011

The Battery - If you use 4G, it sucks. People will talk about the OTA and swear they are getting 2.4 months worth of continuing moderate usage after cycling the battery a few times. Not happening. It's 1400mAh, too small for this device. Get an extended battery or, better yet, call Verizon and complain about unrealistic times. Perhaps they'll give you a free one or just a discount. I got mine 25% off as part of the stock sale or corp. discount, I don't remember.

Bluetooth - no problems here, hard to say. Maybe the OTA will help.

Ringtones - I know what you mean. Get a loud MP3 and use that. Working decently for me now.

slim6596 · Apr 25, 2011

cwescapexlt4x4 said:
Thank you all, it has been helpful! I have installed Juice Defender and uninstalled Adv. task killer. So I am trying to have an open mind today and give it a chance. I may yet adjust other settings, but I want to enjoy this phone.

With just the uninstall of the task killer, you'll see a noticeable improvement in battery life.

Bramsy · Apr 25, 2011

^ interesting. what sucks about the 4G again? the ability to view YouTube vids in HQ seamlessly? how about the Mobile Hotspot feature thats faster that my home internet, due to you know, LTE. and flash based content that was kinda a pain on my moto D1, has improved.

it doesnt suck. it has its fault, sure...

ruddogg · Apr 25, 2011

cwescapexlt4x4 said:
So 3 days into the TB and honestly, I am about to return it.
- battery life (i knew coming into it, it was less than idea - but by 3pm (not heavy use) it was needing charge and then shortly was critically low.
- Bluetooth pairing (or lack there of..) with my vehicle. It's not the car, had ZERO issues with my Motorola Droid and having to turn off the BT, then turn back on and then telling the car to pair (the only way the TB will pair after the 1st pair after re-boot) is unacceptable and really for as pricey of a phone ... come on.
- Ring tones aren't loud enough and when I have downloaded others I can't seem to use them.

Today is the make or break for the TB with me, if you have advise on these issues i would love to hear and maybe help keep the TB. Man I wish the Bionic hadn't had the troubles and was due anytime.....

Battery life - I can get about 12-14 hrs, I'd unplug around 7am, & plug in around 9-10pm. The phone will be in the red by 9pm. Make sure you turn BT, GPS, Wifi off when not in use. Use the toggle. Also, use LTE on/off if you don't get consistent 4G.

BT - I'm actually having issues with my BT connection in my Infiniti G37. It was fine before I rooted, but since I rooted, it doesn't seem to STAY connected. It would connect, then disconnect immediately. It does connect to my Plantronic Voyager BT no problem though...don't know what's up with that.

Ringtones - Download Ringdroid from the Marketplace & make your own Ringtones.

Mine is set to the USC Fight song

cwescapexlt4x4 · Apr 26, 2011

Well I exchanged the TB for another (took 2 hours at the store) but so far, this phone really seems to be loaded a bit different than the other phone (both were brand new) but still have some concern/trouble with the bluetooth connectivity.

Both find each other, paired but the call (dialed from car) won't actually connect. This is a new car and not breaking new technology but honestly I am so frustrated but had to go into work so I don't have time to play with it more now.

Maybe since I have power cycled both units (car and phone) when I go to leave, MAYBE it will pair/work correctly?

nkk · Apr 26, 2011

Bramsy said:
^ interesting. what sucks about the 4G again? the ability to view YouTube vids in HQ seamlessly? how about the Mobile Hotspot feature thats faster that my home internet, due to you know, LTE. and flash based content that was kinda a pain on my moto D1, has improved.

it doesnt suck. it has its fault, sure...

While I do not presume to speak for Slinky, I can say with confidence that he meant the battery sucks if you use 4G, not that 4g alone sucks.

As for the OP:

Root really does solve all battery problems (or at least makes them bearable). I easily go a day on a charge (das BAMF and some UV kernel that I forget-iI have flashed so many lately). If you are unwilling to root, then follow the other suggestions.

For bluetooth, I have no problems with my headset (Aliph Jawbone, cheap Samsung one, and a Plantronics 5xx) or the car (Jaguar X-type, technically my fathers

).

-Nkk

Help So frustrated with the Thunderbolt

Newbie

Android Expert

Member

Newbie

Android Expert

Member

Android Enthusiast

Android Enthusiast

Android Enthusiast

Android Enthusiast

Newbie

Well-Known Member

Android Enthusiast

Dark Jedi

Guest

Android Expert

Android Enthusiast

Android Enthusiast

Android Expert

Newbie

Well-Known Member

Member

Android Expert

Member

Newbie

Android Expert

BEST TECH IN 2023

Smartphones

Best Android Phones

Upcoming

Best iPhones

Upcoming

Tablets

Best Tablets

Upcoming

Laptops

Best Laptops

Upcoming

Televisions

Best TVs

Upcoming

Game Consoles

Best Game Consoles

Upcoming

Wearables

Best Wearables

Upcoming

Smart Home

Smart Home Tech

Upcoming

Similar threads