[Thunderbolt General] Jamez007Bond:
HTC Thunderbolt Vs. Samsung Charge

In short, never would I give up a Thunderbolt (TB) for a Charge (CHG).

The reason? Because my wife and I have both and we have exchanged the Charge THREE TIMES since the day it was released and we still have problems!

Compatibility. What has impressed me about the Thunderbolt is how compatible it is with apps. I read so many reviews with people saying that this app and that app FC on them and so they uninstall it. With the TB that has only happened to me once where I had an app that just would not work; it was Fox News if I remember correctly.

Processing power. The TB has it for me. I look at all the extra crap I have running in the background and still the phone doesn't kludge along. Where the Charge shines is having a snappy interface for the graphics side of things, but the raw processing power doesn't compare to the TB. The CHG will lag in the processing dept.

Battery life. Stock TB and CHG, the CHG does have a longer battery life in our daily use. That was only until I rooted the TB and am running Synergy ROM with the 1.5 radio upgrade. Now I'm OC'd to 1.4Ghz AND getting about 24 hours of moderate use. Sometimes I will have to recharge the phone after about 15 hours if I've really been using it a lot. The CHG phone can't keep up with my TB on battery life now.

Aesthetics. I know it is a moot point for those who apply screen protectors, but the CHG has a slicker screen than the TB. It's easier to glide your fingers across the screen of the CHG.

The weight and feel of the the TB is one of a solid chunk of workmanship. I like the texture of the finish where it is has enough grip not to easily slide out of your hand but doesn't grab your pocket lining so tight that you can't slide it in and out.

The CHG on the other hand, it doesn't feel 'cheep' but it is much lighter than the TB. It has a nice feel to it, it just doesn't feel like it is built as well as the TB.

Other Problems. TB, the one big problem I've had with this phone is the proximity sensor not working properly. It was driving me crazy causing disconnected calls and face dialing. Finally I found the trick to fix this issue with a can of compressed air to blow out the metal earpiece screen at the top where the sensor is hidden. This did the trick! Now the prox sensor works perfect. So this problem is no problem at all.

CHG, where do I start! On more than one of the phones we returned the problems was the in-call prox sensor not working properly. When not in a call it worked awesome, but when in a phone call the screen would regularly turn on and then there would be 'face dialing' or call disconnects. This happened sooooo much and is sooooo frustrating when in a 5 minute call you had to redial the person 3 times just because of this problem!

Feedback/squealing on the CHG is also an issue for us. It doesn't happen all the time but quite often. With every word that is spoken there is a slight squeal that even others in the room with the person talking on the CHG can easily hear it. You can still carry on a conversation on the phone with it but it is such an annoyance as well.

Display. Both phones have their good points and bad. Even though the display on the TB is not as bright as the CHG, I still prefer the display of the TB because it appears to be more accurate in saturation and color than the bright display of the CHG.

Conclusion. So with all that said for me I like the dependability, acceptable battery life, display, look & feel of the TB. The CHG is the worst cell phone I've ever had period. I've never had to return a phone three times and STILL not be happy with it.

I know I don't have any charts, pics, or data to share but this is just simply my experience with the two phones, and I'm sure your 'millage may very' with either of the TB or CHG.