HTC Thunderbolt Review

Last month I was quite excited to get the HTC Thunderbolt, one of the first 4G phones from Verizon and my first Android phone.  There's a lot to like about Android and the Thunderbolt, but unfortunately far too much to not like.

The Good

• Screen Size:  It's nice having a large 4.3" screen on you all the time.  It's a nice sweet spot between a normal phone and a tablet.
• Customization:  Android allows for much more customization than iOS and allows for widgets.
• 4G:  4G is blazing fast when it works properly.  I got about 12 Mbps down according to the Speed Test app.
• Apps:  Most major apps are available on Android.
• Speed:  Overall the phone is quick and responsive.

The Bad

• Battery life:  Saying the Thunderbolt has poor battery life is the understatement of the decade.  I can get 8-10 hours on a single charge.  Doesn't sound so bad, right?  It only lasts that long, however, with 4G, Bluetooth, WiFi, and GPS disable, screen brightness turned to the lowest setting.  That's not all; even with these settings battery life is still less than 8-10 hours unless background data synching by apps and widgets is turned off or kept at a minimum and you are in an area with a strong cell signal.  Even worse still, I must use my phone as little as possible during this time to hit the 10 hour mark.  Yesterday I made it just over 10 hours with the above settings.  I made two short phone calls, checked my email a couple times, and did absolutely no web browsing.
• Screen:  While the screen size is nice either the resolution of the screen or resolution independence of Android is terrible.  Most pictures in the Facebook app or in the web browser look very pixelated (even the same ones that are clear and crisp on an iPhone or computer screen).  Further, the screen is impossible to see outdoors in moderate sunlight, especially if the brightness is turned down to save battery life.
• Apps:  Although many big name apps are available, Android lacks in the number of other apps, especially those related to new movies and TV shows and has nowhere near the quality of games as compared to iOS.  
• 4G:  4G is fast, but sucks battery juice extremely fast.  I've also found that in some areas it doesn't seem to work well.  I was in DC for a couple days and at times I could barely load a webpage or get my Google map graphics to load on 4G.
• Sound quality:  The voice call sound quality is quite bad.  

Some things about Android were great, but I'm switching back to the iPhone ASAP.