Anyone switch from the HTC Thunderbolt to the D3?

[Comp625]

So I have a dilemma in which you fine folks would be able to help me with.

I had an LG enV Touch for 2 years or so - loved the keyboard but hated the faux-smartphone software that never worked right. Although I have been dreaming of the Droid 3 for months, I bought the HTC Thunderbolt out of necessity last week in order to lock in the Unlimited Data contract. I thought that I could never use a phone without a keyboard but gave it a shot anyways...

What I think of the Thunderbolt:
- The Thunderbolt (and most HTC phones) seem very well-built and sturdy. I have to admit I love the aesthetic design of the Thunderbolt - it looks very high-end and classy.
- Like a large TV, it's the 4.3" screen is gorgeous.
- At the same time, the large 4.3" screen is killing me in terms of practicality. It's too big for my average-sized hands, so I end up pressing wrong buttons with my palm.
- I am finding typing to be difficult since I'm not used to a fully virtual keyboard.
- The 4g is ridiculously fast but it kills the battery.

- No Gingerbread and no HTC Sense 3.0 already makes me feel like I have an obsolete device.
- Similarly, I use ADW Launcher so I don't really care about Sense from a Home Dock standpoint.

What I think of the Droid 3:
- I know the Droid 3 is well-built. In-hand, it feels a bit flimsier and a little bit cheaper than the Thunderbolt.
- The smaller 4.0" screen is noticable compared to the Thunderbolt.
- I hear battery life is much, much better than the Thunderbolt.
- After playing with it, I feel right at home with the keyboard.
- No 4g LTE.

If I switch to the D3, I'm still essentially paying for 4g without actually using it.
- The new Blur looks fascinating. I'd probably switch to ADW Launcher but the overall Blur GUI is quite nice (and refreshing).

Through Costco, I have been reading that I have the option of exchanging phones within 90 days without breaking contract.

What should I do?

 

[DroidXDoes4G]

Id get the Droid 3. Or, the Bionic would be out within the 90 days.

 

[Heelfan71]

I did. the .3 screen size difference is noticeable at first. As far as build quality, the D3 is better. Love the keyboard. Got the extended and there is zero size difference. Love the battery life.

 

[Comp625]

So I spent 30 minutes at a Verizon store playing with the Droid 3. Here are my impressions. Feel free to comment.

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the Droid 3 Keyboard. It is so easy to use.

The design of the Droid 3 seems a bit more industrial than the HTC Thunderbolt. The Thunderbolt seems a bit classier and polished (akin to the iPhone).

The Droid 3 seemed laggy; I think the lagginess is attributed to Motoblur. For example, I downloaded ADW Launcher and did the old school "app-scroll" test. Scrolling through seemed very choppy, which shocked me considering this was a Dual Core phone.

Speaking of the new Motoblur, I didn't care for it. I realize this is a subjective statement since it's personal preference, but it's good to point this out for others who want more information on Motoblur. For example, the turquoise-colored ninja star "Waiting"/"Hourglass" icon was a little too much for me.

The pentile screen didn't bother me as much as I thought it would. Yes, I could spot the "checkerboard" pattern in some instances, but only if I tried. At quick glance, it's not a big deal.

I'm p*ed that Motorola decided to omit the 4g chip, while including it in the Canadian and Chinese versions of the phones. From a marketing standpoint, the "Droid" brand is the FLAGSHIP phone of Verizon and it should be touting the 4g LTE service that has been heavily promoted. I know they'll release a 2nd version of the Droid 3 with 4g (a la Droid 2 Global) but still... :icon_evil:

Overall, I am still torn. The Droid 3 is a niceeee phone...! dancedroid

 

[Heelfan71]

the D3 seems and feels more classy to me. Thunderbolt looked nice but felt cheap. That is just my opinion though.

 

[Raptor007]

I switched from the ThunderBolt to the Revolution (returned in 1 day) to the Charge which I them swapped for the Droid 3. I am very happy with Droid 3.

 

[medic2pa]

Had 2 HTC Thunderbolts. had nothing but problems with them after the OTA update in May. Finally switched to the D3.
1. Unless you're in a 4g network, it's not a major deal. You do seem to surf faster with a 4g phone even in a 3g market and you can talk and surf at the same time on 4g phone even if you're in a 3g market.
2. Processor speed seems to be perkier and more responsive in the D3 compared to the TB. Benchmarks are higher with the D3 by a fair margin. I did them myself as well as what I found on the internet reported.
3. D3 fits in my jeans pocket
4. LOVE the keyboard. Never had one. Been on i*hone 3g, Droid X, HTC Thunderbolt x2 previously. Love the keyboard!
5. D3 feels more stable and durable. May be an aesthetic thing to me, but like the feel and appearance of the D3 better.
6. I had to put an extended battery and case ($an additional $110 which I am now at a loss for) to not have to charge my TB twice a day which made the phone much bulkier and heavier. D3 gets me through the day, 6a to around 10p with moderate use and its still sleek and fits in my front pocket.
7. Camera I like better on the D3, although I haven't had time to really do a whole lot on it yet. So far, it will work for me in a pinch. I almost always have my real camera on hand.
8. I run LauncherProPlus on my phone. Don't care for Motoblur even though the newer version is nice. On TB running launcher pro plus with phone locked required an extra swipe to undo my lock for some reason?
9. My only beef is that there is a software glitch either with gingerbread or with moto's last 3 devices which is having issues with pairing with my Mercedes pre-installed bluetooth system. I can make/recieve calls, but can't see who they are from unless i can see the phone. I have a tech support case open on this right now…….That's not a dealbreaker for me, just a mild annoyance. It sure beats all the issues with the 2 defective thunderbolts I had!
Hope this helps!

 

[mysticalmalissa]

My thunderbolt is sitting in the kitchen draw. I was tempted many, many times to throw that phone against the wall. Because of that phone I am on a first name bases with most of vzw's tech support team :/
The D3 feels very solid to me, where as the tb felt very plastic'ey. My signal strength on the tb was always lower then any other phone in the house, constant reboots even after the update......I could go on and on.....oh one more important thing, you can actually see the screen on the D3 while outside on a nice sunny day
I really think you would like the D3!

 

[ocbooger]

I have the Thunderbolt and just got the D3 for my wife.
Rooted, the Thunderbolt is a beast.... Stock not so much.
First thing I noticed was how fast the D3 is, motoblur I found clunky though. She's getting terrible battery life on it so far, I've gone through and changed her settings to try and help. The bloat on the D3 is ridiculous... I couldn't believe how much stuff was on it.

Bamf sense 3.0 RC4 with MR2 radio

 

[comk4ver]

I went to pay my bill..and I was checking out the phones and of course the sales representative came over to talk about the droid 3... She said she was dropping her thunder bolt for a droid 3! Even she says she has a lot if problems with dropped calls, reboots in the end she also said she like the droid 3 cause of the keyboard! I told her to try and wait for the bionic... But, I think she's sold on the droid 3... Lol

Sent from my DROIDX using DroidForums

 

[scrub175]

My .02 after going from unlocked to locked devices... With the right rom the thunderbolt is amazing. I'm really interested in another Moto (not the D3), but being so locked down I know I will always be limited.

 

[BenLand150]

To me, the D3 is just a classy looking if not more.. I mean, the touch screen or top part to me is very similar to the iPhone 4's look. So no problems there. And it feels much more sturdier. Battery life seems to be hit and miss. Some people are having great battery life, others.. not so much.

Sent from my DROID3 using DroidForums

 

[XMasterMoronX]

To me, the D3 is just a classy looking if not more.. I mean, the touch screen or top part to me is very similar to the iPhone 4's look. So no problems there. And it feels much more sturdier. Battery life seems to be hit and miss. Some people are having great battery life, others.. not so much.

Sent from my DROID3 using DroidForums

My battery life has been pretty good so far considering that I have not charged my phone more than 2 times. Trying to follow those battery conditioning guides.

I have experienced a few random reboots but until it gets fixed I am fine with waiting 10 seconds until it completely reboots. I have not had any dropped calls yet.

I like the pentile screen, it gives the colors a texture.Can't see why every website is spewing anti-pentile propaganda. The ends justifys the means.... and my battery agrees.

I also have not had a problem with the new blur. App scrolling is smooth. Bloatware sucks (free NOVA ~$5?) Just gonna root to remove the bloat (gingerbreak?).

Plus I got the Droid 3 for 149.99 on the Verizon website (no clue why) [Insert Troll Face Here]

Now to turn my OG Droid into a pure VOIP phone! (which is going to be awesome)

 

[BenLand150]

To me, the D3 is just a classy looking if not more.. I mean, the touch screen or top part to me is very similar to the iPhone 4's look. So no problems there. And it feels much more sturdier. Battery life seems to be hit and miss. Some people are having great battery life, others.. not so much.

Sent from my DROID3 using DroidForums

My battery life has been pretty good so far considering that I have not charged my phone more than 2 times. Trying to follow those battery conditioning guides.

I have experienced a few random reboots but until it gets fixed I am fine with waiting 10 seconds until it completely reboots. I have not had any dropped calls yet.

I like the pentile screen, it gives the colors a texture.Can't see why every website is spewing anti-pentile propaganda. The ends justifys the means.... and my battery agrees.

I also have not had a problem with the new blur. App scrolling is smooth. Bloatware sucks (free NOVA ~$5?) Just gonna root to remove the bloat (gingerbreak?).

Plus I got the Droid 3 for 149.99 on the Verizon website (no clue why) [Insert Troll Face Here]

Now to turn my OG Droid into a pure VOIP phone! (which is going to be awesome)

I completely agree with everything you've said!

And haha, it seems other people have been getting the same price too.. and for the people that got it for 199, were able to call verizon and get 50 bucks off their next bill. Hmm? I got mine for 149.99 due to a business discount, as well as some good discounts on screen protectors, case, and car dock.