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Mar

Updated (4/21/2011): [Exclusive] How To Root The HTC ThunderBolt And Unlock Its Bootloader

Posted by Justin Case in Development, Exclusives, HTC, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: June 5th, 2012

HTC tried to stop us. They made signed images, a signed kernel, and a signed recovery. They locked the memory. In short, the ThunderBolt is their most locked-down phone to date.

We fixed it for you. Unlike the root method we described yesterday, following the instructions below will provide S-OFF, remove signature checks, and unlock eMMC. Enjoy!

Rooting The ThunderBolt - Version 2.5

Update: This guide was updated to include some steps into the upgrade RUU, making it faster and safer

Pros

Root with read/write access to /system
Ability to downgrade and flash any RUU (i.e. signed firmware)
S-OFF
Fully unlocked bootloader
All ThunderBolts survived testing

Cons

Voids warranty
Could brick your phone if you aren't careful

The method of rooting your Android device as described in the article herein is solely for enthusiasts and not for the faint of heart.

Mar

[Exclusive] How To Root The HTC Thunderbolt - Instructions By Team AndIRC (V1.02 2011/03/18)

Posted by Justin Case in Development, Exclusives, HTC, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: June 5th, 2012

Update: This method is outdated - please refer to this guide instead.

Jamezelle, jcase (that's me), and all of AndIRC (i.e. everyone - AndIRC is an open dev group), the same folks who rooted the pre-production Thunderbolt in February, proudly present:

A Very Dirty HTC Thunderbolt Root V1.02 2011/03/18

Pros

Root with read/write access to /system
Ability to downgrade and flash any RUU (i.e. signed firmware)

Cons

No custom recovery [yet]
No custom kernels [yet]
The root procedure currently requires flashing a slightly older version of the firmware (RUU_Mecha_VERIZON_WWE_1.05.605.0_Radio_1.07.00.0108r_NV_8K_1.38_9K_1.54_release_166255), which could potentially have more bugs. Right now, we cannot confirm whether LTE/battery bugs are present in this version or not.

Mar

HTC Employees Discuss Thunderbolt In Short Promo Video

Posted by Aaron Gingrich in HTC, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Verizon Wireless, Videos

From what we've seen around the AP offices, the Thunderbolt is the most highly-anticipated Android phone in some time. It's no surprise, either: between HTC's respectable name, tested-and-true hardware, and LTE, all accounts describe it as a fantastic piece of kit. HTC has released a short promo video featuring some of the key employees behind development of the device, and it's actually a surprisingly well-shot, well-cut, interesting view - definitely worth the few minutes it takes to watch it.

Our man Jaro has just received our Thunderbolt review unit, so expect our full (and likely exhaustive) review in the coming days.

Mar

Thunderbolt LTE Speed Tests Are Rolling In - How Fast Are Yours?

Posted by Will Shanklin in News, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Verizon Wireless

Today is finally the day. The Thunderbolt has arrived and you have your shiny new toys in your hands. You just might be enjoying data speeds that some Wi-Fi connections would envy. We went poking around a little and found some impressive results floating around the web already (and we also want to know what kinds of speeds you are getting).

First, one big thing to keep in mind with all that you have heard about Thunderbolt LTE speeds is that the Speedtest.net app, commonly the first way to easily test data speeds, isn't working properly with the Thunderbolt. Download speeds seem to record accurately, but upload speeds are way off (leading some to believe that they are actually getting 40 Mbps uploads - this is incorrect).

Mar

[Update: Back To $599.99 Now] HTC Thunderbolt Now Live At VZW's Site, Shows Off-Contract $444.99 Price. Wait, What?

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in HTC, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Verizon Wireless

After months of anticipation and weeks of delays, we kind of lost faith and thought this day would never come. However, the HTC Thunderbolt just went live on VZW's own site, including free overnight shipping, which means you can get your hands on the first LTE phone by the 18th (unless you go to a local store, of course).

Just as @VerizonWireless tweeted yesterday, the 2-year contract price is $249.99 (which is not nearly as good as the $179.99 Amazon or the $199 Wirefly deals, but much better than the post-20th $299.99 Best Buy rip-off), 1-year is $319.99, but when I saw the month-to-month off-contract price, my eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

Mar

[Deal Alert] Amazon Wireless Now Selling HTC ThunderBolt For Just $179.99

Posted by Jaroslav Stekl in Deals, HTC, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Verizon Wireless

Excited for the ThunderBolt? If so, you're not alone; but if not, you've got even more companions.

However, thanks to Amazon Wireless, haters now have one less reason to pick on the ThunderBolt: the online retailer is selling Verizon's first LTE phone for just $179.99 - $70 less than the official $249.99 price.

When you add free two-day shipping and no taxes (in most states) to the mix, this immediately becomes the best ThunderBolt deal available - in fact, it's $20 lower than WireFly's offer. Additionally, the $179.99 price also applies to upgrades - definitely a huge bonus for existing VZW customers.

Mar

Pics Of Slimmed-Down Droid 3 Leaked

Posted by Will Shanklin in Droid (Sholes), News, Verizon Wireless

A couple of super-sneaky members over at Howard Forums have leaked some photos of the upcoming Droid 3, and it's looking much thinner than its most recent predecessor. The Verizon phone, which has not yet been officially announced, popped up in three different pictures today.

As you can see below, the second sequel to Motorola's popular Droid has a thinner top piece to conceal the customary full QWERTY keyboard. Not much else is known about the phone at this point, but this could be shaping up to be a much more attractive offering than its ancestor in the Droid line.

Source: Howard Forums [1] [2] via Droid Life

Mar

Best Buy Claims Thunderbolt Will Cost $299.99 Starting March 20 - Something Smells Rotten

Posted by Will Shanklin in News, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Verizon Wireless

Just when we thought that news about the HTC Thunderbolt was going to die down now that the mystery of its long-anticipated launch has been solved, word comes that Best Buy will only be offering the LTE phone at the $249.99 price until March 20 -after which it will be $299.99. While the phone has generated a lot of buzz, it's hard not to view this price hike as Best Buy shooting themselves in the foot.

In a promo post from their website, Best Buy said "The HTC ThunderBolt 4G [sic], a national retail exclusive for Best Buy, will be offered at a special launch price of $249.99 through Saturday, March 19, including all pre-orders.

Mar

[Poll] Now That The Thunderbolt Is Nearly Here, Will You Be Buying It?

Posted by Will Shanklin in Off-Topic, Polls, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Verizon Wireless

Last Updated: September 3rd, 2011

Now that there is finally a firm release date for the HTC Thunderbolt (Thursday, March 17, in case you have been in a cave), we thought it would be fun to take a little poll to see just how many of you are willing to forgive the frustration you were put through by all of the delays, or if you have already moved on?

Let us know below where you stand on the HTC Thunderbolt. Be sure to check back throughout the day to see the results.

Mar

[Deal Alert] HTC Thunderbolt Pre-Order Goes Live On Wirefly, And It's Cheaper Than You Think

Posted by Artem Russakovskii in Deals, HTC, News, Thunderbolt (Mecha), Verizon Wireless

Take a deep breath - it's really starting to look like the Thunderbolt saga is approaching the end. Verizon's first 4G LTE device has been through a rollercoaster of predictions, disappointments, and broken promises (over and over), but the latest confirmed date of March 17th we told you about earlier is indeed proving to be legitimate.

As promised, Wirefly just launched the Thunderbolt pre-order page, and if you've been waiting to pick one up, you may be pleasantly surprised. In addition to not charging any tax in most states and offering free shipping, Wirefly's price is lower than what we've been expecting to see in Verizon's own stores and Best Buy, for both off-contract and on-contract pricing, including upgrades.