Verizon Wireless isn't saying much about the delayed release of the first Verizon 4G LTE smartphone, except that they are on schedule for LTE 4G deployment and are working on "technical issues." The HTC ThunderBolt will still be Verizon's first LTE 4G smartphone as stated in January at CES, with no exact launch date announced yet. Verizon confirmed that 4G LTE will be available by the end of the second quarter.
"First half of the year is what we promised, first half of the year is still on track," said Verizon CTO Tony Melone. "So we don't believe there are any new or surprising issues. I think what we're facing is what you would expect, and that is a new technology, you are working through issues. And we anticipated that, and we are pleased at how we are working through issues. And as I said, you are going to see LTE smartphones on the network as promised, before the first half--before the second half of the year, by the end of the second quarter."
Melone also indicated that the battery life is no different than 3G and that
Verizon will deliver battery life that is acceptable to users.
Verizon LTE smartphones will be optimized for Skype video calling as well as simultaneous voice and data.
On the HTC ThunderBolt front of rumors regarding the
release date, which we now know for sure is not this week, is that
Verizon can't release it this week because the iPad 2 will be out on Friday, March 11, leading speculators to suggest a March 17 release date. Yesterday we learned that the HTC ThunderBolt is nominated as best smartphone for the E-Tech Awards at CTIA, with the awards scheduled to be announced on March 23. So those with HTC ThunderBoltlust will be able to see and touch the most buzzed smartphone since the iPhone.
Another Verizon 4G LTE Android smartphone is the LG Revolution that was also nominated. This first VoLTE-capable smartphone has a 4.3-inch touchscreen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, DLNA, HDMI, DivX
compatibility, Bluetooth 2.1, Wi-Fi, 3G and 4G/LTE mobile hotspot
capabilities, Wi-Fi, and a
microSD card slot.
The HTC ThunderBolt is a 4G LTE Android 2.2 smartphone with HTC
Sense,
a 4.3-inch touchscreen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, Skype video calling,
mobile hotspots, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other features include a
built-in kickstand, Dolby/SRS surround sound, and DLNA support. It was originally announced at CES in January.
Another 4G LTE smartphone on the Verizon 4G LTE horizon is the Samsung Stealth (see how it compares to the HTC ThunderBolt.)
The HTC ThunderBolt is the first 4G LTE smartphone from Verizon Wireless,
and it is expected to have "blazing fast" speeds. Someone who attended a
Verizon VIP event reported that unlimited data plans will cost $29.99.