Stratosphere (1) Issues?

[Wirchler]

So, it seems that this smartphone (and I use that term VERY loosely...) has recorded and documented issues over the past year and a half or so, that I could find. Unfortunately, none of these were in the list of reviews when I decided on this. I picked it originally for economy, but mostly because it had a pullout keyboard, which is a requirement for me. I have had this phone a year (about 4 days left on my warranty now), and that is the ONLY piece of the phone I have not had an issue with.

This device may very well be the worst phone I have ever owned. And I have had cell phones since back when they were called portable phones, and they were a block you carried in a briefcase. This thing makes me long for my tiny Nokia candy bar phone.

Issues:  1. Battery. It overheats, to the point that instead of running at it's start-up of 86.7 degrees Fahrenheit, it reaches temperatures of close to 120 degrees. This freezes the phone, makes my leg or waist very uncomfortable depending on where I'm carrying it, and it will do it even if it is sitting on a table doing nothing. Sometimes it will overheat during charging, other times not. Same issue, it will freeze, be hot to the touch, and the battery will have to be removed to let it cool off and restart.

          1a. The phone will discharge the battery at random intervals, so that in the course OF AN HOUR, it will go from 100% down to less than 10%, at which time the power saving warning comes on.

NOTE: I have tried all the battery saving and screen usage methods, the phone does this when it has a full load of apps on it, and it does it when it has been reset to factory original settings. My wife has a Stratosphere with no problems. I know it's the phone, and not the battery, because I've swapped the battery between the phones, and it makes no difference.

          2. Freezing. The phone will freeze or shut off at random intervals. This can happen during a game, or in texting, or even during a call. The only solution at this point is to remove the battery, and then wait to restart it.

          3. Shutoffs. The phone will turn itself off when the keyboard is closed. Randomly. If it doesn't overheat in my pocket, it will shut off randomly as well. Also, see above, #2.

          4. Lag-time.  This phone gets slower and slower with only a few apps on it. (1 Game, Verizon's NFL Mobile, 1 texting program, the rest of the bloatware that comes with it...) You expect some slowing as you add things to a phone. But when it takes 30 seconds for the screen to come back from the DIALER? No thank you.

So, needless to say, I believe that this Stratosphere is the absolute WORST POS I have ever owned. That's in 7+ years with Verizon, 10 before that with competitors, AND the aforementioned block phone I once had.

Samsung's answer? In a nutshell, 'Sorry, that's your provider's issue. We can't help you.'

Verizon's advice? The usual CS and basic TS replies. 'Reboot the phone. Sounds like you need a new battery. You may have too many apps running. Reset it to factory settings, and reinstall.'  And the worst? 'Well, you CAN upgrade, at FULL COST.'

Been there, done that. I've BEEN in tech support. I've BEEN in customer service. I've supported cell phones since they've been around. I left a competitor because of similar support issues. I HATE getting the runaround, and that's been the case since I started trying to get this resolved at the beginning of June. I can't go back to an older phone, because of the damned plan changes, and it would cost me MORE to use an older phone, as I would have to pay for an individual line.

Am I the only one with these problems? No, there are literally hundreds of people, right here... and outside?

Am I screwed? Seems that way... locked into a contract with a piece of crap phone that can't support my needs. With my disability, I have certain requirements for a phone, or any device. I am just about convinced that this service is no longer the answer, and I should just leave, fees be damned. I'm tired of having to deal with people who simply refuse to listen, and/or give me the same (now) stupid answers I have already received and tried. I'm tired of trying to work with a device that only frustrates me more each day.

I don't know if this is the right place for all of this diatribe, but I've been VERY disappointed with Verizon this last six months. I'm ready to toss it in and try someone else.

Should I? Convince me otherwise, Verizon. Help me with this thing, finally.

M.T.