Regular readers know that I selected the HTC EVO 4G twice as my top smartphone pick in 2010 in articles here and here and I still think it is one of the best Android devices available. The HTC ThunderBolt is an upgraded HTC EVO 4G with newer generation Snapdragon processor, better TFT display, faster LTE wireless radio, and some integrated storage capacity. Thus, as a fan of the EVO 4G, it was natural for me to select the HTC ThunderBolt for my next Android device.
The HTC ThunderBolt arrived on Saturday morning and I have been testing it out ever since. The LTE 4G experience is nearly unbelievable and I grow to like the device more every day. Check out several photos of the HTC ThunderBolt in my image gallery and the short video walk through below. Given that CTIA is being held this week, I am still trying to figure out if the HTC ThunderBolt is staying or going back so check out my thoughts below and maybe you can help me with my decision.
|
|
||||||
| Image Gallery: Check out some product images of the HTC ThunderBolt LTE Android smartphone. |  |
 |
||||
|
|
||||||
Purchasing through Wirefly
A couple of days before the retail release on 18 March, I started looking around for a way to get a ThunderBolt shipped to me because I was going to be in Alaska for business. I saw that Wirefly was providing pre-orders for the HTC ThunderBolt at a price of $199.99, $50 less than Verizon Wireless.
Dylan and Robby from Wirefly provided fantastic chat customer service after I realized I ordered the $59.99 450 Talk & Text plan. I have no need for texting on this phone (would actually like to pay per minute of voice usage) and saved $20/month by having them take me to the $39.99 450 Talk plan. Robby also helped me with my order to make sure it arrived on Friday since I am on the road quite a bit lately. I would rather spend the $20 on the WiFi Hotspot feature, but that is free until 15 May so I can try it out and see if it is something I want to use. Actually, for $20 I could use it with my iPad too and save $20 on the fees to AT&T for iPad data.
The ThunderBolt arrived as promised on Friday, but my unreliable FedEx delivery person decided to skip coming to my door (there were four people at home) and entered in the system that no one was available. Thus, I had to make a trip myself to the FedEx office to pick it up Saturday morning.
In the box and first impressions
The HTC ThunderBolt comes in a very small completely black box with a black sleeve on it. HTC ThunderBolt is embossed in the box, but it is quite different than the boxes I have seen lately with lots of glossy images and specs on the outside. When you open up the box you will see everything inside is vibrant Verizon red with the ThunderBolt sitting right there on top.
The ThunderBolt is a large 4.3 inch display device and if you buy it you should already expect to have a large device. I have medium sized hands and this size is just fine for me and my pockets. The ThunderBolt has a nice solid feel to it and is a bit thicker than some other HTC 4.3 inch display devices. It actually feels a bit light to me given the thickness. The TFT display is fantastic and even though it isn’t super AMOLED or super LCD I see no concern with the quality, colors, or anything. The soft touch material on the back gives it a nice feel in your hand.
Specifications
Specifications for the HTC ThunderBolt include the following:
- Android 2.2 (Froyo) operating system with HTC Sense
- 1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon 2nd generation processor
- LTE 700 MHz and 800/1900 CDMA EVDO Rev A
- 4.3 inch WVGA (480×800) TFT capacitive touch display
- 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash
- 1.3 megapixel front facing camera
- 768 MB RAM
- 8 GB included flash, but only about 2.5 GB is user accessible
- Included 32GB microSD card
- Dedicated, touch-sensitive Home, Menu, Back and Search areas
- Integrated GPS receiver
- Wi-Fi (802.11 b/g)
- Bluetooth 2.1 with 3.0 when available (likely via firmware update)
- 3.5 mm headset jack
- 1400 mAh battery
- Dimensions: 4.8 x 2.6 x 0.52 inches and 5.78 ounces
As I mentioned earlier, the HTC ThunderBolt is similar to other HTC 4.3 inch devices like the HTC EVO 4G. As you will see below, LTE is blazingly fast and the camera takes good photos. I like seeing that Bluetooth 3.0 will be available on the device too. The processor is not dual-core, but from what I have seen on tablets that may not be such a need on smartphones at this time. I don’t fully understand why so much of the provided internal flash is consumed by the device, but they really should not be advertising that it has integrated 8GB of memory when only about 2.5GB is available.
LTE speed tests
Before I take you on a walk around the hardware and software, I think it is only fair to come right out and talk about the extreme speeds on the HTC ThunderBolt and other wireless experiences. It is SO FAST that it may appear rather unbelievable at first.
I tested the HTC ThunderBolt in both the Tacoma and Seattle areas and found LTE coverage to be more extensive than I last experienced it. I saw regular download speeds of 13 to 20 Mbps on the HTC ThunderBolt that compares to the extreme speed I saw on Sprint WiMAX of nearly 5 Mbps (on a very good day). T-Mobile’s HSPA+ is the closest I have seen on a smartphone with the Samsung Galaxy S 4G rocking download speeds of nearly 7 Mbps.
It looks like the Ookla Speedtest app on Android has issues testing upload speed on LTE with false reports in the area of 36 Mbps upload so I connected via WiFi hotspot and measured 7 to 9 Mbps consistently with the HTC ThunderBolt.
You will NOT find a faster smartphone available today and if speed is your need then the ThunderBolt is the device for you. I did see a rather fast consumption of the battery with LTE going full bore, as expected and seen previously with WiMAX too. Other reviewers who have had the device for some time note about a 2.5 hour battery life at full LTE download speed. While this seems low, if you are tethering for that long of a period of time you should be prepared to have another battery or capability to charge up your ThunderBolt.
I brought the ThunderBolt to Alaska and am finding download speeds over over 1 Mbps with a battery that is lasting me the full day. I have made about 20 minutes of calls, checked email and Twitter throughout the day, and have been using it at a moderate level with acceptable battery life. This experience within a 3G only zone shows me LTE is a battery hog, but the ThunderBolt does just fine with the battery with 3G. The problem at this time is that there is no included 3G/4G toggle on the ThunderBolt and HTC needs to get something out there ASAP.
Chris Zeigler from Engadget tested YouTube streaming via LTE and ran for 2 hours 15 minutes straight with about 50% of the battery remaining and that was in a LTE zone with minimal coverage.
Hardware, software, pricing, final thoughts, and other reviews »
