Finally, a confirmed launch date for the HTC Thunderbolt. After an earlier leak pointed to a launch set for March 21st was followed by another leak (from an internal Verizon memo), all we knew was that the launch was close, with no concrete knowledge on exactly how close. It turns out that the leaked memo got it right: Verizon has just officially confirmed that the HTC Thunderbolt will be launched on Thursday, March 17.
So what should you expect? The phone will come packing a second-gen 1GHz Snapdragon processor, 8MP main cam, 1.3MP front cam, and a large 4.3-inch screen. That basically makes it a Desire HD, but updated to include support for Verizon’s LTE for faster data streams. It also comes with an improved mobile hotspot feature that’ll let it share the 4G love with up to eight other Wi-fi devices. The phone will come preinstalled with Android 2.2 with HTC’s Sense UI on top, but it’s expected to be able to upgrade to Android 2.3 soon after.
The Thunderbolt could cost as much as $250 with a contract, and you’re going to have to pay $20 on top of that if you want to enable the mobile hotspot feature.
Tags: HTC, HTC Thunderbolt, Mobile Phones, Verizon
