Ian Satya's Guide to Gadget: HTC ThunderBolt 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless): From the Dark Ages To Enlightenment

HTC ThunderBolt 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)
by HTC

HTC ThunderBolt 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless): From the Dark Ages To Enlightenment

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars From the Dark Ages To Enlightenment, May 1, 2011
By Steve-n-Dorth (Backwoods, Tennesee)
This review is from: HTC ThunderBolt 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)
(Wireless Phone)

I'm in the "over-50" club and remember when telephones had rotary dials and party lines. As the earth cooled and cellphones made their debut, a "good" one was about the size of a shoebox and weighed in just under your standard locomotive. Around this same time, PCs were slowly becoming a "must have" addition for any household that wasn't wallowing in abject poverty.

As technology sped past us, many of our employers began to demand that we dinosaurs either catch up and get tech-savvy or be replaced by young whippersnappers who could program the vcr and the microwave clock without having to take valium and check into a mental health facility for a rehabilitative period typically lasting several months. Several of us did our best to get up to speed, but the phone for many of us was still one of those things that we belligerently continued to use to make genuine phone calls, all the while complaining that as a result of the cellphone, we have no "downtime" for ourselves anymore because these damned things would now travel with us - everyfreakinwhere. Places that used to provide us respite from the grueling workload; the horse-n-buggy, the outhouse, the leisurely walk through the park, were now as much part of our office as our office was. We hated it, and most of us continue to hate it to this day.

Then phones became smarter, and we noticed that while we geezers were fumbling through phone books and day planners, or trying to Google directions and info on the "internets," our children and our bratty little junior employees were making us look like the doddering old fools we are with their damned smartphones. So this ol T-Rex took a look at a couple of smartphones, starting with the Blackberry and switching over to the Mogul, but frankly, they SUCKED worse than Britney Spears after a fifth of Jack Daniels. Buttons way too tiny to push with the average male fingertip, more instructions than a nuclear warhead schematic, and a learning curve so steep by the time we learned the phone's full capabilities, we'd be having our chins and butts wiped by the orderly at the local nursing home. Worse, at least for me, the claim of "internet access" was a cruel hoax, since I'd only recently gone from dial-up to cable modem and was getting very appreciative of the rapidity in which info would magically appear on my big, luminescent computer screen. With the Mogul and the Blackberry, it was as if I'd returned to those days of dial-up and to make matters intolerable, the screen was just too damned tiny for my rheumy old eyes to see very clearly.

I tossed those lousy phones onto the dungheap of obsolescence and chose the LG env. Simple, big slide-out QWERTY keyboard, worked well for my needs, didn't overwhelm me with too much technology, allowed me to suffer through texting and best of all, actually worked as a pretty decent phone. I was happy.

Then I started a new job as a "remote" employee and began traveling full-time for my work. Our company is heavily into technology as our primary way of communicating and as I lumbered from city to city toting my ancient env, I noticed that many of my colleagues were using the I-Phone and, peering over their shoulders, I became jealous pretty quickly, as well as disappointed with the lack of functionality my env had stuck me with.

But I'm not an Appleaniac, and so I passed on the I-phone. Then my env went through the wash about two months ago and coincidentally, my Verizon contract was up for renewal. So I wandered on down to my local Verizon dealer and the Thunderbolt had just been released. We have 4g capability in our area and it took me all of about five seconds to see that download speeds were comparable (if not faster at times) to my laptop, the learning curve was relatively small for anyone with open source knowledge and a skosh of computer literacy, and the apps on the phone, many of which are pretty much worthless to me because of so many better and often free apps available, made it easier for me to really grasp the full on capabilities of the phone itself. The price is a bit on the ugly side, but one of the benefits of dinosaurism is that I have a pretty good job and the cost was offset by the fact that my company pays my phone bill.

I left the store smiling have been traveling in blissful awareness ever since. I cannot tell you how much this phone has improved my travel experience in virtually every city I've meandered through (with the exception of the area around the White House in Washington DC, which only had 1g access? WTF??? No wonder nothing gets done there!) and the ease of operability has made it relatively painless as well. It truly is as though I've left the dark ages of information deficit and entered the age of knowledge enlightenment. For those of you who can relate to what I've said here, I encourage you to check out any of the Droid phones before you run out to by an I-Phone, I think you'll be much happier, and you certainly won't regret your decision to step up into today's technology.

One final thought before I part; with the access to information we now have right in the palm of our hands, there is NO excuse for ignorance in our society any longer. Get a phone, become informed, be enlightened.

Description
One of the world's first 4G LTE Android smartphones, the HTC ThunderBolt 4G Android Phone (Verizon Wireless)
takes advantage of the fastest, most advanced 4G network in America. It's powered by a lightning-quick 1 GHz Snapdragon processor and offers a vibrantly colorful 4.3-inch Super LCD multi-touch display. Capture brilliant photos and HD 720p video with the 8-megapixel camera on the rear, and enjoy video call capabilities with the front-facing camera. And with the Android 2.2 OS, you'll be able to experience the full Internet thanks to its support for Adobe Flash 10.1--enabling you to play games, watch videos, and more.

Includes ROCK BAND Mobile

The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network provides speeds up to 10 times faster than Verizon Wireless' 3G network. With 4G LTE, you'll enjoy simultaneous voice and data capabilities, allowing you to check e-mail, browse the web, download an app, and check directions on Google Maps while on a call. Verizon Wireless' 4G LTE Mobile Broadband network currently reaches one-third of all Americans, with plans to expand the network to the company's entire 3G coverage area over the next three years.

In addition to Android, the ThunderBolt 4G also offers the next-generation HTC Sense user interface experience, which includes quicker startup times from hibernation mode as well as a consolidated view of your favorite social networking sites. The ThunderBolt 4G also comes with ROCK BAND Mobile pre-loaded, so you can shred on the go with multiple levels of difficulty from dozens of classic songs.

Other features include an 8 GB internal memory, pre-loaded 32 GB microSD memory card, Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking with Mobile Hotspot capabilities, Bluetooth for hands-free devices and stereo music streaming, integrated speakers with Dolby Mobile + SRS WOW HD surround sound, DLNA certification for wireless media streaming to other devices, built-in kickstand for easy media viewing, and a 1400 mAh battery for extra-long talk time.

Video chat capable over 4G LTE and Wi-Fi

Android Operating System
The ThunderBolt 4G runs the latest Android operating system--OS 2.2 (aka, Froyo)--which provides a faster overall Android experience as well as greater multitasking capabilities. You'll be able to receive notifications, listen to music, and even record GPS data without keeping the application open. And it features a plethora of new enhancements, including an improved onscreen QWERTY keyboard, full push corporate e-mail, and support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 for access to the full Web. It also offers enhanced Exchange support, with Calendar syncing, Global Address Lookup, improved security, auto-discovery, and more.

With integrated Google technology, the ThunderBolt 4G brings one-touch access to the popular Google mobile services millions use every day, including Google Search by voice, Google Maps with Street View, GTalk instant messaging (with presence capabilities), YouTube, and Picasa. The ThunderBolt 4G also provides easy access to both personal and corporate e-mail, calendars, and contacts supported by Exchange Server and Gmail. And through Android Market, you'll get access to thousands of useful applications, widgets, and fun games to download and install on your phone, with many more apps being added every day.

HTC Sense Mobile Experience
With the next generation of the popular HTC Sense mobile experience, the HTC ThunderBolt 4G automatically delivers your most-wanted information to your screen. It offers even more ways to stay connected--including FriendStream, which delivers Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr updates in a consolidated view. And you'll be able to pinpoint the location of a lost phone on a map, send a command to make the phone sound an alert--even while on "silent" mode--through the htcsense.com web site. If needed, you can also remotely wipe all of the phone's data with a single command in addition to forwarding calls and text messages to a different number.

Connectivity

Ultra-fast 4G LTE connectivity via the Verizon Wireless 4G Mobile Broadband network, with expected download speeds of 5 to 12 Mbps and upload speeds of 2 to 5 Mbps. See more about 4G LTE below.
Easy access to social networking via HTC Sense including updates from Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr.
Onboard GPS for navigation and location services
Integrated Google Maps with turn-by-turn navigation, street and satellite views
Ultra-fast Wireless-N Wi-Fi networking (802.11b/g/n) for accessing home and corporate networks as well as hotspots while on the go.
4G Mobile Hotspot capability allows you to create a Wi-Fi hotspot using your Verizon Wireless 4G LTE connection, which can then be shared among up to 8 Wi-Fi-capable devices. (Note: Mobile Hotspot capability will not be available at device launch.)
Bluetooth connectivity (version 2.1) includes profiles for communication headset, hands-free car kits, and the A2DP audio streaming Bluetooth profiles.

OS & Software

Android 2.2 operating system (Froyo) with over-the-air upgrade capability for future OS releases.
ROCK BAND Mobile with multiple levels of difficulty, dozens of classic songs, and multiplayer mode to challenge your friends over Bluetooth.
DLNA capabilities enables you to share your photo albums, videos and movies wirelessly with a compatible HDTV or other DLNA device.

Communications & Internet

Full messaging capabilities including SMS text, MMS picture/video and IM instant messaging (via popular services including AOL, Yahoo!, Windows Live Messenger, and Google Talk).
Access to personal and corporate e-mail (including support for Exchange and push Gmail).
HTML Web browser (WebKit-based) with support for Adobe Flash Player 10.1 for accessing Flash-enabled websites, watching video and playing games.

Multimedia

Music player compatible with MP3, WMA, and AAC
Video player compatible with MPEG4, WMV, XviD
Built-in stereo speakers
Dolby Mobile + SRS WOW HD surround sound enhancement

Memory

32 GB pre-loaded microSD memory card with support for other optional cards up to 32 GB.
8 GB internal memory

Camera

1.3-megapixel front-facing camera for video chat capabilities.
8-megapixel camera with dual LED flash plus auto focus, face detection, and geo-tagging.
HD 720p video capture capabilities (1280 x 720 pixels)

Design and Hardware

1 GHz Snapdragon processor speeds up everything--from playing games to watching shows to opening files from work.
4.3-inch Super LCD display with capacitive multi-touch capabilities, proximity sensor, and light sensor (480 x 800 pixels).
Onscreen QWERTY keyboard
Dual microphones and noise canceling technology for clearer calls.

More Features

3.5mm headphone jack
Micro USB 2.0 port with mass storage capabilities.
Speakerphone for hands-free communication.
Hearing Aid Compatibility: M3 and T3

Vital Statistics

The HTC ThunderBolt weighs 6.23 ounces and measures 4.75 x 2.44 x 0.56 inches. It comes with a long-life 1400 mAh lithium-ion battery. It runs on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network, as well as EV-DO, Rev A 3G and CDMA 800/1900 frequencies where 4G LTE is not available.

What's in the Box
HTC ThunderBolt handset, rechargeable battery, charger, 32 GB microSD memory card, quick start guide

Verizon Wireless 4G LTE Network

The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network allows you to download photos, apps, and games in seconds and entire movies in minutes. LTE (or Long Term Evolution provides significantly increased upload and download speeds over 3G networks, as well as significantly reduced latency (or lag time). Verizon Wireless expects 4G LTE average data rates to be 5-12 megabits per second (Mbps) on the downlink and 2-5 Mbps on the uplink in real-world, loaded network environments.

With these blazing fast speeds, you'll be able to stream HD movies without the annoyance of constant pauses to buffer the video stream--as well as quickly download HD-quality movies right to your phone in minutes. Additionally, you'll be able to download a new song file in about 4 seconds or upload a photo to your favorite social networking site in about 6 seconds.

And with video chat capabilities via the 4G LTE network, you'll see callers face-to-face while you're on the go. In addition to chatting with other compatible smartphones, you'll be able to video conference to users on PCs.

The Verizon Wireless 4G LTE mobile broadband network will also redefine the mobile office for business users. Business applications that used to require wired networks will be untethered forever, allowing you maximized productivity and efficiency while you're out of the confines of your office. Enhanced security lets you tap into most VPN networks with less waiting, and faster responsiveness enables you to upload 10 MB presentations back to your team in less than 25 seconds.

Also Available for This Android Device