03:11
htc
The HTC Thunderbolt is the first 4G smart phone that doesn't have 4G in the name. Want to know why? Because the speeds speak for themselves. As the first 4G LTE phone for Verizon, this handset promises crazy-fast downloads (5 to 12 Mbps) and uploads (2 to 5 Mbps). We're talking the kind of performance that makes some home Internet connections look downright pokey. Even better, you can share this phone's broadband goodness with up to eight other devices, including laptops. With its 1-GHz processor, mammoth 4.3-inch display, and dual cameras, the Thunderbolt is a lot like the EVO 4G, but it costs 50 bucks more, at $249. So how much faster is this phone in the real world, and how long can you enjoy those thrilling speeds before you have to find an outlet?
Design:
While it has the same size display as the all-black EVO 4G, the Thunderbolt has a slicker, more modern look. The front of the handset is mostly black with a strip of gray up top, while the back has a two-tone gray color scheme (the battery cover is darker with a nice soft-touch finish). You still get a metal kickstand, but this time around it hides the speaker; it's also wider, and engraved with "with Google." HTC wisely got rid of the lame circles around the capacitive buttons beneath the screen and added an angular cutout beneath that strip to add a little flair. Overall, the design feels solid and looks great.
On the other hand, the Thunderbolt is even heftier than the already-heavy EVO 4G (6.2 vs. 6 ounces) and is slightly thicker (0.56 inches vs. 0.5 inches). By comparison, the Verizon iPhone 4 weights just 4.8 ounces. The Thunderbolt is also missing something the EVO has: an HDMI port, so you can't stream video and other content to your TV. The phone does support DLNA for wireless streaming.
The rest of the design is pretty straightforward. An easily accessible power button and headphone jack sit up top, the right side houses a volume rocker, and the microUSB port is on the left. The right side houses a narrow volume rocker. Around back is an 8-megapixel camera with dual LED flash, and up front is a 1.3-MP camera for video chat (though Skype video calling is coming later).
Display and Audio
The Thunderbolt doesn't push the envelope in the sceen department, sticking with the same 800 x 480 resolution found on the 4.3-inch EVO 4G. Still, we found the picture to be bright and crisp, and easily legible outdoors on a sunny day.
We were impressed by the Thunderbolt's audio quality. When we streamed The Kooks on Pandora, the back-mounted speaker provided plenty of punch to fill a kitchen at three-quarter volume. And, thanks to the built-in kickstand, we could easily skip tracks without having to pick up the device.
Software and Interface
Running Android 2.2, the Thunderbolt leverages HTC's Sense software. Users get seven home screens to customize, as well as HTC widgets such as FriendStream for keeping tabs on your Facebook and Twitter buddies. As with all HTC Android phones, the Sense software lets you see all of the home screens with a pinch gesture. Sense also surfaces social-networking info right within the Contacts app, including a person's last Facebook update.
A Personalize button on the bottom right of the screen lets you choose among multiple wallpapers and widgets but also Scenes, which basically adds themes your phone like Sprint's ID packs. The Social option, for example, puts a Friend Stream widget front and center for quickly posting updates, while Work places your next appointment on the first screen, and your e-mail is just a swipe to the left.
Design:
While it has the same size display as the all-black EVO 4G, the Thunderbolt has a slicker, more modern look. The front of the handset is mostly black with a strip of gray up top, while the back has a two-tone gray color scheme (the battery cover is darker with a nice soft-touch finish). You still get a metal kickstand, but this time around it hides the speaker; it's also wider, and engraved with "with Google." HTC wisely got rid of the lame circles around the capacitive buttons beneath the screen and added an angular cutout beneath that strip to add a little flair. Overall, the design feels solid and looks great.
On the other hand, the Thunderbolt is even heftier than the already-heavy EVO 4G (6.2 vs. 6 ounces) and is slightly thicker (0.56 inches vs. 0.5 inches). By comparison, the Verizon iPhone 4 weights just 4.8 ounces. The Thunderbolt is also missing something the EVO has: an HDMI port, so you can't stream video and other content to your TV. The phone does support DLNA for wireless streaming.
The rest of the design is pretty straightforward. An easily accessible power button and headphone jack sit up top, the right side houses a volume rocker, and the microUSB port is on the left. The right side houses a narrow volume rocker. Around back is an 8-megapixel camera with dual LED flash, and up front is a 1.3-MP camera for video chat (though Skype video calling is coming later).
Display and Audio
The Thunderbolt doesn't push the envelope in the sceen department, sticking with the same 800 x 480 resolution found on the 4.3-inch EVO 4G. Still, we found the picture to be bright and crisp, and easily legible outdoors on a sunny day.
We were impressed by the Thunderbolt's audio quality. When we streamed The Kooks on Pandora, the back-mounted speaker provided plenty of punch to fill a kitchen at three-quarter volume. And, thanks to the built-in kickstand, we could easily skip tracks without having to pick up the device.
Software and Interface
Running Android 2.2, the Thunderbolt leverages HTC's Sense software. Users get seven home screens to customize, as well as HTC widgets such as FriendStream for keeping tabs on your Facebook and Twitter buddies. As with all HTC Android phones, the Sense software lets you see all of the home screens with a pinch gesture. Sense also surfaces social-networking info right within the Contacts app, including a person's last Facebook update.
A Personalize button on the bottom right of the screen lets you choose among multiple wallpapers and widgets but also Scenes, which basically adds themes your phone like Sprint's ID packs. The Social option, for example, puts a Friend Stream widget front and center for quickly posting updates, while Work places your next appointment on the first screen, and your e-mail is just a swipe to the left.
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