HTC ThunderBolt

HTC ThunderBolt
HTC ThunderBolt (Verizon Wireless)
BrandHTC
ManufacturerHTC Corporation
TypeSmartphone
Slogan"HTC Dream.”
SeriesDesire HD
First releasedJan 2011[1]
Availability by regionFebruary 2011
DiscontinuedJune 2012
PredecessorHTC Droid Incredible
SuccessorHTC Rezound
RelatedHTC Desire HD, HTC Inspire 4G, HTC Sensation 4G, HTC EVO 4G, HTC EVO 4G LTE
Compatible networksDual-band CDMA/EVDO Rev. A/EHRPD (800 1900 MHz)
LTE 700 MHz (band 13)
Form factorSlate
Dimensions4.85 in (123 mm) H
2.65 in (67 mm) W
0.54 in (14 mm) D[2]
Weight6.23 oz (177 g)
Operating systemAndroid 4.0.4 Ice Cream Sandwich with HTC Sense 3.6[3]
CPU1 GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon (MSM8655)
GPUAdreno 205
Memory768 MB RAM
Storage8 GB eMMC (2.58 GB available)
Removable storage32 GB microSD card pre-installed
Battery1400 mAh
Rear camera8.0 Mpx with autofocus, 2 LED flash, with 720p HD video capture
Front camera1.3 Mpx front-facing, with video capture
Display4.27 in (108 mm) diagonal[4]
1.67:1 aspect ratio widescreen
TFT LCD capacitive touchscreen
480x800 resolution at 215 ppi (0.38 Mpx)
Corning Gorilla Glass, crack and scratch resistant
ConnectivityCDMA 800/1900 MHz EVDO Rev. A, 4G LTE 700 MHz, Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n); Bluetooth 2.1 (upgradeable to 3.0) with A2DP stereo and EDR; A-GPS; FM tuner with RDS, 3.5 mm stereo audio jack, Micro-USB, Mobile Hotspot
Data inputsTouch or Swype
Hearing aid compatibilityM4/T3[5]

The HTC ThunderBolt (ADR6400L) was the first 4G LTE smartphone on the Verizon Wireless network. It is a CDMA/LTE variant of the HTC Desire HD. It was first announced at CES on January 6, 2011.

In addition to 4G service, the ThunderBolt is the first Verizon phone to support simultaneous voice/data over 3G without the help of Wi-Fi.[6]

Launch

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The phone was launched January 17, 2011. Best Buy was the first retailer to offer a pre-order on February 6, 2011. Wirefly and Amazon both allowed pre-orders a few days before the device was officially launched.[7] This launch date, however, was much later than anticipated by consumers, frustrating many potential buyers.[8][9][10]

There was so much pent-up demand for the ThunderBolt that it broke pre-sale records for at least one online vendor.[11]

However, despite early demand for the phone, HTC has appeared to struggle in their attempts to address multiple complaints about the device. Some features were removed just prior to release, such as a built-in Skype app with video calling capability. Common reported issues include complaints of short battery life, frequent rebooting, and a much delayed and troubled rollout of an update to the Android Gingerbread platform.[12][13]

Hardware

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The ThunderBolt has a second generation 1GHz Snapdragon processor manufactured by Qualcomm, and runs on Verizon's 4G LTE Network. It has a 4.3-inch class (480×800) WVGA TFT capacitive touchscreen covered by Gorilla Glass,[14] a special crack and scratch resistant material made by Corning. Two cameras are included; an 8-megapixel rear-facing camera, able to record 720p video, with a dual-LED flash, and a 1.3-megapixel front-facing camera. The phone has 768 MB of RAM and 8 GB of eMMC of internal flash memory data storage ( available to user apps & user app data). An external microSDHC card slot supports up to 32 GB more storage memory, which comes preinstalled. The ThunderBolt also comes with a kickstand that works in landscape and portrait positions for photo or video viewing. A LED notification light is located near the earpiece.

Software

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The ThunderBolt shipped with Android 2.2 (Froyo) and it was later updated in September 2011 to Android 2.3 (Gingerbread). In early February 2013, the ThunderBolt was updated to Android 4.0.4 (Ice Cream Sandwich) and Sense 3.6.

The 4.0.4 update brought many new features to the Thunderbolt, including new camera filters and features, the ability to capture screenshots, and facial recognition to unlock the device. It also improved the device's stability and improved connectivity issues. Connectivity issues were the reason why HTC and Verizon Wireless did not immediately release the 4.0.4 update. The "Fit the puzzle piece" unlock screen prompt was replaced by “Drag down to unlock.”

Another new feature with the 4.0.4 update was the built-in data manager. This feature helps users manage and view their recent data usage. This feature would show a graph of data usage for the time period that the user had previously set. The feature would also keep track of the user's data usage, and would alert the user when they were close to their data limit, which the user would have previously set.

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "The First 4G LTE Smartphone For Verizon Wireless". press release. Verizon Wireless. March 15, 2011. Archived from the original on March 18, 2011. Retrieved March 15, 2011.
  2. ^ This is slightly larger than the advertised specifications. See, e.g.: "ThunderBolt by HTC". VerizonWireless.com. Verizon Wireless. April 2011. At "Size" pop-up. Archived from the original on 2012-11-02. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
  3. ^ "HTC Thunderbolt Won't See New HTC Sense 3.0". droid-life.com. April 14, 2011.
  4. ^ This is slightly smaller than the advertised specifications. See, e.g.: "ThunderBolt by HTC". VerizonWireless.com. Verizon Wireless. April 2011. At "Key Features". Archived from the original on 2012-11-02. Retrieved 2011-07-04.
  5. ^ "ThunderBolt™ by HTC". Archived from the original on 2012-11-02. Retrieved 2011-12-15.
  6. ^ "Simultaneous Voice and Data over 3G Confirmed for HTC Thunderbolt". phandroid.com. January 26, 2011.
  7. ^ Maisto, Michelle (2011-03-17). "HTC ThunderBolt for Verizon 4G LTE Network Now Available". Eweek.com. Retrieved 2013-07-11.[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ "Verizon delays HTC ThunderBolt, according to rumors, with no ETA in sight |". Wirelessgoodness.com. 2011-02-08. Archived from the original on 2012-07-23. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
  9. ^ DeRuvo, James (2011-03-08). "HTC Thunderbolt launch delay by the iPad 2 confirmed". Android Community. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
  10. ^ "Battery Issue the Reason Behind the Verizon HTC Thunderbolt Delay?". Gottabemobile.com. 2011-02-26. Retrieved 2013-07-11.
  11. ^ "ThunderBolt by HTC Pre-orders Break Sales Record at Wirefly". Wirefly.com. Simplexity, LLC. 16 March 2011.
  12. ^ Palmer, Jacob. "Android Lemon Award Goes To HTC For Making The Worst Phone Of 2011". GizmoCrunch. Archived from the original on 2011-10-21. Retrieved 2011-11-10.
  13. ^ Mills, Adam (July 2011). "HTC Thunderbolt Issues Are Unacceptable".
  14. ^ "Products with Gorilla". Featured products. Corning Incorporated. Archived from the original on 2011-10-23. Retrieved 2011-04-08.
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