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Mobility

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

By matthewmiller March 21, 2011, 9:56 PM PDT

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Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

HTC ThunderBolt retail box

HTC ThunderBolt retail box

ntThe HTC ThunderBolt is the first LTE smartphone on the Verizon Wireless network. The device is extremely fast, but traveling at that speed also hits the battery pretty hard. The box is an unassuming black simple package with embossed Thunderbolt branding.

n

ntCheck out my ZDNet Smartphones & Cell Phones post for a video of the HTC ThunderBolt and more details.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Taking off the lid

Taking off the lid

ntAfter you lift the top from the black box you will find blazing red all over, that matches the Verizon colors. Notice the ThunderBolt embossing on the box too.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Here is the ThunderBolt

Here is the ThunderBolt

ntHere’s the HTC ThunderBolt embedded in Verizon red.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

HTC ThunderBolt box contents

HTC ThunderBolt box contents

ntBox contents include a USB cable, charger, some pamphlets, and the SIM card. There is no headset included with the ThunderBolt.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

ThunderBolt and HD7 side-by-side

ThunderBolt and HD7 side-by-side

ntThe HTC ThunderBolt is very similar in size to the HTC HD7 device and they both have 4.3 inch TFT displays.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Back of the ThunderBolt and HD7

Back of the ThunderBolt and HD7

ntHere you can see the back of these two 4.3 inch HTC devices. The ThunderBolt has a better camera and kickstand than the HD7.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

HTC devices on their kickstands

HTC devices on their kickstands

ntHTC likes to use kickstands on their more powerful smartphones, as you can see here.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Kickstand and speaker grille

Kickstand and speaker grille

ntThe kickstand on the back of the Thunderbolt is substantial and also covers the speaker grill.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Another kickstand shot

Another kickstand shot

ntThe kickstand is wide and solid while the back is made of a soft touch type material.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

4G LTE labeling

4G LTE labeling

ntHere you can see the kickstand closed and the 4G LTE labeling on the Thunderbolt.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Upper back of the Thunderbolt

Upper back of the Thunderbolt

ntThe 8 megapixel camera and dual LED flash are shown at the top of the back. There are also two small holes with a connector on the back that may be for an enhanced antenna.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Top of the HTC Thunderbolt

Top of the HTC Thunderbolt

ntThe top of the Thunderbolt includes the power button, notch to pry off back cover, and 3.5 mm headset jack. A second microphone is also found on the top to improve call quality.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Right side of the Thunderbolt

Right side of the Thunderbolt

ntThere is a large volume button on the right side of the Thunderbolt.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Bottom of the Thunderbolt

Bottom of the Thunderbolt

ntThere is only a mic opening on the bottom.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Bottom of the left side on the Thunderbolt

Bottom of the left side on the Thunderbolt

ntThe microUSB charging port is on the bottom of the left side.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Above the Thunderbolt display

Above the Thunderbolt display

ntThere is the headset speaker and front facing camera above the display on the Thunderbolt. Unfortunately, applications cannot yet use the camera for video calling.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Front bottom under the display

Front bottom under the display

ntThe traditional four button configuration of an Android device is present below the display.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

HTC Thunderbolt in hand

HTC Thunderbolt in hand

ntThe Thunderbolt is a big device, but it closely matches the other large 4.3 inch display devices with a bit more thickness.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Speaker grille hidden under the kickstand

Speaker grille hidden under the kickstand

ntThe speaker is loud and clear on the Thunderbolt, but you have to pull out the kickstand to hear the full effects.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Poor microUSB placement causes awkward situation

Poor microUSB placement causes awkward situation

ntHTC didn’t think too much about the kickstand and microUSB placement so if you want to charge up your Thunderbolt, say while watching a movie, you will discover this doesn’t work well with the kickstand.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Under the back cover

Under the back cover

ntThere are some interesting bits under the battery cover including the four unknown gold dots just under the camera. The two leads in the upper left also connect with the gold part of the back cover inside.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Verizon SIM card included

Verizon SIM card included

ntA 4G LTE SIM card is found in the bottom of the back opening.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Included 32GB microSD card

Included 32GB microSD card

ntVerizon includes a generous 32GB microSD card in the Thunderbolt so you really should have what you need for lots of storage.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

Back cover of the HTC Thunderbolt

Back cover of the HTC Thunderbolt

ntNotice the gold piece in the upper right of the cover? This connects to two leads on the back of the Thunderbolt.

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

HTC Thunderbolt image gallery thumbnail 1

HTC Thunderbolt image gallery thumbnail 1

ntHTC Thunderbolt image gallery thumbnail 1

Hands-on with HTC ThunderBolt; the first LTE smartphone from Verizon

HTC Thunderbolt image gallery thumbnail 2

HTC Thunderbolt image gallery thumbnail 2

ntHTC Thunderbolt image gallery thumbnail 2

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