Thunderbolt vs iPhone 4

[haddman]

Ok, so I've been playing with the new LTE verizon thunderbolt today. Very nice phone, but wouldn't trade my iPhone 4 for it. When it has a 4G LTE signal it's bloody fast! I was pulling down speeds of 10 - 25 MBPS, and up 18-15 MBPS. Bright future for verizon LTE as it's faster than any other current 4G service out there today. Makes me look forward to the day when the iPhone finally goes LTE.

The only thing it has going for it in my opinion is the 4G data, and the fact it is the only phone on Big Red that can do both Voice & Data even on 3G. The rest is your same old Android OS with HTC sense, nothing new here really. Could not give up iPhone even for those blazing speeds, as the coverage is still very spotty anyways even in a market where it's been fully deployed (Washington DC) I can get 4g in some parts of the office and not others, 4G right out side my home, but only 3G inside. I have always had bad cell signal's on all carriers in my townhouse for some reason, despite blanketed coverage by both, don't know why that is. Anyways, its been fun to play with, and their LTE service is truly amazing speed wise. I even tethered my work PC as I get faster speeds than my LAN in the office.

Could never switch to Android full time, just too invested in Apple products and iTunes. Maybe we will be suprised and iPhone 5 will be LTE....not holding my breath!

 

[ap3604]

All comes down to personal preference.

Iphone:
- HID Bluetooth keyboard support
- Netflix app that streams video
- Better camera

Android:
- Google Maps Navigation
- Larger Screen
- Better notification system

My pick is the iPhone atm but could easily change if Android fixes the deficiencies above though...

LTE? Meh... 7 mbps is more than enough for me

 

[diamond.g]

Ok, so I've been playing with the new LTE verizon thunderbolt today. Very nice phone, but wouldn't trade my iPhone 4 for it. When it has a 4G LTE signal it's bloody fast! I was pulling down speeds of 10 - 25 MBPS, and up 18-15 MBPS. Bright future for verizon LTE as it's faster than any other current 4G service out there today. Makes me look forward to the day when the iPhone finally goes LTE.

The only thing it has going for it in my opinion is the 4G data, and the fact it is the only phone on Big Red that can do both Voice & Data even on 3G. The rest is your same old Android OS with HTC sense, nothing new here really. Could not give up iPhone even for those blazing speeds, as the coverage is still very spotty anyways even in a market where it's been fully deployed (Washington DC) I can get 4g in some parts of the office and not others, 4G right out side my home, but only 3G inside. I have always had bad cell signal's on all carriers in my townhouse for some reason, despite blanketed coverage by both, don't know why that is. Anyways, its been fun to play with, and their LTE service is truly amazing speed wise. I even tethered my work PC as I get faster speeds than my LAN in the office.

Could never switch to Android full time, just too invested in Apple products and iTunes. Maybe we will be suprised and iPhone 5 will be LTE....not holding my breath!

Wait, so your saying it can do something everyone swore up and down can only be done on GSM?

 

[Diseal3]

Wait, so your saying it can do something everyone swore up and down can only be done on GSM?

No hes saying it has SVDO.

 

[Bonds79]

All comes down to personal preference.

Iphone:
- HID Bluetooth keyboard support
- Netflix app that streams video
- Better camera

Android:
- Google Maps Navigation
- Larger Screen
- Better notification system

My pick is the iPhone atm but could easily change if Android fixes the deficiencies above though...

LTE? Meh... 7 mbps is more than enough for me

Please tell me where i can get 7Mbps with a att iphone

 

[Bonds79]

No hes saying it has SVDO.

VZW CDMA network can now do voice and data @ the same time on certain device and obviously 4G can do voice and data at the same time!

 

[maflynn]

I believe the latest qualcomm CDMA chipsets support simultaneous voice/data on CDMA.

 

[dmunz]

All comes down to personal preference.

Iphone:
- HID Bluetooth keyboard support
- Netflix app that streams video
- Better camera

Android:
- Google Maps Navigation
- Larger Screen
- Better notification system

My pick is the iPhone atm but could easily change if Android fixes the deficiencies above though...

LTE? Meh... 7 mbps is more than enough for me

I'd add unlimited data with hotspot service at 4g and 3g for $29.95/month. Granted they will review the hotspot structure in May, but for the time being that is a pretty good deal. I picked one up yesterday as a replacement for my CLEAR 4g spot. Since I have a family share plan, I added the Thunderbolt for ~$40 + taxes / month. With the LTE speeds and 3g access that blows CLEAR out of the water.

Now, I will probably never use the thing as a phone. It is freakin' huge. But, then again, I don’t carry an iPhone 4 either. I have a work BlackBerry for mobile use. I do have a touch and iPad with AT&T 3g. Both worked very well with CLEAR, but with VZ they scream.

Thinking about it, as long as VZ can keep the pipes open, this could become my device of choice for home broadband. Even if they add $20/month for the hotspot, it beats the u-verse pricing for 12MPS.

All I really need to do now is decide if I can live with this as a replacement for my touch. As a PDA and hotspot, it is not too bad form-wise. Whether Android can replace IOS in my life (at the PDA level) is another matter entirely.

FWIW
DLM

 

[elan123]

I believe the latest qualcomm CDMA chipsets support simultaneous voice/data on CDMA.

good call

 

[Diseal3]

VZW CDMA network can now do voice and data @ the same time on certain device and obviously 4G can do voice and data at the same time!

Yes because of the SVDO chipset in the phone. Not the network. Verizons 4G LTE only does Data ATM.

 

[diamond.g]

Yes because of the SVDO chipset in the phone. Not the network. Verizons 4G LTE only does Data ATM.

So are we able to confirm that it won't do Voice + Data over 3G?

Because that is the part I was talking about, not the 4G (which I already know is currently data only on Verizon).

 

[Applejuiced]

Please tell me where i can get 7Mbps with a att iphone

HPSA+ in places that AT&T upgraded backhaul can get 5-6Mbps down and 1-2 Up on the regural.

 

[EvilEvil]

HPSA+ in places that AT&T upgraded backhaul can get 5-6Mbps down and 1-2 Up on the regural.

Yeah in a few small select areas of the US rather than the entire US.

 

[Applejuiced]

Yeah in a few small select areas of the US rather than the entire US.

Im just happy they do in my area
They dont have full 3G in the entire US, what makes you think they will have HSPA+ everywhere.

 

[speed4tu]

Yeah in a few small select areas of the US rather than the entire US.

I agree with this. I cant believe at&t is starting 4g and hasn't gotten 3g to even half the country yet.

 

[MisterDisney]

I agree with this. I cant believe at&t is starting 4g and hasn't gotten 3g to even half the country yet.

Talking about 4G is mostly a marketing thing. As for the Thunderbolt, another instantly outdated device from HTC.. /shrug

 

[kicko]

Talking about 4G is mostly a marketing thing. As for the Thunderbolt, another instantly outdated device from HTC.. /shrug

haha, its basically a verizion EVO.

 

[kenypowa]

Talking about 4G is mostly a marketing thing. As for the Thunderbolt, another instantly outdated device from HTC.. /shrug

Well, if you don't have the Thunderbolt, you don't have the Thunderbolt.

It will be at least 2 years for iPhone to have LTE. 4G from T-Mobile & AT&T is definitely marketing, but to categorize LTE into a mere marketing ploy doesn't make any sense. Oh well, Hates are gonna hate.

haha, its basically a verizion EVO.

iPhone 3GS is basically an iPhone 3G, which is basically an iPhone 2G. Same basic design for 3 whole years. Very innovative!

 

[Applejuiced]

iPhone 3GS is basically an iPhone 3G, which is basically an iPhone 2G. Same basic design for 3 whole years. Very innovative!

Just because the outer shell and design of the 3GS looks like an iphone 3G doesnt mean its basically an iphone 2G-3G.
Not even close. If you think it does you never used a 3GS, it is way ahead in speed and usability than the older 2G and 3G iphones.
The 3GS when it comes to performance is closer to the i4 when running the iOS and many apps just as fast.

 

[MisterDisney]

Why jump on LTE a full year, at minimum, before it's actually ready?

"iPhone 3GS is basically an iPhone 3G.." That part is, essentially true. Obviously there was a huge performance boost, with the 3GS, but the outside looked the same. I just don't see there being that much of a leap in specs for the Thunderbolt, over the Evo, however. And certainly nothing that makes it competitive with some of the other, high-end, Android phones that are coming out this year.

 

[Tarzanman]

The word on the street is that the Thunderbolt is the real deal.

I haven't been to a store to play with one yet, but I might this weekend.

 

[gdjsnyder]

It will be at least 2 years for iPhone to have LTE. 4G from T-Mobile & AT&T is definitely marketing, but to categorize LTE into a mere marketing ploy doesn't make any sense. Oh well, Hates are gonna hate.

Hmmm..what? In two years it will be March 2013. Why wouldn't Apple release an LTE iPhone in 2012? AT&T is beginning their LTE deployment second half of this year, Verizon will have a very good deployment by June 2012...so why do you think we won't see an LTE iPhone til 2013...I'm curious?

 

[thomamon]

I was playing with a Thunderbolt today, I could not figure out the O/S for the life of me. First time I had ever played with a droid. I was debating on getting one, but I thought the idea of having two phones was nuts, lol

 

[Ccrew]

All comes down to personal preference.

Iphone:
- Better camera

Umm, the Incredible and subsequently the Thunderbolt pretty much have the industries best rating for the quality of the camera in the phone.

I have an Incredible, and have an iPhone 4 sitting here as yet unactivated because I'm a quandary myself. Short of the 4G the Thunderbolt is nothing but an Evo. The beauty of the Android OS is the fact it's open source with a huge developer following, and once rooted there are huge numbers of ROM's available that can make the phone just about anything you want. Want it to look like an iPhone? Install MIUI. Want more features than you can shake a stick at? Install Cyanogen Mod 7. You don't have that option in an iPhone. While you can jailbreak it you're still at the base of it left with the features and the user experience Apple wants all their lemmings to have.

Don't get me wrong, I have a ton of Apple gear, but it's because it was the best suited for the job. Only reason i actually got the iPhone is because it plays with the rest of the gear, not because it's my favorite phone.

 

[Ponderous]

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I just got this iPhone 4 last week from Verizon. Trying to decide whether to keep it or get the Thunderbolt with the 4g. I gotta make the switch before Tuesday if I decide to. Not sure what to do. I love this iPhone. Just wondering if I would love 4g more...

Thanks for all the insight everyone!