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i've heard it before, but here's WHY thunderbolt trums iphone4

2joey2

Feb 20, 2011, 2:59 PM
I understand that when the original iPhone was released, it was a revolutionary device. but since then, other platforms began to catch up. the one that stands out about all others is the android platform. i've seen many people ask for a true comparison between apple and android, so here ya go: HTC Thunderbolt vs Apple iPhone 4

thunderbolt is 4g, iphone is 3g

thunderbolt supports simultaneous voice/data (including mms during active call), iphone does not

thunderbolt has better/faster processor

thunderbolt has flashlight (before app download)

thunderbolt has available data tethering, iphone does not

thunderbolt has expandable external memory, iphone does not

thunderbolt has fm radio, iphone does not

thunderbolt has 8+ m...
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Sara419

Feb 21, 2011, 6:43 PM
That'snwhy I would get a Droid phone. It has more functions than the iPhone. I would rather have a 4G phone anyway. I'll hold off the iPhone another year or so!
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timmy23

Feb 23, 2011, 4:09 PM
The reasons you gave aren't entirely accurate.

I have owned every incarnation of the iPhone, along with 4 different Android phones (Droid Eris, Motorola Droid, Droid X, and Droid Incredible).

Although the Thunderbolt will be a 4G capable phone, Verizon'z 4G network isn't fully developed yet, and you will be cycling between 3G and 4G frequently.

No CDMA phone can do voice and data at the same time (unless connected to WiFi).

The processor is blazingly fast in the iPhone 4. There is never any lag while using any feature or app.

A stock flashlight app and data tethering aren't a make it or break it feature for me, so in my opinion, a phone having that does not set it apart from a phone that does have those features.

I would im...
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2joey2

Feb 24, 2011, 10:17 AM
very true! the only thing i contend with here is that i know for sure that the phone will be able to have simultaneous voice/data. this was it's major selling point for me. i know, i know, simultaneous voice/data used to be solely reserved for GSM networks. i don't have the full specs yet as to HOW it is capable of this, but i know that there was vigorous testing to ensure that this would work with this (and some future) device(s).

Best Buy has an exclusive selling window before it will appear in any verizon store. they are set to begin sales (excluding pre-sales) the first week of march. which means we will be getting it in-stores here starting the 2nd week of march. by then, the full specs will be available, at which time, i will updat...
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timmy23

Feb 25, 2011, 11:40 AM
I stand (partially) corrected about the simultaneous voice and data. Yes, the Thunderbolt will support it while not on WiFi, but ONLY when it's on the 4G network.

There must be some new technology in the LTE network that allows this to be possible.

I'm still more than happy with being able to use voice and data at the same time while on wifi, because I am connected to wifi about 98% of my day.

If the LTE network is all that it's cracked up to be, then maybe I'll see about upgrading to a 4G device, but for now, I'll stick with my CDMA iPhone 4 🙂
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mobilemadness

Mar 7, 2011, 2:50 AM
LTE is GSM based which is why it will be able to do voice/data at the same time. LTE will also use SIM cards. That's probably something nobody ever expected with Verizon. Thank goodness LTE won the 4G battle against the proprietary, locked down CDMA technology known as UMB (ultra mobile broadband). CDMA was a step backwards with the rest of the world when all these US operators went with it around 10 years ago. We are finally breaking free of it. SIM cards are the way to go.
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timmy23

Mar 7, 2011, 11:46 AM
I didn't realize that LTE was going to be a GSM based network. I knew LTE phones would use SIM cards, but I guess I didn't make the connection that SIM cards = GSM based network.

I agree that SIM cards are the way to go. When I had AT&T and got a new phone, or needed to use a backup if mine broke, it was so much more convenient to just pop my SIM into the other phone vs having to deactivate one phone, then activate another phone. Not that it's a terrible inconvenience to have to call to activate a phone, but phonen switching with SIM cards is completely hassle free.
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2joey2

Mar 7, 2011, 12:47 PM
i agree!! having worked for a GSM carrier before and a CDMA carrier now, i must admit that i spend about 1/3 of my work day changing devices because the consumer cannot just do it on their own. of course, requiring a SIM card also means that there is one more piece of hardware that vulnerable to damage, but replacement cost is cheap. It does suck that you lose your contacts tho
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mupi

Mar 12, 2011, 11:22 PM
With an android phone, you won't lose your contacts, because they are backed up to your google account.

VZW has a backup assistant program for most phones that will back up to their servers as well. If you sign up for online account access they waive the charge. Now that Backup Manager (or whatever they call it now) is available for android, if you put it on your old BREW phone, you should be able to restore your contacts to your new android based phone.

With GSM, you can back up your contacts to the sim card, but you lose pretty much anything other than a "simple" name/number directory-if you have multiple numbers under a name, that doesn't transfer very well.

If you are working "for a carrier", then you should have access to cell...
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THAFOX

Mar 10, 2011, 7:19 PM
thundebolt will be able to do simutaneous voice and data not because its 4g it wll be able to on 3g and 4g because it has a dual processing intena.
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mupi

Mar 10, 2011, 11:52 PM
OK, that's about the most retarded thing I ever heard on phonescoop. the antenna has nothing to do with whether or not the phone can do simultaneous voice and data. It's the underlying technology, the way the cell network deal with data and voice. On GSM, a voice call is just another type of data, so even though the throughput of the data is reduced quite a bit, it doesn't have to drop the data. With CDMA (what sprint/Verizon use for 3G), data is treated as a phone call (in fact, your phone actually dials out and creates a data connection much like in the old days you used connect with your modem over your phone line.)

It might help to think of it in terms of a phone line. With CDMA, it's just like dialup. the phone uses the radio c...
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THAFOX

Mar 15, 2011, 10:50 PM
YA dude you know you sound like you know what your talking about but you dont. I work at verizon and originally i thought the same thing so did the corporate trainer. untill he did our trainings for the iphone and the thunderbolt. The HTC rep told us at verizon it will do voice and data at same time on 3g and 4g and we double checked because we thought it was impossible on cdma. HTC figured it out no one has thought of it yet obviously. ya other phones have 2 intenas but the 2 in the thunderbolt process completely seperate from eachother so one can handle the call while the other takes in the data.
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mupi

Mar 17, 2011, 8:34 AM
Dude, I don't care who you work for. I used to work for DirecTV, and 90% of the reps there didn't know anything beyond the scripts (and some of them barely knew that... :lol🙂.

I've seen the leaks about simultaneous voice and data on 3G, but the leak also points out that it isn't up to quality standards, so it shouldn't be used as a selling point. One would presume that if you work for verizon, then, you wouldn't be using it as a selling point.

I stated in an earlier message that "unless the TBolt has two cdma radios" it can't natively do voice and data. It isn't a stretch to think it might have two CDMA radios, since we KNOW it has two radios in the first place; and it's entirely possible that in the event there is no LTE signal, t...
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brunna

Apr 12, 2011, 5:50 PM
I have been using the TB heavily since the day it arrived, and if you read my review you will see that I tried making a voice call while surfing the web over 3G in the store and it worked perfectly. The 4G speeds continue to blow my mind when I get the chance to use it (in and around Baltimore). Last night I got the .apk for the updated Skype Mobile and had a lengthy VIDEO call with my brother while I was on wifi with excellent clarity. I will try to do the same on 3G if I get the chance and 4G of course. This phone continues to amaze me after loving my DInc for a year. Just my 2 cents on why Android is better than the iphone, imho. Can someone explain video chat with a Facetime user from my TB though? Does the iphone person have to u...
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SellFone

Mar 5, 2011, 3:41 AM
Great thread! I was able to play with a Thunderbolt in Vegas a couple weeks back and let me tell you, I can't wait to own and sell this device! Here are a couple more reasons to go HTC over the fruit phone...

1) Removable battery

2) Very nice speaker with kick stand for video viewing.

3) Fully customizable OS vs iOS. This is a big one for me and many users. I want my screens to list what I want, where I want. Widgets FTW!

4) Skype Video.

4.5) Tango Video App to allow video calling between both Android and iOS.

5) Access to more free apps via the Android market than Apple.
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SellFone

Mar 5, 2011, 3:43 AM
Did I mention FaceTime only works on Wifi? Nice try Apple.
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KaZe

Mar 10, 2011, 2:27 PM
One thing none of you mentioned was the ability to use flash, while on a short term that means very little for many of you, however when you consider the applications that can be made using flash it makes for a massive boost to the android market place.
I use my Droid X for quite a bit and I have access to an iPhone 4 all day. I do agre that the iPhone is an amazing device, but for my personal use I prefer the Droid X.
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desireuser442

Mar 10, 2011, 5:00 PM
why is everything compared to the iphone? i get that they did jumpstart the base for what was to come but with the customizability of android vs ios seems in favor of the android..and who doesnt like making something theirs? there seem to be lots of andriod based phones out there as opposed to the same ol' ios 1,2,3,4 phones with the same old same old...people i think (in my opinion) buy something for the name which is kinda ignorant..
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2joey2

Mar 12, 2011, 7:49 PM
amen, desireuser442... amen.
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THAFOX

Mar 14, 2011, 8:19 PM
The reason the HTC Thunderbolt has simultanious voice and data is because it has a dual processing intena.
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Vipermad

Mar 15, 2011, 8:39 AM
THAFOX said:
The reason the HTC Thunderbolt has simultanious voice and data is because it has a dual processing intena.

Please....stop with this nonsense already!!!!! We all read it the first time you posted and it was just as WRONG the second time. Remember, insanity is defined as doing the same thing over and over again...expecting different results.

Now, if you LOOSELY intended to mean that it has dual "signals"...meaning CDMA and LTE, and that voice/data is possible when LTE signal is available via the "intena"...thats a stretch, but makes a bit more sense.
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THAFOX

Mar 15, 2011, 10:54 PM
dude you are the one that knows nothing look on youtube of videos of people who work at verizon saying it worked on 3g and 4 g I just completed a corporate verizon training that VERIZON CORPORATE TOLD US THIS INFO. so i am positive its right so it may not seem so toyou but your wrong
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Vipermad

Mar 17, 2011, 3:45 PM
Read what the others are saying, rocket-boy.

Voice-over-Skype and Data at the same time is NOT.....let me type that slowly for you

N



O



T


the same as true voice and data. On GSM for example....my friend can CALL me on my PHONE...and as I am TALKING to him I can launch my browser and surf the net.

NO SKYPE involved. You CANNOT do that on your CDMA 3G network, no way, no how...go back to school!
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wanderingvzw

Mar 30, 2011, 1:07 AM
Yo Dude, I did the same training and "VERIZON CORPORATE TOLD US THIS INFO" too: if you take the Thunderbolt and place it in your rectum, not only can you do simultaneous voice and web surgfing, but you can watch TV when you blow your nose, and I was like AWESOME. I always belive 100% what those corporate trainers say, don't you man?

😲
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mupi

Mar 15, 2011, 2:59 PM
Simultaneous voice and Data on 3G *IS* possible. I use it, for example, with skype, in my OG Droid. But the voice quality of skype isn't exactly something to write home about.

I have read what is reportedly training material that mentions this, and it appears that this is exactly what they are doing: using VOIP (or VoRA, but effectively the same thing, the same underlying principle at least). This isn't new technology, and by verizon's own admission it won't be the quality that verizon customers have come to expect.

'nuff said I think.
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MitchNeff

Mar 16, 2011, 11:02 PM
You are closer to correct than the VZW employee. However, Skype does not use the "traditional" voice channel (thus no airtime charges) and instead is straight VOIP using the data connection (like you mentioned).

I spoke with an HTC rep and played with the device at SXSWi a few days ago. He explained it as it has been put forward in this forum - IF you have a LTE connection, the Thunderbolt can use the 3G and 4G radios simultaneously to facilitate concurrent voice/data. There are NOT dual 3G radios in the device. Meaning - if you are in a 3G area, it is CDMA as usual, kids.

When you have 4G coverage, that connection SHOULD support simultaneous voice/data on it's own. This setup will just boost performance for now by keeping voice off...
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bleuroze

Mar 17, 2011, 11:55 PM
As a Verizon employee and a biased Droid user, let's give these to phones a fair comparison.

Thunderbolt is 4G. This matters only in a 4G market. No carrier is 100% 4G. So if you are in a 4G market (as I am), it's easy to see that as a high mark, but overall for the U.S., it's not. And by the time 4G covers a greater area, there will be a greater selection of phones to match. Including the iphone.

Thunderbolt supports simultaneous data/phone only on 4GLTE. Iphone from AT&T always has on CDMA and will continue on 4GLTE. One of the few areas AT&T beats Verizon. But again, not a high point. Very few people I've sold to have acted interested when I've mentioned this capability.

Both phones have a 1Ghz processors, though the Thunderbolt ...
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2joey2

Mar 18, 2011, 9:57 AM
just a couple quick fixes, which i'm sure that you simply mistyped. first, the iphone does simultaneous voice on data now on their GSM network, which has been the sole reason VZW or SPRINT have not yet had it, since CDMA has limitations, yet it IS more reliable. Also, 4G is currently in only 38 markets, but will be nationwide, replacing 3G, no later than 2013.

The thunderbolt does NOT have a dual-core processor... it will have the 2nd generation 1ghz Snapdragon. However, this alone can not be what you use to determine speed. I'll leave a little research for whoever would like to check it out, but compare the RAM between the two phones... more RAM = faster buffering and execution of the processor.

Lastly, other than the iPhone's screen...
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DAntiVirus

Apr 8, 2011, 2:52 PM
The Thunderbolt does have some serious issues that need fixing. I've seem many returned because of them.

1. Very weak battery, seriously, why such a weak battery in this phone?
2. Random freezes and crashes.
3. 4g signal unreliable in 4g areas.
4. Not enough RAM, with all the bloatware, most your RAM is filled.

I am still holding out on this device till they fix these issues.
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