HTC Thunderbolt gets it’s first hands-on

One of the devices which got my attention at CES in Las Vegas last month, was Verizon’s HTC Thunderbolt which would be the carriers first 4G LTE device. Back then the thing which caught my eye the most was the fact that the device was boasting a 4.3 inch display and considering that they would be Verizon’s first 4G LTE device, network speeds should be pretty impressive and also combining this with the mobile hot spot ability, you would be able to share your internet connection with up to 8 devices.

Now first off all let’s get to see what the box will be coming with. The package in which the HTC Thunderbolt will come, includes the phone (doh), the charger, the USB cable and the battery of the device. The Thunderbolt comes with 8 GB of internal storage space, but will also by shipping with a preinstalled 32 GB micro SD card so this will bring your total storage to a pretty cool 40 GB. That’s plenty of space even if you remain with your fingers locked on taking pictures all the way to your workplace.

Still staying on the memory front, the device does come with 768 MB of RAM which it manages to show in tests, where it is scoring decently high even without any form of optimization. The processor is a 1 GHz cpu, so this will mean that browsing through the menus is smooth and quick, which was proven in a hands on video made by Wirefly which you should make sure and check out. Moving on the device comes with an 8 MP rear camera with dual-LED flash and the ability to record 720p HD videos and a 1.3 MP front-facing camera for video conference.

The device looks really good all around, and when compared to the Samsung Galaxy S, which has a 4 inch display it is a touch shorter, but a touch wider. Then again the Galaxy line does look like it went through a diet compared to pretty much any other smartphone. Note that I previously mentioned the mobile hotspot option for the device, but you will have to set up tethering with your subscription in order to get access to this feature, so this will make your monthly bill just a touch more expensive. The HTC Thunderbolt does come with Android 2.2.1 Froyo with the latest Sense UI from HTC, and the phone just looks and moves well through the menus.

Probably the nicest feature introduced in this device is the kick stand on the rear of the phone. Besides being covered in a nice rubbery plastic the rear has the kick stand which can be opened, and once in that position you can set the phone up easily for either video conference or for watching a movie or even for listening music. The speakers on this thing are seriously big and they are covered by the kickstand in order to protect them from lint or dust. At the moment there are no real speed tests on Verizon’s 4G network as the device tested was a pre-production model, so you’ll have to wait some more until that comes out. Until next time, will you be adding tethering to your subscription?1

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