HTC Thunderbolt issues abound, but a fix is on the way

As if the one-call-wonder's battery life wasn't enough, the update pushed out to HTC Thunderbolt owners a couple weeks back has some devices randomly rebooting. Verizon and HTC have said they're working on the issue, but that's of little comfort to customers whose phones are spontaneously restarting several times a day. If you were hoping to solve the issue by installing the leaked version of Gingerbread, we've got bad news -- there have been a number of reports at the XDA Developers Forums that the Sensed-up version of Android 2.3 is bricking phones and sending them into an endless bootloop. But don't despair, a fix could be arriving soon. A source at Verizon told Droid Life that Thunderbolt-owning employees "may be entitled" to a software update before it gets rolled out to the general public -- presumably a final test run for that reboot repressing patch. If you're too impatient to wait for yet another firmware update, you can apparently stroll down to your local VZW store and simply trade in your     troublesome T-Bolt for a new one. Just make sure it's running the older software before you take it home.

HTC Thunderbolt inductive charging back hits FCC, makes life with LTE a little easier

That inductive-charging backplate for the HTC Thunderbolt just hit the FCC, which means keeping the battery-devouring device juiced is about to get a little less inconvenient. Instead of having to plug in three times a day just to keep that LTE radio happy you'll simply be able to rest it on a charging mat... three times a day. The part made a brief appearance in the Verizon shop for $39, but the rumored April release date came and went without so much as a peep from Big Red. While we still can't say for sure when it will land, at least we know it's coming sooner rather than later -- and we've got one less reason to reconsider that pocket-busting extended battery.

HTC Thunderbolt getting new radio firmware, according to Verizon doc

Looks like AT&T isn't the only carrier patching cellular connectivity issues this month -- a Verizon document suggests that we'll be getting some brand new radio firmware for the beleaguered HTC Thunderbolt. The handset not only fell victim to Verizon's LTE outage but has had 3G data and CDMA / LTE cycling issues since day one, so we're hoping this latest baseband will bring at least a modicum of relief for affected speed demons across the country. What we don't know is when this patch might show up -- we thought the Xoom's security update would be imminent, but those documents were unceremoniously pulled.

iOS VS ANDROID - iPHONE 4 VS HTC THUNDERBOLT

PhoneArena presents a brief comparison of the HTC ThunderBolt and Apple iPhone 4.Video after the break...

iPHONE 4 VS HTC THUNDERBOLT PART 2

HTC’s ThunderBolt is Verizon’s first 4G LTE smartphone. It’s one big, bad mamajama. Can it compete with iPhone 4? Does it blow iPhone away? Video after the break...

iPHONE 4 VS HTC THUNDERBOLT - HARDWARE,SPECS,DESIGN & PRICING

HTC’s ThunderBolt is Verizon’s first 4G LTE smartphone. It’s one big, bad mamajama. Can it compete with iPhone 4? Does it blow iPhone away? Video after the break...

HTC THUNDERBOLT - UNBOXING & REVIEW

The guys at phonedog unboxes the HTC ThunderBolt. Sporting a 4.3 inch WVGA display with a 800 x 480 resolution, the Thunderbolt is aimed at media enthusiasts. On the back of the handset you’ll find an 8 megapixel camera with dual LED flash, capable of recording HD quality video at 720p. The handset also sports a HTC HD7 style kickstand for laid-back viewing, alongside Dolby Mobile surround sound and DLNA integration. Running Android 2.2 OS with HTC Sense 2.0 UI, the HTC Thunderbolt has access to HTCSense.com, offering remote mobile locating straight from the web. Although unconfirmed, the handset’s 1.3 megapixel front-facing camera suggests an upgrade to Gingerbread will be available.Unboxing,review & more after the break...

HTC THUNDERBOLT 4G/LTE SPEED TEST VIDEO

In this video, the guys at PhoneArena looks at web-page load times on the HTC ThunderBolt using 4G LTE. Videos after the break...

HTC Thunderbolt now available to buy: $250 from Verizon, $180 at Amazon

Another saga put to rest. The question of just when Verizon will release its first 4G LTE handset was answered yesterday with the word "tomorrow," which makes today that day! Verizon Wireless is now taking online orders for HTC's 4.3-inch Thunderbolt, pricing the LTE lubber at $250 on a two-year contract. It comes with Android 2.2 as the OS underlying the HTC Sense 2.0 UI, an 8 megapixel camera with HD video recording, 768MB of RAM, and a 1GHz Qualcomm MSM8655 chip that will have to do its best to keep up with those crazy 4G download speeds. If Verizon's own pricing feels a bit rich to you, shop around -- we've found the Thunderbolt as low as $180 at Amazon, although the online retailer has it on back order for the moment.

Verizon Wireless stops being coy, confirms HTC Thunderbolt for March 17th at $249.99

We said it'd be coming on the 17th, but you didn't believe us. Why didn't you believe us? No matter, Verizon's finally fessing up and letting us know the good news: the HTC Thunderbolt drops on March 17th for $249.99. In the PR, which is conveniently embedded below, VZW predictably talks up the phone's status as the first 4G LTE device on its network, offering up to 12Mbps down and 5Mbps up, a connection that can be shared with up to eight Wi-Fi devices -- if you pay the extra $20 per month for Mobile Hotspot service. Verizon is generously including a 32GB microSD card, which means you can take video along in a format that will do that 4.3-inch WVGA display justice. In case you haven't looked at a calendar lately the 17th is just two days away, which doesn't leave much time to find pants with pockets big enough for this beast.Update after the break...

HTC Thunderbolt delayed until March 4th, says a Best Buy store with a Twitter account (update: or maybe March 10th?)

Wondering why the Thunderbolt isn't in stores yet? Hard to say -- apart from the reeling HTC and Verizon employees might be doing in light of the Apple / Intel news -- but a Best Buy in California spilled the bad news on Twitter last night that it's now expecting Big Red's first LTE phone on March 4th. As Android Police points out, the store appears to have confused the day March 4th falls on (it's a Friday, not a Thursday), but we're figuring it's far more likely the date is right, not the day of the week. And if Best Buy has a launch exclusive on this thing, that means it could be another week or two beyond that before the phone shows up in Verizon retail locations and elsewhere. Bummer, eh?  Update and image after the break...

UNBOXING THE HTC THUNDERBOLT

Hers on of the first unboxing videos of the HTC Thunderbolt. The HTC ThunderBolt brings LTE connectivity, a 4.3-inch touch screen packed in aluminum body and features a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 8MP camera with dual-LED flash and 720p video recording and 802.11n WiFi also on board.Video after the break....

HTC Thunderbolt with LTE for Verizon pictured ahead of CES unveiling?

So, that lovely 4.3-inch LTE smartphone with Android for Verizon we've been calling the Mecha and the Droid Incredible HD? Looks like it might come to market as the Thunderbolt, so says Droid Life -- and we tend to put some weight on the rumor considering that they've just run twelve leaked shots of the thing. As you can see, this is clearly Verizon's head-on answer to the EVO 4G, featuring similar stylings and, in all likelihood, an LTE modem swapped in for the EVO's WiMAX one. Sure looks like that "controlled" leak from a few days back, doesn't it? More on this at Verizon's press conference next week, we presume.