HTC’s vow to be “first to 4G” appears to be gaining credibility as photos have materialized of a device from the Taiwan-based smartphone giant designed for the Verizon Wireless long-term evolution network.
The shots on a blog devoted to Android phones appear to be the HTC Thunderbolt, a 4.3-inch touchscreen device that has drawn comparisons to the HTC EVO, the first phone for Sprint Nextel’s high-speed WiMAX network. Both devices run Google’s Android operating system.
First, But Not Alone
HTC’s web site now features teasers promising to be “The first to 4G again,” although Verizon Wireless COO John Stratton told The Wall Street Journal this week that “Motorola will be right there” when the company launches its first LTE phones at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas on Jan. 6. HTC and Motorola currently partner with Verizon in producing the popular Droid phones. In all, six LTE phones are expected, and other likely partners include Samsung and LG.
Irving Seidenberg, CEO of Verizon Communications, the co-owner with Vodafone of Verizon Wireless, is slated to give a keynote address at CES on Jan. 6, during which he’ll likely announce the LTE phones. The company will also hold a press conference that afternoon with three top Verizon Wireless execs for what it says is a “sneak peak” at the phones. That event will be webcast live by Verizon.
The device featured on Droid Life has a built-in rear kickstand, front and back cameras, and four mechanical buttons under the oversized touchscreen, with the Verizon logo on the front and HTC’s on the back, along with Verizon’s 4G LTE logo. Specs were not listed. One photo shows a Thunderbolt startup logo on the screen.
That graphic is reminiscent of commercials currently promoting Verizon’s LTE network, which feature a teenager opening a package that contains a bolt of…