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We’ve been looking for a date to tie to the HTC Thunderbolt – one of Verizon’s new 4G smartphones – and we’ve gathered enough evidence from several unrelated sources – a couple of which I trust – to suggest it’ll be launched February 14th, the same day Mobile World Congress officially kicks off. Considering marketing materials for the Motorola XOOM tablet were sent to Verizon’s authorized external agents at the same time, we might have just uncovered the release date for that as well. We’re still digging for concrete confirmation.
YaY! I’m ready to trade my Evo in for this!
I would jump all over this except it is not a dual core? Am I right in that assumption?
is this the Bionic? Saw it at CES and its smoking!
Bionic is dual core.
Jimbo: It is not dual core. It is the new gen snapdragon that is faster and more battery efficient. Dual core is mostly marketing, as the OS won’t be able to utilize it. Only apps built specifically to utilize it, will be able to. Not worth the hype!
specs for HTC site, NOT the Bionic!
Networks: LTE 700, CDMA EvDO revA
Operating system: Android™ 2.2 + HTC Sense
Display: 4.3” WVGA TFT capacitive touch screen
Camera: 8MP with autofocus, LED Flash (2x LED), 1.3MP front facing camera
Memory: 8GB emmc + 768 RAM Memory card, preinstalled 32 GB microSD™
WLAN: 802.11 b/g/n
Bluetooth: 2.1 with EDR (3.0 when available)
GPS: GPS/AGPS
Battery: 1400 mAh
Special features: Dual mics with noise cancellation, Surround sound, Compass sensor, G-Sensor, Proximity sensor, Light sensor, 3.5mm audio jack, MicroUSB, FM radio, LTE SIM slot , TI audio DSP
Chipset: Qualcomm® MSM8655, 1GHz, Qualcomm MDM9600
Great way to start the day,), keep it coming
Based on what phones have been announced, this is my 2nd choice for a new phone. My 1st pick is the LG Optimus 2X.
LG when will the 2X launch in the US??
@tim242 so u getting a verizon evo?
Doesn’t Bionic have a better screen?
You would be correct sir, the bionic is supposed to have a higher res screen.
@tim242, of course the Linux os will use a dual core and it does help. If you are referring to the apps not being threaded, well maybe. But the OS will run apps on whatever cpu is available. So when you run the email app on cpu 0, another app/backgroud process will use use cpu 1. Dula core is better and not hype.
Absolutely not higher res screen. Better technology, S-LCD. Anybody comparing this to the evo is an idiot. Do your homework. The most similar device out is desire hd. It is laying down some nice quadrant scores.
I will stick with my evo
This will be great for replacing my wifes Eris.
It wouldn’t be the first time V has launched Moto and HTC head-to-head.
Can’t Wait! Can’t Wait! Can’t Wait!
@tim242 Thanks for that peice of info. Actually makes me feel better. I had a feeling the dual core was mainly just for advertising. Though it may be a little fast, the phoens are already pretty fast as it is. All that matters with speed now is the 4g and it has that.
I can see a bunch of pissed off girlfriends cause their men are standing in line at Verizon instead of standing in line at a posh restaurant taking their lady out for St.Valentines day.
Men this excited for phones probably don’t have girlfriends!!! Lol, I know I don’t anymore.. :/
I wish is was a 4inch screen, 4.3 seems annoyingly awkward. Sense or Blur? either better or worse?
@ Kyle: Actually, it is not just for marketing purposes. The Droid Bionic has a dual-core processor and while Gingerbread doesn’t take advantage of that, Motorola said they are modifying the OS to actually take advantage of the dual-core processor.
@tim242
The die shrink Snapdragon is not faster. The CPU is the same. It’s only the GPU that have been upgraded to Adreno 205.
Also, Android is Linux and Linux support dual-core CPUs, so how can you say that the OS doesn’t support it?
Apparently all of the Motorola VPs have the Artix according a friend of mine at the company.
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He was able to play with one of the Atricies and said there was a noticeable speed difference between it and his DX.
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I’m with @rramsdell
Thank god my birthday is on valentines day, I can get away with standing in line and not wiry that the wifey will be pissed!!! Pretty hard for her to be mad at me on my birthday. Can’t wait!!!!!
@zorxd
Yes, android is a Linux based OS, but comparing Linux to android is like pineapples to apples. Yes, they are both fruit, but pineapples aren’t lightweight and can’t fit in your pocket, unlike apples. Android was built from the ground up for mobile devices, and thus isn’t optimized for dual core processors yet.
i am getting sick of repeating myself but motorola has already said that it has made tweaks to 2.2 so it could take full advantage of dual core. you would have to be silly thinking they would put out a phone and not use it
Everywhere I look people are complaining that this phone isn’t Dual Core, but like one of the commenter’s above said, the OS cant handle dual core yet anyway. Only custom apps will. I’d rather get a sexy new phone like the Thunderbolt and wait till the app base/OS can handle dual core than wait for a Dual Core phone. (Especially since my Incredible’s screen shattered a week ago and I’ve been forced to fall back on my old Blackberry Storm…. *weep*)
@joker, I agree. silly that people say things and people believe it when what they said is only their “opinion” The tweaks, if needed at all, are to simply build a kernel with smp support. I am not really even sure it was disabled to begin with. I think the source for any android OS ( Linux ) will show the compile options.
@Joker: Exactly.
I’ll get the xphone http://www.youtube.com/v/udlxr8t1nZM
Android is open source, the whole “Android can’t take advantage of two cores” argument is as dumb as the “Android 1.5 can’t be put onto a CDMA phone argument.” If Android isn’t coded to utilize 2 cores, then the manufacturer can change that so it can. The advantages of open source.
Ok there have been alot of people digging everywhere to get a kinda sorts release date for the thunderbolt seen alot on that but what about us on at&t I know they are kinda new to the game but I would really like to find out when the inspire is coming out I don’t need a dual core and not really a moto fanboy so really just lookin to get the inspire when it comes out
I’m personally not looking for the Thunderbolt, but I seriously hope HTC has something with a keyboard (on par with the Touch Pro2) in the pipe for the fall. As for the Xoom, I just want it to be out in the next 45 days.
Please god get this phone in my hand. I’ve been (barely) rocking the Blackberry Storm for nearly 2 years and I’m ready to upgrade my life to Android and HTC!
I’m thinking about getting the HTC Thunderbolt. The dual-cores can possibly be too much more advantageous than the Thunderbolt’s 1 Ghz Snapdragon and if it is, I’ll just get a Droid Bionic too when it comes out lol… If the Thunderbolt is gonna be released on the 14th, when would one be able to preorder it?
so im gonna get this phone. for all of u sitting there who want to tell me how dumb that is im not gonna listen. i have been rocking a LG Voyager for the last 2+ years. for all of u that dont know what that is its a phone so shitty that they took it off the market 2 months after release. so this is my upgrade.
@Thomas Nobody can say for sure…however, HTC Droid Incredible pre-orders started on April 18, 2010 and the phone was launched on April 29, 2010… perhaps VZW will use the same spread.
@biged214
LMFAO xphone promo is hilarious, good one, I think Ill get it too if it does that much.
@zorxd
QSD8250 1 GHz Cortex-A8 Scorpion Adreno 200 65 nm 1st Gen
QSD8650 1 GHz Cortex-A8 Scorpion Adreno 200 65 nm 1st Gen
MSM8255 1 GHz Cortex-A8 Scorpion Adreno 205 45 nm 2nd Gen Q2 2010
MSM8655 1 GHz Cortex-A8 Scorpion Adreno 205 45 nm 2nd Gen Q2 2010
so yes, thunderbolt does have 2nd generation cpu and gpu.
Did some research, I saw that you responded to tim242, so tim the answer is yes to the 2nd gen cpu and gpu, also in the desire hd.
If it had a HDMI port I would’ve been all over it but, the bionic has the HDMI mirroring and all so I’m gonna get a Droid x until June or July when the bionic drops
I called Verizon for the release date for the bionic and she said mid 2011
I was anticipating waiting on the Bionic, since it’s due to be out around my birthday in June, but considering I am so close to tossing my EnV-2 out the window, and I can upgrade right now, I’ll wait for the Thunderbolt. While yes dual core may be worth it, I don’t run so much data to begin with to warrant needing top of the line right now. Plus if I have to wait until June when my contract is up, I may be tempted to just go for the iPhone 5 or switch to Sprint.
The thunderbolt supports data and voice at the same time in LTE coverage areas, unlike the Bionic or any other Verizon LTE device announced recently. First choice, HTC. Bionic has hdmi cable port in a world of powerful WIRELESS devices with DNLA support. That is going backwards. Just another insight.
Why do you waist your time and breath calling Verizon to ask anything? They don’t let the employes know any thing till it is released, they know nothing, and wont till Verizon tells them. They are on a need to know bases.
The ThunderBolt is launching during the same time period as the iPhone, it has been confirmed, it has been written, so shall it be. I was actually having my spare line suspended so I can ship out my DInc and iPod Touch 4G since I won’t need either when the TB arrives. The CS rep did say YES it is launching during the iPHone launch. They are doing training in stages so everyone is ready.
Call Verizon and ask them to look at their little map that we can not access and see if they don’t tell you the bionic will be released mid 2011 . I am a multimedia man things like solarmovies.com can be mirrored on to my 60 inch plasma, yes I’ll wait! !!
Like someone said in another post this is a quick Buck scheme just to get people hyped over 4g, which I’m hyped over just not to jump at the first thing 4g like the thunder jolt far from a thunderbolt . There is something cooking that is way better that’s from all manufacturers.
@Robert. In the world of cell phones if you believe that you can wait and find the next best thing you will be waiting for ever! Every time a new phone comes out, a better one gets released within 3 or 4 months that’s going to be better than the last in a minimal way that has every one claiming that everything else sucks. Its not going to change any time soon. I have had the Droid Inc, Droid x, and the fascinate. I will be getting the Thunderbolt till the next best thing comes out, and it wont be a bionic just to get a dual core processor, it will take some time before that gets used enough. I need 4g, talk/data, and HTC sence before that. Take in to consideration that HTC always is on top of the Google OS upgrades, I can be happy for a lot longer.
I’m not waiting for the next best thing, just what’s going to satisfy me for a year or two like the original Droid still going strong using it to post here.
But I will not lie if someone has it on Craigslist for cheap I will have a thunder jolt.