Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

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The HTC ThunderBolt is the first LTE smartphone on the Verizon Wireless network. The device is extremely fast, but traveling at that speed also hits the battery pretty hard. The box is an unassuming black simple package with embossed Thunderbolt branding.

Check out my ZDNet Smartphones & Cell Phones post for a video of the HTC ThunderBolt and more details.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
After you lift the top from the black box you will find blazing red all over, that matches the Verizon colors. Notice the ThunderBolt embossing on the box too.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
Here's the HTC ThunderBolt embedded in Verizon red.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
Box contents include a USB cable, charger, some pamphlets, and the SIM card. There is no headset included with the ThunderBolt.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
The HTC ThunderBolt is very similar in size to the HTC HD7 device and they both have 4.3 inch TFT displays.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
Here you can see the back of these two 4.3 inch HTC devices. The ThunderBolt has a better camera and kickstand than the HD7.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
HTC likes to use kickstands on their more powerful smartphones, as you can see here.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
The kickstand on the back of the Thunderbolt is substantial and also covers the speaker grill.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
The kickstand is wide and solid while the back is made of a soft touch type material.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
Here you can see the kickstand closed and the 4G LTE labeling on the Thunderbolt.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
The 8 megapixel camera and dual LED flash are shown at the top of the back. There are also two small holes with a connector on the back that may be for an enhanced antenna.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
The top of the Thunderbolt includes the power button, notch to pry off back cover, and 3.5 mm headset jack. A second microphone is also found on the top to improve call quality.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
There is a large volume button on the right side of the Thunderbolt.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
There is only a mic opening on the bottom.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
The microUSB charging port is on the bottom of the left side.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
There is the headset speaker and front facing camera above the display on the Thunderbolt. Unfortunately, applications cannot yet use the camera for video calling.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
The traditional four button configuration of an Android device is present below the display.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
The Thunderbolt is a big device, but it closely matches the other large 4.3 inch display devices with a bit more thickness.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
The speaker is loud and clear on the Thunderbolt, but you have to pull out the kickstand to hear the full effects.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
HTC didn't think too much about the kickstand and microUSB placement so if you want to charge up your Thunderbolt, say while watching a movie, you will discover this doesn't work well with the kickstand.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
There are some interesting bits under the battery cover including the four unknown gold dots just under the camera. The two leads in the upper left also connect with the gold part of the back cover inside.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
A 4G LTE SIM card is found in the bottom of the back opening.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
Verizon includes a generous 32GB microSD card in the Thunderbolt so you really should have what you need for lots of storage.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
Notice the gold piece in the upper right of the cover? This connects to two leads on the back of the Thunderbolt.

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
HTC Thunderbolt image gallery thumbnail 1

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller
HTC Thunderbolt image gallery thumbnail 2

Published: March 21, 2011 -- 10:22 GMT (03:22 PDT)
Caption by: Matthew Miller

The HTC ThunderBolt is the first LTE smartphone on the Verizon Wireless network. The device is extremely fast, but traveling at that speed also hits the battery pretty hard.

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Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

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