Epic HTC Thunderbolt/Verizon Fail

doobiewondrsmke · ‎07-12-2011

Before I get onto my soapbox let me prefice all of this by saying that I find Verizon's LTE network as well as their 3G network to be the best in the country. I've had issues with various things (who hasn't) when it comes to my service or phone but Verizon has always been very kind and helpful.

Now for my MASSIVE complaint. First I want to address the insane amount of bloatware on my Thunderbolt. I do not want, nor will I every use City ID, Blockbuster, Lets Golf 2, TuneWiki, V Cast anything, VZ Navigator, or any other pre-loaded piece of software that I missed. These unused apps are not only taking up space on my device, but constantly run in the background wasting precious resources and battery life. I use a task killer to manage this, but it doesn't matter. I purchased the phone on day ,1 and the majority of these apps I've never once chosen to open, yet they still want to run and Verizon has given me no option to remove them [Edited to comply with Terms of Service]

Second, when do Thunderbolt owners get Gingerbread and a front facing camera that works? I know that HTC is responsible for the software updates, but Verizon is the one that gives the go ahead and pushes this. Are we to believe that we have no Android 2.3 and working front camera because of HTC? They're pushing new updates to their other devices, but not the Thunderbolt. There are phones on Verizon's network that were released long after the Thunderbolt that have had Gingerbread pushed to it already.

Finally, the latest update that Verizon has pushed out was supposed to fix random reboots and other issues. That's great that big red finally did this, but to put yet another app that I don't want, need, or can't uninstall was put into the update. I DO NOT WANT MORE BLOATWARE!!!! Why is it that Verizon wants to ruin a perfectly good phone? Because of all this unecessary software I literally have had my battery drain dead (no power at all) in a single hour after removing it from the charger. I can't begin to explain how inconvenient and frustrating this can be.

I'd like the ability to control MY phone how I see fit. Use it in a manner that I choose and not be inundated with crap that does nothing but kill my battery. More than likely any person that has the power to pass this rant on to those in positions of decision making will not see this, ignore it, or dismiss it altogether. I just hope that I'm not alone in my way of thinking and maybe future Android phone releases won't be so loaded with crap software that us customers can eventually use our devices as intended.

Sincerely,

Thinking of purchasing 3rd party unlocked device next time around

P.S. - I used to do 1 year contracts because I like phone upgrades every year. Now that the option has been removed (it's greed, no one smart enough would ever think it's "best interest of the customer") I may become ex-Verizon customer.

PJNC284 · ‎07-12-2011

doobiewondrsmke wrote:
I use a task killer to manage this, but it doesn't matter.

You're probably having more of an impact on battery life and performance by using a task killer than those apps are. A 100MB+ golf game is a bit ridiculous but the performance and battery life hits are negligible at best.

doobiewondrsmke · ‎07-12-2011

Actually my performance has improved since installing the task killer. I've been an Android user for quite awhile (this is my 4th Android phone) and didn't install the task killer until around a month ago. I still get complete battery drains but not as frequently as I did before the app install. My main problem is that the majority of things running in the background are Verizon added programs that I never use and it's more than frustrating.

Ann154 · ‎07-12-2011

Out of all the bloatware on my Tbolt, the only two that are currently showing as loaded into the memory (background) are Backup Assistant and VZ Navigator. Both have used 0% cpu time. I don't use a task killer or purposely force close applications. Yes it does bug me that the phone decided to start/load into memory these two applications over 15 hours ago by themselves while I was asleep and the phone was sitting idle. I certainly have never opened them.

I'm most definitely NOT a VZW employee. If a post answered your question, please mark it as the answer.

doobiewondrsmke · ‎07-12-2011

Mine currently shows City ID, V Cast Apps, VZ Navigator, and My Verizon Mobile. None of which I have ever or will ever use.

AZSALUKI · ‎07-12-2011

it's a tradeoff i suppose. i'll take the bloatware and prices to get a signal in the middle of the desert. if it's a network you want, then verizon is it. if it is superior devices you want, then verizon has NEVER been it. we often get comparable devices much later than at&t, sprint, or tmobile, and sometimes those devices don't even stack up to the comps on other networks (doesn't the EVO have hdmi out??? i may be wrong). i don't like the bloatware, but it really doesn't hinder my tbolt's performance or battery. if your battery drained in an hour, then something was wrong. i have no idea what, but an app in the background did not cause that. you can stream a movie for an hour and not kill the battery, so i suspect there is something else going on????? getting rid of the one year contract isn't a big deal to me because i will simply sell the tbolt for a few hundred bucks to subsidize a new device next year without renewing anything. the contract prices don't save you that much if you have high end androids in good shape to sell every year and purchase a new one. sell one for $300 and buy one for $600 and stay out of contract.

PJNC284 · ‎07-12-2011

doobiewondrsmke wrote:
Actually my performance has improved since installing the task killer. I've been an Android user for quite awhile (this is my 4th Android phone) and didn't install the task killer until around a month ago. I still get complete battery drains but not as frequently as I did before the app install. My main problem is that the majority of things running in the background are Verizon added programs that I never use and it's more than frustrating.

There really is no noticeable difference with them removed. I got rid of them as soon as I got the Thunderbolt and aside from just not showing up in the app drawer or being in the service list, it didn't perform any differently. On a side note, it's really a shame that Verizon doesn't just hire Team BAMF instead of going through HTC. GB 2.3.4 and Sense 3.0 is great.

doobiewondrsmke · ‎07-12-2011

it's a tradeoff i suppose. i'll take the bloatware and prices to get a signal in the middle of the desert.

Personally I don't want any bloatware on my device and if I'm paying $300 (round figure) for a phone, along with a contract that nets Verizon over 1K a year, I think I deserve the right to add/remove whatever I choose on the phone that I own. While I'm not an iPhone fan (I had the 1st gen way back when) at least that device isn't preloaded with crap that you don't want or can't remove.

if your battery drained in an hour, then something was wrong. i have no idea what, but an app in the background did not cause that. you can stream a movie for an hour and not kill the battery, so i suspect there is something else going on?????

Actually it was an app running in the background that caused the battery drain. As strange as it sounds it was an installed bloatware app (City ID, ) that killed the battery. It doesn't happen daily, or even weekly. It however does happen at random and at the most inopportune times.

Before installing Task Killer when I had the issue multiple times, I factory reset the device, didn't load any apps other than what was installed at the time of purchase and still had the problem. Each time the culprit is a bloatware app that Verizon has forced on my device.

getting rid of the one year contract isn't a big deal to me

For me it is a big deal. One year contracts mean that not only do I get a new device each year, but I'm not tied to a company that may have a nose dive in standards leaving me to deal with an extra year on a contract or pay an ETF that is really a ransom. As a consumer it's nice to have a choice. With the way these things are going (not only with cell carriers but most mutli-billion dollar corporations) companies want to tie you into something as long as they can. Why worry about losing a customer if they're under contract for "x" period of time. They can't leave and have to pay.

Ultimately I just want Verizon to be more consumer friendly. I'd even pay an extra fee up front to have a rooted or at least bloatware free device.

AZSALUKI · ‎07-12-2011

doobiewondrsmke wrote:
it's a tradeoff i suppose. i'll take the bloatware and prices to get a signal in the middle of the desert.

Personally I don't want any bloatware on my device and if I'm paying $300 (round figure) for a phone, along with a contract that nets Verizon over 1K a year, I think I deserve the right to add/remove whatever I choose on the phone that I own. While I'm not an iPhone fan (I had the 1st gen way back when) at least that device isn't preloaded with crap that you don't want or can't remove. iphone??? you want to talk about being restricted!!!! again...tradeoff. get an iphone with no bloatware, but plenty of restrictions.....get a poor network, but a nicer device, or get the bloatware, but a great network. i'd love to have it all too, but as of yet, nobody offers that.

if your battery drained in an hour, then something was wrong. i have no idea what, but an app in the background did not cause that. you can stream a movie for an hour and not kill the battery, so i suspect there is something else going on?????

Actually it was an app running in the background that caused the battery drain. As strange as it sounds it was an installed bloatware app (City ID, ) that killed the battery. It doesn't happen daily, or even weekly. It however does happen at random and at the most inopportune times. that's odd since i had city id on mine (like everyone) and it's never drained in one hour. i really don't know much about this stuff, but if it was city id that drained it in an hour, and we all have city id, then why aren't all of them draining in an hour. it runs constantly (until you remove it....no root needed. there is a thread below about it) on everyone's so i would think that if it was the culprit, then we'd all have dead batteries in an hour?

Before installing Task Killer when I had the issue multiple times, I factory reset the device, didn't load any apps other than what was installed at the time of purchase and still had the problem. Each time the culprit is a bloatware app that Verizon has forced on my device. i never installed a task killer. i had one on my incredible and it performed the same (or slightly better) after i removed it, so i never put one on the tbolt.

getting rid of the one year contract isn't a big deal to me

For me it is a big deal. One year contracts mean that not only do I get a new device each year, but I'm not tied to a company that may have a nose dive in standards leaving me to deal with an extra year on a contract or pay an ETF that is really a ransom. As a consumer it's nice to have a choice. With the way these things are going (not only with cell carriers but most mutli-billion dollar corporations) companies want to tie you into something as long as they can. Why worry about losing a customer if they're under contract for "x" period of time. They can't leave and have to pay. i was actually suggesting no contract at all if you truly want freedom.

Ultimately I just want Verizon to be more consumer friendly. I'd even pay an extra fee up front to have a rooted or at least bloatware free device. agreed....but they are in the business to make money, and that bloatware makes $ so it likely won't happen. i would be curious to see what they make per unit to add that bloat. if it was only $20-50 then i'd gladly pay that to get it bloat free!!!

rcschnoor · ‎07-12-2011

doobiewondrsmke wrote:
it's a tradeoff i suppose. i'll take the bloatware and prices to get a signal in the middle of the desert.

Personally I don't want any bloatware on my device and if I'm paying $300 (round figure) for a phone, along with a contract that nets Verizon over 1K a year, I think I deserve the right to add/remove whatever I choose on the phone that I own. While I'm not an iPhone fan (I had the 1st gen way back when) at least that device isn't preloaded with crap that you don't want or can't remove.Like iTunes? Yes, that may be a bit more useful than some of the Verizon bloatware, but Apple DOES have programs that I don't believe you can remove from an iPhone.

if your battery drained in an hour, then something was wrong. i have no idea what, but an app in the background did not cause that. you can stream a movie for an hour and not kill the battery, so i suspect there is something else going on?????

Actually it was an app running in the background that caused the battery drain. As strange as it sounds it was an installed bloatware app (City ID, ) that killed the battery. It doesn't happen daily, or even weekly. It however does happen at random and at the most inopportune times.

Before installing Task Killer when I had the issue multiple times, I factory reset the device, didn't load any apps other than what was installed at the time of purchase and still had the problem. Each time the culprit is a bloatware app that Verizon has forced on my device.

getting rid of the one year contract isn't a big deal to me

For me it is a big deal. One year contracts mean that not only do I get a new device each year, but I'm not tied to a company that may have a nose dive in standards leaving me to deal with an extra year on a contract or pay an ETF that is really a ransom. As a consumer it's nice to have a choice. With the way these things are going (not only with cell carriers but most mutli-billion dollar corporations) companies want to tie you into something as long as they can. Why worry about losing a customer if they're under contract for "x" period of time. They can't leave and have to pay.

Ultimately I just want Verizon to be more consumer friendly. I'd even pay an extra fee up front to have a rooted or at least bloatware free device.

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