HTC Thunderbolt
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Chris ZieglerMarch 18, 2011
Pros
- Surreal data speedsTypical HTC design, build qualityImproved camera
Cons
- Thick, heavyQuestionable battery lifeSingle-core in a dual-core age
HTC
Engadget - Not yet scored
0
Critics
6 reviews80
AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE
Users
42 reviews75
AVERAGE USER SCORE
View All Critic & User Reviews
HTC Thunderbolt
- Critic Reviews (6)
- User Reviews (42)
- 80AVERAGE CRITIC SCORE6 ReviewsPC World80HTC ThunderBoltThe HTC ThunderBolt looks, feels, and handles like a solid piece of hardware. Although its specs aren’t anything we haven’t already seen in the Droid X or the Droid 2, the ThunderBolt’s ability to utilize the unprecedented speed of Verizon’s LTE network makes it a special phone indeed.Engadget80HTC Thunderbolt reviewHTC's managed to put together a handset here that we can honestly recommend with a straight face, owing in no small part to the fact that it borrows heavily from the company's existing parts bin. ... The Thunderbolt is easily one of the best Android devices in Verizon's expansive lineupCNET80HTC ThunderBoltThe HTC ThunderBolt lights up with blazingly fast data speeds, but those who want 4G now should be aware that it takes a big toll on the smartphone's battery life.PC Mag80HTC ThunderboltThe HTC Thunderbolt is the most powerful smartphone for Verizon Wireless right now, so it gets our Editors' Choice for touch-screen smartphones. Just make sure to buy a second battery.Android Central80HTC ThunderBolt ReviewAt this point, ... it's either the ThunderBolt or the Droid Charge. And after spending some quality time with the ThunderBolt, we can easily say it's a testament to the quality of HTC's manufacturing, Verizon's network, and the Android platform as a whole.BGR80HTC ThunderBolt reviewThe HTC ThunderBolt is a phone from the future in many ways. It delivers the fastest internet speeds of any device I have ever tested, ... and it runs on a very fast ... version of Android to deliver great performance. However, the ThunderBolt resembles phones from a year or two ago.
- 75AVERAGE USER SCORE42 ReviewsEngadget Reader60July 14, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The battery life was so bad I had to get a larger battery and it still only gets about 10 hours. The CPU is so slow that playing any game is impossible due to lag. Overall it is a sub-par phone.Engadget Reader20April 21, 2014Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!An awful product that should be avoided. You'll be sorry. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100October 7, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I had the HTC Thunderbolt for two years. It was a good phone, I had to reset it three times. I never had a reason to call service support or go to the Verizonwireless to fix any issue. I would call that a great phone.Engadget Reader70May 24, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The Thunderbolt was the first to get 4G, and unfortunately there is a known issue with it sucking the life out of the battery.All in all the phone is good, but with the Ice Cream Sandwich upgrade that was pushed out to the devices, it became slow and had problems. If you can avoid the ICS update, you'll be better off.Engadget Reader60March 4, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A forgettable product. It isn't bad, exactly, but also doesn't do anything particularly well. - EngadgetEngadget Reader50January 8, 2013Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!If there is one reason why HTC is floudering, it is this: Simply put the updates to the latest versions of Android are pathetic. HTC keep throwing out good quality phones and pathetic updates to Android, but how many different phones should one company have? This is HTC"s problem, instead of focussing on their current customers, they have been too focussed on getting new customers. I am sure I am one of many that will never buy a HTC phone again. Alas I am still at Android 2.3.4 and my contract is ending soon and it is all Google Nexus from there!Engadget Reader40September 22, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A poor product that's more likely to be frustrating than useful. - EngadgetThabass20September 22, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The HTC Thunderbolt was the first 4G LTE phone out there. I couldn't wait for this phone to come out back in early 2011. Boy, was I in for a rude awaking. After constant problems with battery life, I bought a battery extender and made the phone too bulky. Unfortunately, you needed that to extend your batter life from 5 hours to 8 hours. Awful.The worst part about the phone is not just the phone itself, but the customer service that it gave. Thunderbolt owners are STILL WAITING FOR ANDROID 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwhich. Unacceptable.Avoid phone at all costs. Much better Android 4G LTE phones out there like the Samsung Galaxy III or if you want something completely different, the iPhone 5.Engadget Reader90June 21, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader70June 19, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I was hoping I was going to love this phone. But the constant nagging problems, plus what I consider to be a pretty crappy network (Verizon) make this phone one that I cant wait to get rid of.I never seem to be able to make and keep a data connection (and then keep it) with this phone. When it is switching between modems, it eats battery alive. A real bummer.For a flagship phone, I feel let down. And for what I used to consider to be the best network, I feel ignored.So, my main problem is this: When I need a data connection, one is never there, the network indicator toggles through all of its states (4G, 3G, 1X) and then finally gives up. All of my apps keep reporting that network is unavailable.Then I reboot the phone, and maybe have luck for 5 minutes or so ,then the whole thing repeats itself.Here are things that I think are great about this phone:The screen is beautiful.The camera is very good.I like the kickstand - very useful.If you are careful, you can get a day's worth of life from the battery.Ryan40June 11, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I had mine for two months, and the mix of horrible battery life (ESPECIALLY on lte), thickness and weight, and the non hd display caused me to get rid of it and get a sensation which i still have and is what this phone should have been.Engadget Reader60June 10, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I pre-ordered a Thunderbolt after hearing about the amazing speeds on Verizon's then-new 4G LTE network. I knew when I bought it that it wasn't going to have the greatest battery life, but I ever expected it to be this bad. As a student, I don't have constant access to a power source and when I leave home at 7, it consistently dies before 3. I turn off all data and force kill background tasks every few hours as all the bloatware runs various tasks every so often.Processor speed is also a problem I have. I don't have many large applications installed but even swiping between home screens is choppy more often than not.One final complaint is the earpiece. This may be a problem for which I'm to blame from the few times I've dropped it, but on my particular device, the earpiece buzzes during a conversation. The louder the person on the phone speaks, the more it buzzes, the more I'm forced to yell "what?? I can't hear you!" and in turn, the louder they yell.I do not recommend this phone.Engadget Reader90April 30, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!I've had this phone for a year now and the only bad thing I can say about it is the battery life. Everything else is awesome. I can deal with the battery issue for another year because I love everything else about this phone.Engadget Reader70March 7, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A dependable product that doesn't really stand out from the competition. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80February 2, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader70January 5, 2012Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!After I rooted and installed CM7 on this phone it is usable now. Verizon and HTC really dropped the ball on this device. The lack of updates and the terrible battery killed this phone. While the 4G is super fast and this phone take full advantage of that it sucks that I had to hack it to make it a good phone.Engadget Reader80December 26, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80November 19, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader60November 11, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A forgettable product. It isn't bad, exactly, but also doesn't do anything particularly well. - Engadgetnrage2380September 6, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90September 2, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Great physical design, looks good, is fast. no physical buttons which I love. Battery life is the weak spot. Fast phone. Blazing fast on 4g. Also the only Verizon phone that lets you talk and surf at the same time.Engadget Reader70August 26, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Dismal battery life that will hopefully be improved when Gingerbread is released for the Thunderbolt. Currently on my third Thunderbolt after paint chipping off the kickstand coupled with radio problems. Number three seems to be the charm for me so far but there are a slew of better LTE smartphones coming out now that are a better choice than this one.Engadget Reader70August 11, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!HTC has promised us an upgrade to Gingerbread (Android 2.3), but have repeatedly pushed it off. Hopefully it eventually gets the upgrade because there are a lot of things in it that can improve the quality of this thing (namely battery life with the improved garbage collector). There's no way in hell that they're going to give it Ice Cream Sandwich when that comes out so at this point you're probably better off just getting a different phone.Such is the life with the Android ecosystem.Engadget Reader70July 31, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A dependable product that doesn't really stand out from the competition. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80July 26, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80July 22, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100July 13, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!A gadget unicorn - EngadgetEngadget Reader90July 6, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Overall, I'm pretty satisfied. The 4G connection in my area is fast, but not noticeably faster than 3G when just browsing the web; it's also pretty spotty. That being said, It's a blast to use. Android on it is snappy and efficient. As long as you're a technologically capable person, you'll have no problem using it even if you've never touched an Android device before. The display is big, bright, and easy to see in sunlight (on a higher brightness setting). Although the Thunderbolt might seem big compared to other phones, you don't notice it after a little while. When comparing it to other LTE phones, although it is a millimeter or two thicker, it's actually the most compact overall. It's very sturdy and well constructed; the slightly heavy weight is comforting to hold. The only major downfall for me is the battery life. With heavy usage, there's no way you'll make it through the day (maybe not even the work day). It's best to get an external battery. I found a deal where one came with a special charger that charges both the external battery and the battery in the phone at the same time - very handy!Engadget Reader80July 1, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80June 23, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80June 9, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!My First Smartphone, and I really do like it. But (with a lot of smartphones) what seems to be a good concept phone gets mangled by he carrier's bloatware and poor battery lifeEngadget Reader90May 27, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!For a 1st generation 4G LTE device, I am very impressed. I have not used it in a 4G area yet, however in a 3G area this phone has done me right.Engadget Reader80May 24, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80May 23, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80May 23, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90May 20, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90May 15, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader80May 15, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - EngadgetEngadget Reader100May 2, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The biggest knock on this phone is the battery and yes it is a hog but realistically i can charge most of the day. At home at night, at work on my computer, in my car. The only times it would become a problem is if i'm out at nights or the weekends or on vacation. I bought an on the go charger, that you charge up and then when its getting low you turn it on and plug your phone into it, and it recharges.With all that i'd unlikely i'll ever be really stuck without a phone.Engadget Reader90March 25, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!The best in its category. We highly recommend it. - EngadgetEngadget Reader90March 25, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!Finally I have my own HTC Thunderbolt. Got it just a few days ago.I am really happy to have purchased this phone after a long wait. Great 4G LTE speed, HTC sense is superb, very responsive and snappy, solid feel yet not very heavy. I had read about the poor battery life with 4G On, and experienced it first hand. 4G is a battery guzzler. But when I turned off 4G the battery did not drain much, I am sure it would last for days on standby.Overall its a great phone to have. There is just one (big) problem that I am facing. When I use the phone as a wi-fi hotspot or tether it via a wired (USB) connection with my laptop the phones data connection drops after about 15-20 mins. So while I am browsing on my laptop using the phone's 4G network I suddenly loose the internet connection. The 4G connection icon on the top status bar of the phone shows some traffic but I can't browse even from the phone (or from my laptop). I contacted Verizon about this problem and they tried various setting, finally asked me to hard reset the phone to factory settings, but nothing worked. I still get the problem. I am wondering if its Verizon's 4G network issue or its the phone's hardware?SanjeetEngadget Reader80March 20, 2011Feedback submitted!Unable to submit feedback!There's a lot to like about this in spite of a few flaws. - Engadget
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Key Specs
TYPE
Smartphone
OPERATING SYSTEM
Android
SCREEN SIZE
4.322
INTERNAL MEMORY
81
CAMERA
Yes
TALK TIME
3G
CARRIERS (US)
Verizon / Alltel
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