Tests of Verizon Wireless' (NYSE:VZ) HTC Thunderbolt on its LTE network indicates that the device handles data speeds nicely but battery life is an issue--a problem that has plagued WiMAX devices as well.
Four field tests conducted over several days by Computerworld showed that battery life of the Thunderbolt averaged four hours and 22 minutes between charges, which is two hours below the 6.3 hours advertised for the device. Not unexpectedly, the battery drain came from downloading video and music. The testing was done as the device occasionally moved between 4G LTE and 3G cell zones in the Boston suburbs.
When it comes to data speed, reviewers at Network World reported an average of 12 Mbps on the downlink on five tests over LTE in the Boston area. A Computerworld reviewer got 16 Mbps download speeds and 19 Mbps upload speed in the New York City area.
The Wall Street Journal's Walt Mossberg found LTE speeds of the Thunderbolt averaged more than 12 Mbps for downloads and more than 4 Mbps for uploads in Washington and Orlando, Fla. That figure is about eight times faster than the ThunderBolt performed over 3G, he indicated.
For more:
- see this Network World article
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