Cleared the FCC finally?

[thedeceiver]

Per Droid Life it seems like the Thunderbolt has cleared the FCC. A positive sign, for sure.

HTC Thunderbolt Clears FCC, Can We Announce it Now? - Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog

 

[LinxuSx]

RELEASE THE BOLTS!

Hopefully this is what was causing the unexpected delay. Maybe there is still hope for us that gave Best Buy $50 for a gift card...

 

[thedeceiver]

Seems unlikely. I checked out the FCC website and looked at the LTE report and saw this. I LOL'd.

The product was received on Oct. 15, 2010 and completely tested on Nov. 22, 2010. We,
SPORTON INTERNATIONAL INC., would like to declare that the tested sample has been
evaluated in accordance with the procedures given in ANSI / TIA / EIA-603-C-2004 and
shown compliance with the applicable technical standards.

 

[biff6789]

Seems unlikely. I checked out the FCC website and looked at the LTE report and saw this. I LOL'd.

The product was received on Oct. 15, 2010 and completely tested on Nov. 22, 2010. We,
SPORTON INTERNATIONAL INC., would like to declare that the tested sample has been
evaluated in accordance with the procedures given in ANSI / TIA / EIA-603-C-2004 and
shown compliance with the applicable technical standards.

Yup. After seeing this I'm even further convinced that this device was SUPPOSED to launch around Christmas, but for whatever reason (4G issues, manufacturing issues, that evil oppressive demanding empire called "Apple", etc...) they decided to hold onto it.

There's GOT to be something funny going on behind the scenes which is causing all this delayed release madness. Time to head over to blackmanx's twitter feed to scour for sneaky panda hints

 

[upz3]

Yup. After seeing this I'm even further convinced that this device was SUPPOSED to launch around Christmas, but for whatever reason (4G issues, manufacturing issues, that evil oppressive demanding empire called "Apple", etc...) they decided to hold onto it.

There's GOT to be something funny going on behind the scenes which is causing all this delayed release madness. Time to head over to blackmanx's twitter feed to scour for sneaky panda hints

You might be right. When I first saw this phone in a test group with the Samsung Continuum it was before Xmas. I had no idea it was LTE though when I was there. I figured it was Inc2.

 

[biff6789]

You might be right. When I first saw this phone in a test group with the Samsung Continuum it was before Xmas. I had no idea it was LTE though when I was there. I figured it was Inc2.

I actually know a guy who works as a tester for Verizon. While he himself did not personally test this device, several of his friends in the company did. What's interesting to note is that he said the test units of this phone back in November were 3G only.

My theory on all of this is that this phone was supposed to launch as a 3G device around Thanksgiving/Christmas, but Verizon and/or HTC decided to hold it back and update it to a 4G model and debut it with all the other hot 4G phones at CES. And the only reason for the release delays here is that Verizon is having an issue with their 4G roll-out, hence the delay

blackmanx himself has specifically stated that Verizon's engineers behind the 4G push have been delayed thanks to all the modifications to their network they had to put in place for the iphone

Thanks for screwing us all yet again, Apple


EDIT: This theory would also explain the "outdated" specs of the device since it was going to be released last year (no dual-core proc, same ol resolution instead of qHD, etc..)

 

[Edwill86]

I really due hope this was the hold up and that the release will go as "planned"

But i wont hold my breath.

 

[paulmike3]

My theory on all of this is that this phone was supposed to launch as a 3G device around Thanksgiving/Christmas, but Verizon and/or HTC decided to hold it back and update it to a 4G model and debut it with all the other hot 4G phones at CES. And the only reason for the release delays here is that Verizon is having an issue with their 4G roll-out, hence the delay

So you're saying they completely re-engineered the ThunderBolt and the OS to work with 4G between Nov and CES in Jan? Riiiiiight.

I don't think you understand LTE or technology. There's a reason the iPhone on VZW is not LTE, and the iPhone 5 won't be either: it's not easy to engineer.

 

[upz3]

So you're saying they completely re-engineered the ThunderBolt and the OS to work with 4G between Nov and CES in Jan? Riiiiiight.

I don't think you understand LTE or technology. There's a reason the iPhone on VZW is not LTE, and the iPhone 5 won't be either: it's not easy to engineer.

Agreed, I feel the 3G versions of course were just test customized models and more for of course usability testing on the look and feel.

I still do think the original intention of this model was probably for 3G use but those plans were changed way way long ago.

 

[biff6789]

So you're saying they completely re-engineered the ThunderBolt and the OS to work with 4G between Nov and CES in Jan? Riiiiiight.

I don't think you understand LTE or technology. There's a reason the iPhone on VZW is not LTE, and the iPhone 5 won't be either: it's not easy to engineer.

Hey, thanks for being insulting! Class act, mate

 

[corn4ahead]

So you're saying they completely re-engineered the ThunderBolt and the OS to work with 4G between Nov and CES in Jan? Riiiiiight.

I don't think you understand LTE or technology. There's a reason the iPhone on VZW is not LTE, and the iPhone 5 won't be either: it's not easy to engineer.

Ummm, im willing to guess to iPhone 5 will be 4G LTE. I mean it wouldnt be much of an upgrade to the the 4 if it wasnt.

 

[upz3]

Ummm, im willing to guess to iPhone 5 will be 4G LTE. I mean it wouldnt be much of an upgrade to the the 4 if it wasnt.

It's possible. Thing is with iPhone5 is your more likely to get at least dual-core in it and probably global model. LTE idk.

I say this because I still think AT&T gets first dibs on the release for at least this last model. AT&T isn't releasing any phones this year on LTE at all. Remember LTE is much different then the 4G Sprint, T-Mobile and AT&T is advertising.

 

[Stein357]

The iPhone 5 will NOT be LTE.

 

[corn4ahead]

The iPhone 5 will NOT be LTE.

Proof?

 

[upz3]

Proof?

I actually believe Steve Jobs said it. Apple is all about cash for themselves, why would they run to LTE right now. Global is the next build for this phone. Then the next year they work on 4G when its more standard. They will not release a phone that restricts who can use it when and where.

 

[corn4ahead]

I actually believe Steve Jobs said it. Apple is all about cash for themselves, why would they run to LTE right now. Global is the next build for this phone. Then the next year they work on 4G when its more standard. They will not release a phone that restricts who can use it when and where.

I stand corrected then. My bad. I just figured that they could target the LTE for the major cities like the TB is going to be. Makes sense to me.

 

[htowngator]

Hey, thanks for being insulting! Class act, mate

He wasn't being insulting -- he was being honest. I think some people around here feel that you can just slap any new radio in there and it'll work fine.

 

[paulmike3]

Hey, thanks for being insulting! Class act, mate

Not trying to be, just stating that you don't re-engineer phones to add LTE last minute. It takes a long, long time to engineer a phone. Each millimeter is extremely calculated, so adding a new radio to a device is impossible. I'm a senior systems engineer, speaking from experience.

 

[Stein357]

Proof?

Seen it mentioned on Twitter from mobile insiders who are never wrong and it also goes against Apple's value of battery life and the fact that it won't be a national feature in June. Apple could have had the data functionality over 3G like the Thunderbolt but went against it because it was slow and Verizon has to upgrade the network to make it work.

 

[biff6789]

He wasn't being insulting -- he was being honest. I think some people around here feel that you can just slap any new radio in there and it'll work fine.

Not trying to be, just stating that you don't re-engineer phones to add LTE last minute. It takes a long, long time to engineer a phone. Each millimeter is extremely calculated, so adding a new radio to a device is impossible. I'm a senior systems engineer, speaking from experience.

Fair enough, but that's not what I was saying, guys. I know you can't just slap a 4G radio in there and it works. I solder my own motherboards and daughterboards, so I know this fact...

And I was never saying they made this last minute decision between November and CES. Follow my logic here:

BGR gets leaked photos of a working prototype back in early August, which means this phone would have to been undergoing manufacturing in July. Around that time or shortly thereafter they may have decided to go with 4G instead, but they provided the already manufactured and working 3G models to Verizon for initial testing since they were ready to go...

August to CES is about 6 months, which, assuming radio hardware fills the same form factor, provides a lot of time to create new circuitry diagrams and make small improvements to their software in order to use LTE (HTC does have the fastest software team of all phone manufacturers, after all). This could all be done in time to make prototypes for CES (remember a few blogs stated that TB demos only had 512 RAM and HTC folks there were very strict on not letting people do speed tests or check phone specs - why would that be??).

I still believe that this device was supposed to be 3G only, but at some point they decided to make it 4G instead, hence the delays in release of this device since last year - and that's all I was saying. This scenario could explain why testers only had 3G models, would allow for enough time to make modifications to the device in that 6 month revision period, and could explain why there have been so many delays in the release of this device and why much of its hardware is "outdated".

Is that just a theory?.. Of course. But it's not that far fetched and doesn't need to be dismissed that readily. It's very feasible