Hasta La Gadget!

Wireless retailer Wirefly is pushing ahead with pre-orders for the beleaguered HTC Thunderbolt starting at midnight Pacific Time this evening with the promise that they’ll start shipping this Thursday, the 17th; that lines up with a whole lot of noise we’ve heard recently, so we can’t really argue with it at this point. They’re also confirming a couple rumors that have been floating around since the phone’s January debut: first, they’re saying “no Skype,” which we’re taking to mean that the promised Skype video calling app won’t be installed out of the box. We’re also assuming (or at least hoping) that you’ll be able to install the standard voice-only version. Secondly, they’re saying that the phone definitely does simultaneous voice and data over 3G, a feature that was just recently made possible on Verizon’s CDMA network through software upgrades — and the Thunderbolt, it seems, will be the first retail device to have the pleasure of taking it for a spin.

Wirefly: ‘no Skype’ on Thunderbolt, but simultaneous 3G voice and data is a go; ships on March 17th originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 19:28:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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After being jilted on Valentine’s Day, you’d think we would learn. But having tasted the goods, we couldn’t help but get suckered in by every HTC Thunderbolt launch date rumor — only to have our hopes dashed each time its release was inexorably pushed further and further back. Now, a leaked email and an HTC regional sales manager’s tweet (whose account has subsequently been deleted) claim our lust for Verizon’s first 4G handset will finally be quenched on March 17th. HTC posted on Facebook that the official launch date will be announced “soon, ” and four days from now would certainly qualify. We just hope Best Buy and Big Red realize they face a legion of disappointed (and drunken) St. Patty’s Day revelers should they delay Thunderbolt delivery day yet again. Let’s hope the luck of the Irish finally gets us our LTE.

HTC’s Thunderbolt coming March 17th: survey says… yes! originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 Mar 2011 03:02:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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We managed to see plenty of the LG Revolution at both CES and Mobile World Congress, and it’s now finally cleared one of the final hurdles on its way to availability. While there’s unfortunately none of the usual teardown pictures to be found just yet, the phone has now passed all of the FCC’s various tests, and been slapped with the requisite label to prove it. Sadly, we still don’t have much indication of a release date but, as Wireless Goodness points out, there’s an increasingly good chance that this could actually be Verizon’s first 4G phone if the HTC Thunderbolt delays continue.

LG Revolution passes through the FCC, four Gs intact originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 10 Mar 2011 11:07:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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No blockbusters here — nothing that’s going to give you much insight into an exact launch day for the Thunderbolt — but Verizon CTO Tony Melone made a few comments about its LTE handset launches at a financial conference yesterday that border on the interesting. Asked whether the company was facing any challenges in getting the phones solid and ready for commercial consumption, Melone responded by saying that they’re “facing is what you would expect, and that is a new technology, you are working through issues. And [they] anticipated that, and [they] are pleased at how [they] are working through issues.” In the same breath, he reminded the audience that Verizon had said the phones would be coming in the first half of ’11 all along and that hasn’t changed — so they’re not late by a long shot. Pressed on whether battery life specifically was a concern for the Thunderbolt, Melone said that he thinks the juice “will be acceptable to consumers.” Considering what we’ve been hearing about recent firmware revisions on the test units, we’re hopeful he’s right — Verizon has a reputation for testing the crap out of devices prior to release, after all.

Verizon CTO: ‘working through issues’ with LTE phones, still on track for first half launch originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 17:18:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Not that we were doubting the veracity of our tipster’s info, but here’s a nice fat slice of pseudo-official confirmation of what we were told a couple of days ago. HTC has laid claim to the trademark of “HTC EVO View 4G,” confirming our indications that an EVO View tablet would be coming to Sprint’s Now Network. That postulation is also supported by the fact that the EVO branding has only ever appeared in association with Sprint as well as some pretty compelling circumstantial evidence. There is an interesting new piece to the puzzle, however, in the 4G appendage to the device’s name, which would imply that we’re looking at our first WiMAX tablet — something Sprint promised for this year and looks set to unveil at the upcoming CTIA 2011 trade show. Our expectation is that the EVO View 4G moniker will be attached to HTC’s1.5GHz Flyer, a 7-inch Android Gingerbread slate with aspirations for Honeycomb glory in its near future. Only one way to be sure though, keep an eye on our CTIA coverage and we’ll let you know as soon as the official bird chirps out the official word.

HTC seeks EVO View 4G trademark, all but confirming WiMAX tablet for Sprint originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 08 Mar 2011 05:32:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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