Epic HTC Thunderbolt/Verizon Fail

[doobiewondrsmke]

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]

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doobiewondrsmke wrote:

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

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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]

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.

[PJNC284]

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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.

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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. 

[Ann154]

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.

[doobiewondrsmke]

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]

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. 

[doobiewondrsmke]

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]

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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!!!

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[rcschnoor]

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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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[doobiewondrsmke]

City ID removed  Now if I can just get the rest of it off I'd be happy.  

[Ozob]

Doobie, How did you remove City ID?

What I find strange is that nobody ever seems to talk about the "News" app. I saw it and tried it, but it never updated the feeds, so I stopped using it. After 2-1/2 months it keeps popping up and taking over my TBolt, but it never updates feeds. I continually KILL it, but it always comes back. I have done the factory reset, but it still comes up without my choice.

OMG, I wish I could remove this imbedded app.

[doobiewondrsmke]

Open your City ID app, tell it that you don't want to use and you can uninstall.  The News app I believe is HTC built not Verizon.  It's annoying to me as well.  I never use it but it always ends up running.  Since HTC put it in it's not bloatware because it's built into the Sense UI.  I've never had much issue with drain from the HTC widgets, just the Verizon apps.

[RobB772]

What about people that paid full retail for the Tbolt and still have their device loaded with bloatware. ? Shou' that allow them the option to remove apps they choose. Subsidized price doesn't apply

[doobiewondrsmke]

Good call Rob!  If you bought the device outright you should definitely not have to deal with bloatware.

[AZSALUKI]

no. if you want to use a device on verizon's network, then you're stuck with the bloatware. if you don't want that junk, then you have to use a carrier that offers devices without it. nobody likes it, but it's not going to change so why do we constantly complain about it? we have choices and we made them. sprint, at&t, or tmobile have the devices that you want. 

[doobiewondrsmke]

AZSALUKI,

You're incorrect.  One, the other carriers also install bloatware on their devices.  The only exception is the iPhone which we've discussed and the Google Nexus phone.  Otherwise all carriers install bloatware (ie Sprint's TV apps).  

Two, you make the statement that it's not going to change.  It's that mentality that allows the carriers to continue to force feed the public the stuff they don't want.  If the consumers that make these people wealthy beyond their wildest dreams suddenly started taking a hit in the wallet they'd change their ways.  The first step to this is open dialogue.

Three, you are 100% correct in the fact that as consumers we have a choice.  Although the carriers don't make it easy.  Ever bought an unlocked phone directly from a manufacturer and asked to connect it to a network?  It's a headache because the carriers don't want to do it.  The phone doesn't have [insert brand here] stamped all over it, and it's not loaded with software the consumer doesn't want.  Even if carriers relent and connect the device they make service horrible.  They blame it on everything other than their network but it's the exact same device without the carrier stamp.

The way I see it, is that I can uninstall pre-loaded apps from a purchased computer, I can connect to my ISP without having to load their software.  Why is it that I can't rid myself of applications on my phone without voiding my warranty?  All the while paying a premium price for a phone as well as a few thousand dollars a year for service.  

[AZSALUKI]

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doobiewondrsmke wrote:

AZSALUKI,

You're incorrect.  One, the other carriers also install bloatware on their devices.  The only exception is the iPhone which we've discussed and the Google Nexus phone.  Otherwise all carriers install bloatware (ie Sprint's TV apps).  

Two, you make the statement that it's not going to change.  It's that mentality that allows the carriers to continue to force feed the public the stuff they don't want.  If the consumers that make these people wealthy beyond their wildest dreams suddenly started taking a hit in the wallet they'd change their ways.  The first step to this is open dialogue.

Three, you are 100% correct in the fact that as consumers we have a choice.  Although the carriers don't make it easy.  Ever bought an unlocked phone directly from a manufacturer and asked to connect it to a network?  It's a headache because the carriers don't want to do it.  The phone doesn't have [insert brand here] stamped all over it, and it's not loaded with software the consumer doesn't want.  Even if carriers relent and connect the device they make service horrible.  They blame it on everything other than their network but it's the exact same device without the carrier stamp.

The way I see it, is that I can uninstall pre-loaded apps from a purchased computer, I can connect to my ISP without having to load their software.  Why is it that I can't rid myself of applications on my phone without voiding my warranty?  All the while paying a premium price for a phone as well as a few thousand dollars a year for service.  

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first, the iphone is NOT an exception. can i buy one and use it without itunes? can i even activate it without itunes?? and the nexus is what i was refering to. i thought that at least 2 of the other carriers were going to have a version of it? i am well aware that most of the phones on other networks also have bloatware. and if you want to hit them in their wallet, then by all means cancel your service. this is not an option for me. also, you have the option to get a blackberry, or a dumbphone. my mentality has nothing to do with verizon's business practice. i am simply a realist...and realistically, we will all put up with the bloatware. it's just not a big deal to me and if it were, then i'd do something about it. 

and to the person that keeps killing the news app. if you want it to go away then simply quit killing it. i don't kill it, never use it, and have that account set to NOT sync. my phone now knows that i don't use it, and it rarely  (if ever? i won't say never because i don't check every hour) loads.

i'm really not trying to argue about this. you all have every right to complain about it. it's just sort of a tired complaint as you can see the hundreds (if not thousands) of threads on this topic in every forum here. you would be better served to email verizon directly.

[doobiewondrsmke]

if any of these posts have solved your issue, please mark it as solved and help others find the solution more quickly 

first, the iphone is NOT an exception. can i buy one and use it without itunes? can i even activate it without itunes?? and the nexus is what i was refering to. i thought that at least 2 of the other carriers were going to have a version of it? i am well aware that most of the phones on other networks also have bloatware. and if you want to hit them in their wallet, then by all means cancel your service. this is not an option for me. also, you have the option to get a blackberry, or a dumbphone. my mentality has nothing to do with verizon's business practice. i am simply a realist...and realistically, we will all put up with the bloatware. it's just not a big deal to me and if it were, then i'd do something about it. 

and to the person that keeps killing the news app. if you want it to go away then simply quit killing it. i don't kill it, never use it, and have that account set to NOT sync. my phone now knows that i don't use it, and it rarely  (if ever? i won't say never because i don't check every hour) loads.

i'm really not trying to argue about this. you all have every right to complain about it. it's just sort of a tired complaint as you can see the hundreds (if not thousands) of threads on this topic in every forum here. you would be better served to email verizon directly.

The difference with the iPhone is that it's locked to Apple, not the carrier.  I'm not saying it's right, but that's understandable as it's the manufacturer of the device and OS that decides control.  Not AT&T or Verizon.  As for getting a Blackberry that's not viable as those are also loaded with carrier bloatware that cannot be removed.  A smartphone is a necessity for me.  It's also something I deal with in business daily with other users.  Verizon bloatware is usally the cause of 50% of the issue that I deal with.  

I wish contacting Verizon directly would actually have some affect, but big red doesn't care.  The front line CSRs have no power, and escalating to corporate leads gets you nowhere.  The only othe recourse we as customers have is to openly discuss the topic here.  

[Dnakaman]

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doobiewondrsmke wrote:

AZSALUKI,

You're incorrect.  One, the other carriers also install bloatware on their devices.  The only exception is the iPhone which we've discussed and the Google Nexus phone.  Otherwise all carriers install bloatware (ie Sprint's TV apps).  

Two, you make the statement that it's not going to change.  It's that mentality that allows the carriers to continue to force feed the public the stuff they don't want.  If the consumers that make these people wealthy beyond their wildest dreams suddenly started taking a hit in the wallet they'd change their ways.  The first step to this is open dialogue.

Three, you are 100% correct in the fact that as consumers we have a choice.  Although the carriers don't make it easy.  Ever bought an unlocked phone directly from a manufacturer and asked to connect it to a network?  It's a headache because the carriers don't want to do it.  The phone doesn't have [insert brand here] stamped all over it, and it's not loaded with software the consumer doesn't want.  Even if carriers relent and connect the device they make service horrible.  They blame it on everything other than their network but it's the exact same device without the carrier stamp.

The way I see it, is that I can uninstall pre-loaded apps from a purchased computer, I can connect to my ISP without having to load their software.  Why is it that I can't rid myself of applications on my phone without voiding my warranty?  All the while paying a premium price for a phone as well as a few thousand dollars a year for service.  

How is it you are paying a premium price?  Last time I checked, every carrier's pricing for phones with the same types of features are all pretty much the same?  If you don't like paying a "premium, maybe you ought to purchase a feature phone and carry a netbook around with you?  Just a thought.

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[Ann154]

@Oxob
The thread for remove CityID is currently on the first page of threads. You could have found it in just a few seconds of skimming the topics.

http://community.vzw.com/t5/ThunderBolt-by-HTC/Remove-CityID-app-sort-of/td-p/512012