Well, since this new Ignition Unlimited is here, I thought I’d start off after this beginning-of-summer hiatus with a tech post. In April, I ditched my old Verizon XV6700 for a new Verizon HTC Touch Pro. I love this new phone, but when I got it, I had a few issues with it.
Firstly, Verizon had locked the GPS for use with only their stupid “VZNavigator” program, which is coded in such a way that it looks like it belongs on a “dumb phone” rather than a smartphone like the Touch Pro (which runs an HTC-modified version of Windows Mobile 6.1 Professional). Luckily, Verizon has since unlocked the GPS in a new official ROM update, which I will link to in the bottom of this post after the jump. Rest assured you’ll be seeing a lot more posts that somehow include what I’ve done with this GPS update… The second issue with the phone is that it has less RAM than the competitors. It’s slow sometimes, but I really can’t complain, and nothing can be done about that. Lastly, this phone, being packed to the brim with battery-drinking features, has pretty poor battery life. Luckily, I could do something about that: I bought the official Verizon Wireless extended battery for the Touch Pro. Details and an unboxing video, as well as how to order it are after the jump.
The Unboxing Video
Want One?
It’s not the easiest thing in the world to get ahold of. This is the process I went through: I first called VZW Sales, via the 800-256-4646 number, and they confirmed that the battery was indeed available in my area. I was told to call my local Verizon Wireless store, who told me I had to actually come into the store to order it. I was finally able to order the battery at the Customer Service desk in the store for $49.99. They did ship it via FedEx, though, so if you order one… MAKE SURE to be home when it arrives or else you may be driving 36 miles to pick it up at their depot like I did. Oh well, at least the road the depot was on has one of the single greatest hairpins on a public road in Massachusetts.
Was It Worth It?
Yes. Totally. Even though an increase from 1350 mAh to 1800 mAh doesn’t seem like that much, it is. Let me put it in perspective for you: before, I’d have made a few calls, written a few texts, had the phone check for emails on the hour, and browsed the web a little over the course of the day, and by the time I’d get the phone back to its mini-USB power adapter, it was down to 50%. Now, however, with this new battery, I can do all of that written above and listen to a couple hours of stereo Bluetooth music (how? Oh, you’ll see…) and still have around 60% left by the end of the day. It’s absolutely awesome.
So, in conclusion, if you’ve got a Verizon Wireless Touch Pro and want it to last longer, go for this battery. Seriously. It helps a lot.
Oh, and here’s the ROM update from VZW… this is free and a must-download by all means. Grab it here.