Hard to say honestly - dual core (Tegra 2) will come with the Droid Bionic, and the Droid Charge we will have a review of shortly is Hummingbird + MDM9600. We'll also have the Incredible 2 piece up later this week. Lots of choices coming up!
You don't. Nearly everyone I know has returned the device. They're either rocking the LTE OnOff app to manually switch back and forth. Or it's sitting on a VZW shelf ready as a refurb device. Most people can't live with this kind of battery life. The guy who works in my office went off and bought an extended battery. It's seriously JITT. Makes a heavier and fat phone even more heavy and fat.
the battery life is really not that bad, i don't even turn off LTE and it makes it easily through a day.
you do have to charge it every day, but if you don't have like 700 widgets running it seems fine.
I had a G1 and a ton of other android phones. It really doesn't do much worse than the G2 I had, and it gets i'd say much better battery life than the G1 did. The only phone i've owned tha twas a lot better battery wise were a mytouch 3g slide and a optimus V which both happen to have basically the same arm11 600mhz "budget" 45nm cpu and much smaller screens.
I have a Thunderbolt. If I start the day with a full charge, make and take several calls, check e-mail and read e-mail hourly, and do a little surfing after dinner, the battery indicator is still green when I plug it in for the night.
I took a trip to a neighboring city, forgot my charger, used Google Navigate satnav for an hour driving, used Google maps repeatedly, made and received several calls, used satnav an hour on the way home, after 9 hours it was just getting into the yellow.
Battery life is not ideal or a selling point, but it is a usable phone.
It's standard on HTC phones that's why. It's part of the UI they build into the base OS. If I am not mistaken it's a widget that you can turn off if you prefer.
So it's a first-gen phone with some nice hardware, but ultimately something you wouldn't want to stick around with too long after 2nd and 3rd gen chipsets arrive with integrated GSM / CDMA / LTE solutions.
My personal opinion? LTE is nice, but I'd stick to USB modems and mobile hotspots and go from there. Transition over to an integrated LTE smartphone once a) the OS fully supports it and b) there isn't crazy power drain.
Or if you're stuck on an old android phone that has no memory, hardly any cpu or gpu power, and bogs down heavily all the time thanks to the new OS revisions not being highly optimized for slower phones (no upgrade path even for some too), and you decided you don't want to be a slave to Apple and what they decide you can and cannot have/do with the device, you might look at this for your upgrade if you were itching right now. Why wait for June to see the new Droid Bionic when you need a phone now that works properly and is faster?
Now THIS is a smartphone review. This is the meticulous quantitative data that I keep coming back to Anandtech for. Would like to see real world load times of real web sites though.
Seconded. I'm not a huge fan of smartphones (I don't own one and normally just skim the reviews for hardware/OS information) but this one reminded me of old-school Anandtech. Nitty-gritty detail and substance that anyone can tell required a LONG time to write.
And factoring in the legitimate excuse of being ill made it all the more impressive.
The article stated "Remember that although the HTC EVO 4G could have conceivably supported simultaneous 4G WiMAX and 1x voice, the feature was disabled and to my knowledge hasn’t ever been enabled. It’s for this reason - until the Thunderbolt no proper procedure for characterizing dual transceiver phones existed."
Unless I'm confused here, the article appears to have a blatant error. The HTC EVO 4G supports simultaneous 4G WiMAX and 1x-Voice. Has since day 1.
I think what's meant is that it can't do simultaneous voice and data over 3G, which is true. If you are in a 4G area, I believe the Evo can use WiMax for data and 3G for voice.
Are you certain? Although I have an EVO I'm not in a WiMAX market, so I can't test for certain. I know that WiFi + 1x voice is a definite go, 1x voice + EVDO is a no, but I was under the impression again that 1x voice + WiMAX is also a no.
From the user manual:
"Can I make calls and use data services at the same time?
You cannot use voice and data services simultaneously. If you receive a call while data service is active, your device forwards the call to voicemail. You can place an outgoing call anytime, but it will interrupt any in-progress data session."
It isn't great, but then again I'd say that if you need several hours of web browsing time per charge a smartphone is probably not the right device for you anyway.
4G brings better speed for the end user, but sometimes I wonder if I'd be more worthwhile to invest instead in existing 3G infrastructure to ensure wide area, consistent 3G coverage at the upper speed spec of 3G rather than focus on 4G peak speeds in some areas. I guess 4G is more worthwhile on CDMA networks where the speed disparity is greater than on GSM networks where up to 14Mbps HSPA vs LTE isn't as big a difference in usability.
On an unrelated note, your benchmark charts don't seem to include the updated iOS 4.3 results that say the previous Dell Venue Pro review had. The updated browser in iOS 4.3 compared to iOS 4.2 makes a material difference in the benchmarks.
There's a couple of things here. First is that Verizon's EVDO coverage is already pretty good. And instead of opting to go towards 1x Advanced, they've decided to go with a standardized LTE protocol instead to increase speeds; this is a good thing.
Secondly, while HSPA networks can provide theoretical speeds compared to LTE, the real-world performance is far from the reality of that. OFDM is a far better modulation scheme compared to QAM when it comes to not just realistic peak bandwidth but also range and versatility that there really is no question that it should be the next generation of cellular.
"OFDM is a far better modulation scheme compared to QAM when it comes to not just realistic peak bandwidth but also range and versatility that there really is no question that it should be the next generation of cellular."
OFDM and QAM are orthogonal issues.
OFDM is about how spectrum is allocated. Old school is to give each user one of a few dedicated fairly wide frequency bands while they are in a cell. This frequency may or may not work well for them and be appropriate to their needs. OFDM splits the entire spectral range into lots of small frequency bands, and dynamically decides which user gets to use which of these bands, based on issues like both the user needs and how good transmission/reception to that user is at that particular time. In addition, it's easier for the receiver for apply a different equalization to each of these small frequency bands to undo the effects of echos on the received signal.
QAM is about the shape of the pulse that carries the information within each frequency band. The very specific details of this change from one spec to another, but to first order this is the same as its always been --- the same idea that was in use in 1980s modem, and I assume even earlier in things like microwave and satellite transmission.
As for ltcommanderdata's point, it is a mistake to assume that 4G is about higher peak speeds. Rather it is about (a) a more consistent experience, so that data rates are less likely to fall off a cliff in bad conditions, like at the edge of a cell (b) it is about better OVERALL use of the limited spectrum available. Under some conditions this will allow a few users to see very high speeds, but the more likely scenario in urban conditions is that it will allow more users in a cell to get acceptable speeds.
In other words, it's a way to achieve the goal you want --- better data coverage for more people --- but using technology that ultimately does a better job. Better in terms of spectral usage, and better in terms of more data throughput/dollar spent by the carrier.
so? What's the problem? You get massive speed boosts anyhow which is what the consumer cares about. Nitpicking the little details of the network means jack.
How much of the battery drain would you say is due to the first gen LTE antenna? I mean, I assume at this point we can call it first gen, right?
The Thunderbolt is in an odd spot in the VZW lineup. I feel it was rushed to showcase LTE---which it has done a great job of---but the phone itself isn't impressive in any specific way. It's not necessarily faster than other phones, the screen tech isn't amazing, and it's just really thick.
I agree with you on the qHD point: why can't manufacturers put out qHD with non-pentile matrix? Manufacturing-wise, is there a hold up? Is it an issue of contracts with vendors that need to end? I don't get it.
I keep seeing these smart phones that really just fall short in a way you think they could easily deliver.
Oh, and I didn't see you mention HTC's infamous "bump charging." I hear it's an issue with the Thunderbolt, too. Thanks for the awesome review. Super in depth!
It's hard to say for certain really how much of that battery life hit is the second cellular modem. I originally intended to measure current on both of the MDM9600 modems with an in-line ammeter, but didn't get a chance last time I was in a 4G market. That'll come in the next couple of weeks though. Obviously having two modems is going to affect battery life. The thing gets warm, which to me always is a good indicator that it's using lots of power.
I don't believe there's any reason why we can't have a qHD screen without Pentile. Keep in mind though that Pentile lets you emulate a higher resolution without needing to have 3 subpixels per pixel.
I've definitely seen the bump charging situation show up on the Thunderbolt. The first couple initial charges definitely showed that bump charge behavior, later on it got better, but Smart Panel showed a similar trend to that infamous XDA devs thread. I haven't really messed around enough to speak too intelligently about that issue than to say that yes, it does seem to still be kicking around. Maybe the Pyramid/Sensation will change things. I hope!
By the way, if you guys implement a perm link feature that's per comment, I can reference certain..."issues"...for vendors to check out ;)
I want the Bolt because 4G in the Bay Area is STUPID FAST but it just feels like a sidegrade from my Fascinate. I'm pulling 10-12 hours with HEAVY use, 14-17 with moderate use, and well over 24 hours if I barely use it (hah). But, it took me many tweaks and still room for more tweaks.
I'm almost making pre-loaded Gingerbread a requirement of my next phone; I don't trust carriers/vendors anymore with promises of timetables. Yes, it has come to that: the OS version should be considered a marquee "feature." Sad.
The day that vendors stop caring about being first to market and care more about putting out a POLISHED experience is when we'll start to see others follow suit. There's no reason to rush products other than to meet a deadline by the higher ups.
I think it's fair to say that the negative impact of an unpolished product is far more damaging to credibility than the positive impact of being first to market (novelty).
and WOW its like 10-20 mbps down. its insane fast. not to mention having used t-mobile before this (and i also used virgin mobile for about 3 weeks... which uh was pretty uneven honestly) the verizon network is bar none better than either of those (i dont use at&t but i hear it is horrible up here)
I will second the request for a permanent post # for referencing. I know the embedded message makes this more difficult but it could simply be the start of a string gets a post number and followups a second number (or letter as rarely do comments get over 20+ replies). I know I've given up several times when I want to go back to an older article to see if the author responded to one of my comments and can't find it without reading every single one.
Hopefully something like this can be implemented in the near future as the comment system has really been the only thing lacking on Anandtech compared to other hardware review sites.
Indeed it does, there's one up at the top near the headset jack which is used for noise cancellation. I found suppression to be very good. You can see the mic port here: http://www.anandtech.com/Gallery/Album/1039#21
The problem with audio sounding strange when recording videos is still present, though HTC is going to fix this in an update soon, I'm told.
It got me really thinking about the basis of why Verizon and Sprint are pushing their LTE out.
With how fast smart phones are being adopted by the general public, they better get a faster move on with their LTE coverage. I can't imagine not being able to simultaneously use data and voice being on a widely covered UMTS service compared to the lacking LTE coverage and the need for a dual transceiver device.
sorry to hear you were sick, brian. i know how it can be to get the double knockout, not so fun. :(
nice to see this kind of form factor in the mix as it is exactly what i'm looking for.
do you, or anyone reading know if there are any similar designs around with a better screen? (ips) i wonder what the refresh of the Dell streak 5" will add up to, if it's ever coming out?
Why is it so many (if not all) of the 4G phones out there are freaking huge?!
Is this just a way of trying to move them farther up market, or what? I know there are people that want a larger device. But really, I like the smaller form factors. I would never even consider getting this device because of its size.
Well... it comes with a kickstand, clearly they want us to watch movies on them, which means they're not going to get any smaller. Have you ever had one though? It's not that bad. I have a double sized battery on my EVO and the extra width actually makes it easier to take out of my pocket (The ridge by the kickstand makes a little 'handle') and easier to hold sideways.
Oh... and a thicker phone means it's more likely in contact with your leg (guys) if in your pocket and increases the chance that you'll feel it when on vibrate.
The original Tbolt specs had 8GB of NAND Flash, but mine only reads 4. I've heard a rumor the that half was locked out to help deal with the battery issue, and another rumor that it might be "unlocked" some day. Do you have any info?
Also, some mention should be made of the awful Blockbuster app that comes pre-installed, with permissions to spy on everything, running processes that constantly use data, and cannot be uninstalled short of rooting. HTC and Verizon should be made to understand that such shovelware/crapware is totally unacceptable.
I found the 5MP T-Mobile G2 camera much better indoors/low-light than my Tbolt. Alas, T-Mobile has poor data in my area so I moved over to Verizon and the Tbolt. I think the pointless increase in Megapixels is the cause. I'd like to see better pictures, not better specs.
Interesting, I went with the HTC specifications which list 8 GB, but see what you mean about 4 GB now on this Thunderbolt. Very curious. I don't think the reason could be battery usage since it's nonvolatile, though I've heard lots of discussion about devices with 1 GB+ of RAM using more battery. I'll ask some questions and find out.
The funny part about the crapware on the Thunderbolt is that it's actually far less than I see on the Inspire 4G. I haven't seen the Blockbuster app be persistent (though that could be because I haven't launched it), but otherwise yes you're completely right about the preload situation.
Nice to see that the 3.7" 854x480 display on the Droid and Droid 2 still rockin' it as one of THE best displays in the mobile space. As for the push towards qHD displays. To be honest, I would like Motorola and the rest of them to hold off on these qHD displays. They all employ PenTile pixel substructures which effectively means there are less pixels than advertised. Looking at an Atrix display compared to my Droid's display and it's clear the Atrix should have been called Atrocious. The pixelation around widgets and on wallpapers was unacceptable. I haven't seen pixelation like that since AMOLED. Why release qHD PenTile LCDs when Samsung recently admitted PenTile stinks and is going with a normal RGB set up with S-AMOLED+? I'd rather see a nice IPS display like in the LG G2X, running at the antiquated 800x480 than a qHD display running 30% less pixels than the 960x540 that's advertised.
Maybe its just the verizon commercials, but what has me sold is the network. I could honestly care less about the phone compared to the speeds LTE offers. Voice is a secondary consideration to data throughput for me. I would buy the thunderbolt for the network alone.
With that being said, I sincerely hope verizon's LTE isn't as overloaded and useless as T-Mobile's "3G" network is.
It's a bitter irony really, of course the day after I post everything, eHRPD goes down and takes 4G LTE and 3G EVDO (on eHRPD) with it.
If you go into EPST (##778#) and enter MSL (000000), you can change the modem setting under Rev.A to use just HRPD instead of eHRPD. That way, you're anchored through the old 3G data network instead of the common anchor point for EVDO and LTE that appears to be having problems right now.
I've been having sporadic EVDO (eHRPD) connectivity all day with dips to 1x. Unfortunate, but things like this will gradually get better in time.
Really depends on where you live, and plus you also get what you pay for. T-Mobile is considerably cheaper than Verizon.
For slightly less service (assuming I do not buy an LTE device), Verizon charges me $30 more than T-Mobile does. From $65 to $95 for almost exactly the same service (though I lose 50 minutes of anytime minutes on Verizon).
Considering the uncertain future of T-Mobile US, I am considering Verizon as an option, but to me the device--and more specifically, the ROM--is the most important thing as long as my network speeds are decent enough.
For the record, my T-Mobile HSPA+ in downtown Berkeley is excellent, usually 6-7Mbps down and 2-3Mbps up. Absolutely sufficient for my purposes. At home, yeah, in the 'burbs my data speed kind of bites... but I have wifi and much faster wired broadband, why would I bother with using my data plan at home? :D
One important battery test is how long the phone lasts just sitting around doing nothing, or walking around in a pocket. I can get 3 days out of iPhone 3GS, if I just use it as a phone and not much else.
the bionic is delayred until at least Q3 . i'm figuring there is probably a reason there are no dual core LTE phones out and they keep getting delayed.
i think either of them is a good choice, if you want to mod your phone, the tbolt is already rooted with several custom roms, and CM7 is already in alpha/beta stage.
It's not the BB app but the background services behind it that are persistent, particularly PVWmdrmService. You can kill it but it will come back on next reboot.
The first hit on a Google of Thunderbolt Disable Blockbuster recommends starting and updating the app, and then turning off updates from within the app. While this seems to be good advice as far as data usage goes, it does nothing for preventing the background services from starting and taking up RAM.
Looking forward to what you find on the 8GB issue.
Brian, excellent job with the review. One of my favorite aspects of the review is how you appropriately compared it to different devices in different contexts (design, function, performance, display, etc), instead of always comparing it to the iPhone4 or always comparing it to the Evo, etc.
Very objective, informative and practical review, which I realize is a delicate balance.
The 4" screen size with the near-8:5 aspect ratio is absolutely my sweet spot. Software problems aside, I love love LOVED my Galaxy S's screen size. The slightly smaller one on my Glacier just feels a bit cramped.
Good job Brian on the extremely thorough and interesting review. There's always a level of thought and analysis in Anandtech reviews that other sites lack. Or maybe I should be angry, as you're seriously making me consider moving away from my G2 (which up until now I was perfectly happy with...).
Absolutely fantastic review. Anand Tech is my favorite source for detailed technical analysis of consumer electronics like this. Keep up the good work.
A friend "in the know" (yeah, yeah) said HTC accidentally shipped it with S-ON for that portion of the internal storage, and that HTC had (has?) issued an OTA that will allow the full 8GB to be useable. Not sure if it's been pushed, as I don't have the Thunderbolt.
Brian,
1) How quickly did GPS lock?
I feel like some of these issues that users experience with other phones---e.g. GPS lock on SGS phones---should be considered for reviews of future phones. I know it can be a hassle, but it should highlight that some issues are manufacturer specific. Hopefully, it lights a fire under mfrs. to correct these problems, if they see that other phones don't suffer from the same.
2) Also, maybe I missed it, but has AnandTech established a Light-Moderate-Heavy usage pattern for phones to test battery life?
i.e., Moderate = 45 min of Bluetooth, 20 min GPS navigation, 10 phone calls, 50 sms, 20 still pictures, etc ?
I saw you set display brightness to 50% and loaded web pages, but I'm talking about how a user would normally use the phone: calls, sms, pictures, BT, GPS...etc.
I am positive you guys have done it before.
Really amazing review. Have been spreading the word, hoping more people flock to AnandTech. You guys deserve the recognition!
I haven't gotten any OTA updates, but that's entirely possible. Sometimes these review units get updates on a different schedule, so I have no idea. I should check whether it's S-ON or S-OFF.
I constantly forget to post about our GPS testing, possibly because I take it for granted these days that devices do it right. It's something I do test however with a bunch of phones at the same time and compare SNR for all the visible satellites using GPS-Test.
GPS locks fast, but not extremely fast. I took multiple road trips to Phoenix with the Thunderbolt doing navigation guidance. I'd say that 15 seconds with complete sky LOS is enough to get a lock. In location services it does have checkboxes for Verizon's location services and google's. I neglected to take screenshots but SNR is very good on the TB, no GPS problems here.
So the battery life test situation is continuing to evolve. We're working on and will have a system trace setup (exactly what you mention, GPS, using the phone, SMS, browsing) eventually. It's still in progress, of course it'd only work for Android comparisons at present.
2) Signature (with char. limit, like 40 chars, for Twitter ID,etc.)
3) Comment reply notification -- this one is HUGE. It's impossible for me to find replies to my comments, given then I can reply to an old comment (so my reply is "newer") but still buried in a sea of comments from older dates. Make sense?
4) Add Tapatalk compatibility to the AT forums. The mods said they're just waiting on Anand to approve, and I've given examples of other forums built on the same system (phpBB, etc) with equal or more users, to show that those forums are working fine and won't buckle under high traffic. Just have to register the forums (free) with Tapatalk so we can post using the Android/iOS app.
Oh, and a Wordpress style mobile version of these articles would be sweet, especially for commenting.
Come on, AT! The best tech site on the net should have these features! :D
Great work as always. Hope you nail those papers, Brian.
The OTA is coming if it hasn't already. I'll check with my source, but he said HTC definitely wanted to make the full 8 GB usable, so it was definitely a minor oversight on their part which they intend to correct.
I don't know why more manufacturers haven't built antennas into the cover. It definitely seems the way to go.
FYI,
Regarding the sig, if you could make it so the badge (to the left) has another bar below the handle where you can put, say, a Twitter ID...well, that'd be slick...hint hint.
That way, since it can only take something like a Twitter ID, you won't have to worry about junk URLs clogging up the comments section. Plus, people can retweet or tweet at individual comments.
I love all the people who are like "its thick and heavy....waaaa..." Man up people. Some of us like to have a phone that has some meat to it so we don't feel like we're going to break it. Nor is 5 ounces instead of 4 going to make any difference. For me even the Thunderbolt barely is noticeable when I'm holding it.
"The Thunderbolt has noticeably less attenuation when held in a 4G LTE scenario, no doubt thanks in part to the fact that it's fully leveraging MIMO "
This statement makes no sense. (a) To know what is going on requires knowing what is being reported by that signal strength number. THE big issue with mobile radio is the VARIANCE in signal strength. This variance occurs on a timescale of 10s of ms, and a spatial scale of cm/ So when that dB number is reported, what EXACTLY is being reported? The maximum value over the past n seconds? The minimum value? A time average of the power, converted into dB? A time average of the dB rating. (Since the mapping from power to dB is non-linear, these two types of averages are VERY different),
(b) MIMO is NOT a technology to deal with a weak radio signal, in fact the exact opposite. Given two antennas, you can use them in two DIFFERENT ways. (i) You can use the two antennas via receive diversity, which means they each pick up an independent version of what is essentially the same signal. This is useful when the amount of signal variance means that one of the signals is frequently too weak to be useful, but usually not both, so at least one of the signals is strong enough to be useful. ST codes like Alamouti are a fancy version of this idea. Note --- this is useful for situation where the combination of the mean signal strength AND the variance means that the signal is sometimes too weak. It does not help if the mean strength is too low to be useful; it is a coping mechanism for a high variance. (ii) MIMO is different. MIMO says we will use the two antennas to decode what are essentially two independent streams of data, and double our throughput. For this to work, we require that the lowest signal strength received (even in the presence of variance) not be too low. Thus this is a technology to take advantage of either a high mean signal strength, or an unusually low variance in the signal strength.
You can use your antennas to give you either diversity (more consistent reception) or MIMO (higher throughput, under good conditions), but not both. NEITHER diversity nor MIMO can deal with a signal that is too weak. There IS multi-antenna technology that can do this (beam shaping) but I don't know if any carrier or cell-phones use this.
In other words, if this phone shows lower attenuation when being held (a) who knows WTF that actually means, since we have no idea what is actually being measured (b) it likely has more to do with the details of the placement and geometry of the antenna than with antenna diversity (c) it certainly has nothing to do with the specific technology of MIMO
Having made the complaint above, congrats to Brian for taking my earlier complaints about these reviews to heart and trying to get a more comprehensive picture of the capabilities of these phones beyond mere headline numbers! Certainly, for example, the histograms are very helpful.
Droid Charge does not have an MDM9600 or any other Qualcomm IC. Of the four LTE smartphones coming to Verizon, only HTC has a Qualcomm LTE IC. CDMA is handled by VIA in the Charge, Q has the other three.
Also, EV-DO stands for EVolution-Data Only. "Data Optimized" is a backronym to try and cover up the fact that EV-DO cannot support voice. There was a standard called EV-DV (EVolution - Data & Voice), but it was killed by the giant IC company.
Why is the video in this review from the TB's front-facing camera in mirror image? Compare to the first video and also see that the Congress St sign is backwards!
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deadsix - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
First of good review well done. I'm an Incredible 1 owner do you think I should wait for a the Droid Charge or the Bionic or snag a T-bolt now.Brian Klug - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Hard to say honestly - dual core (Tegra 2) will come with the Droid Bionic, and the Droid Charge we will have a review of shortly is Hummingbird + MDM9600. We'll also have the Incredible 2 piece up later this week. Lots of choices coming up!-Brian
michael2k - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
How the heck do you live with that kind of battery life?sooper_anandtech12 - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
You don't. Nearly everyone I know has returned the device. They're either rocking the LTE OnOff app to manually switch back and forth. Or it's sitting on a VZW shelf ready as a refurb device. Most people can't live with this kind of battery life. The guy who works in my office went off and bought an extended battery. It's seriously JITT. Makes a heavier and fat phone even more heavy and fat.hans007 - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
i've had the tbolt for almost a month now.the battery life is really not that bad, i don't even turn off LTE and it makes it easily through a day.
you do have to charge it every day, but if you don't have like 700 widgets running it seems fine.
I had a G1 and a ton of other android phones. It really doesn't do much worse than the G2 I had, and it gets i'd say much better battery life than the G1 did. The only phone i've owned tha twas a lot better battery wise were a mytouch 3g slide and a optimus V which both happen to have basically the same arm11 600mhz "budget" 45nm cpu and much smaller screens.
HangFire - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
I have a Thunderbolt. If I start the day with a full charge, make and take several calls, check e-mail and read e-mail hourly, and do a little surfing after dinner, the battery indicator is still green when I plug it in for the night.I took a trip to a neighboring city, forgot my charger, used Google Navigate satnav for an hour driving, used Google maps repeatedly, made and received several calls, used satnav an hour on the way home, after 9 hours it was just getting into the yellow.
Battery life is not ideal or a selling point, but it is a usable phone.
guoxing - Friday, June 24, 2011 - link
it's really a good cell phone if you want to buy it i suggest you go http://www.2011bestphone.com/?p=95 to knowAnnonymousCoward - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Why are so many smartphones advertised with that stupid huge flip clock...cmdrdredd - Thursday, April 28, 2011 - link
It's standard on HTC phones that's why. It's part of the UI they build into the base OS. If I am not mistaken it's a widget that you can turn off if you prefer.dagamer34 - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
So it's a first-gen phone with some nice hardware, but ultimately something you wouldn't want to stick around with too long after 2nd and 3rd gen chipsets arrive with integrated GSM / CDMA / LTE solutions.My personal opinion? LTE is nice, but I'd stick to USB modems and mobile hotspots and go from there. Transition over to an integrated LTE smartphone once a) the OS fully supports it and b) there isn't crazy power drain.
cmdrdredd - Thursday, April 28, 2011 - link
Or if you're stuck on an old android phone that has no memory, hardly any cpu or gpu power, and bogs down heavily all the time thanks to the new OS revisions not being highly optimized for slower phones (no upgrade path even for some too), and you decided you don't want to be a slave to Apple and what they decide you can and cannot have/do with the device, you might look at this for your upgrade if you were itching right now. Why wait for June to see the new Droid Bionic when you need a phone now that works properly and is faster?deputc26 - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Now THIS is a smartphone review. This is the meticulous quantitative data that I keep coming back to Anandtech for. Would like to see real world load times of real web sites though.7Enigma - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Seconded. I'm not a huge fan of smartphones (I don't own one and normally just skim the reviews for hardware/OS information) but this one reminded me of old-school Anandtech. Nitty-gritty detail and substance that anyone can tell required a LONG time to write.And factoring in the legitimate excuse of being ill made it all the more impressive.
Great job again Brian.
kurt-o - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
The article stated "Remember that although the HTC EVO 4G could have conceivably supported simultaneous 4G WiMAX and 1x voice, the feature was disabled and to my knowledge hasn’t ever been enabled. It’s for this reason - until the Thunderbolt no proper procedure for characterizing dual transceiver phones existed."Unless I'm confused here, the article appears to have a blatant error. The HTC EVO 4G supports simultaneous 4G WiMAX and 1x-Voice. Has since day 1.
metafor - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
I think what's meant is that it can't do simultaneous voice and data over 3G, which is true. If you are in a 4G area, I believe the Evo can use WiMax for data and 3G for voice.Brian Klug - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Are you certain? Although I have an EVO I'm not in a WiMAX market, so I can't test for certain. I know that WiFi + 1x voice is a definite go, 1x voice + EVDO is a no, but I was under the impression again that 1x voice + WiMAX is also a no.From the user manual:
"Can I make calls and use data services at the same time?
You cannot use voice and data services simultaneously. If you receive a call while data service is active, your device forwards the call to voicemail. You can place an outgoing call anytime, but it will interrupt any in-progress data session."
-Brian
privater - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Does this phone have a nuclear battery as accessory?ompaidjo - Tuesday, May 3, 2011 - link
:DI kept thinking about the same thing, since I bought this phone..
strikeback03 - Tuesday, May 3, 2011 - link
It isn't great, but then again I'd say that if you need several hours of web browsing time per charge a smartphone is probably not the right device for you anyway.ltcommanderdata - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
4G brings better speed for the end user, but sometimes I wonder if I'd be more worthwhile to invest instead in existing 3G infrastructure to ensure wide area, consistent 3G coverage at the upper speed spec of 3G rather than focus on 4G peak speeds in some areas. I guess 4G is more worthwhile on CDMA networks where the speed disparity is greater than on GSM networks where up to 14Mbps HSPA vs LTE isn't as big a difference in usability.On an unrelated note, your benchmark charts don't seem to include the updated iOS 4.3 results that say the previous Dell Venue Pro review had. The updated browser in iOS 4.3 compared to iOS 4.2 makes a material difference in the benchmarks.
Brian Klug - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
I've accidentally gone with graphs that lacked that data and updated them with the Thunderbolt results. Numbers from iOS 4.3 will be added shortly!Thanks for pointing that out!
-Brian
metafor - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
There's a couple of things here. First is that Verizon's EVDO coverage is already pretty good. And instead of opting to go towards 1x Advanced, they've decided to go with a standardized LTE protocol instead to increase speeds; this is a good thing.Secondly, while HSPA networks can provide theoretical speeds compared to LTE, the real-world performance is far from the reality of that. OFDM is a far better modulation scheme compared to QAM when it comes to not just realistic peak bandwidth but also range and versatility that there really is no question that it should be the next generation of cellular.
name99 - Saturday, May 7, 2011 - link
"OFDM is a far better modulation scheme compared to QAM when it comes to not just realistic peak bandwidth but also range and versatility that there really is no question that it should be the next generation of cellular."OFDM and QAM are orthogonal issues.
OFDM is about how spectrum is allocated. Old school is to give each user one of a few dedicated fairly wide frequency bands while they are in a cell. This frequency may or may not work well for them and be appropriate to their needs.
OFDM splits the entire spectral range into lots of small frequency bands, and dynamically decides which user gets to use which of these bands, based on issues like both the user needs and how good transmission/reception to that user is at that particular time. In addition, it's easier for the receiver for apply a different equalization to each of these small frequency bands to undo the effects of echos on the received signal.
QAM is about the shape of the pulse that carries the information within each frequency band. The very specific details of this change from one spec to another, but to first order this is the same as its always been --- the same idea that was in use in 1980s modem, and I assume even earlier in things like microwave and satellite transmission.
As for ltcommanderdata's point, it is a mistake to assume that 4G is about higher peak speeds. Rather it is about
(a) a more consistent experience, so that data rates are less likely to fall off a cliff in bad conditions, like at the edge of a cell
(b) it is about better OVERALL use of the limited spectrum available. Under some conditions this will allow a few users to see very high speeds, but the more likely scenario in urban conditions is that it will allow more users in a cell to get acceptable speeds.
In other words, it's a way to achieve the goal you want --- better data coverage for more people --- but using technology that ultimately does a better job. Better in terms of spectral usage, and better in terms of more data throughput/dollar spent by the carrier.
alent1234 - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
lucky for you verizon's LTE is 3G and not 4G. I think it's something like 3.9G. there is a new 3GPP spec almost every year. HSPA+ is 3.6 or 3.7G.real 4G is still a few years away
cmdrdredd - Thursday, April 28, 2011 - link
so? What's the problem? You get massive speed boosts anyhow which is what the consumer cares about. Nitpicking the little details of the network means jack.Omid.M - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Brian,How much of the battery drain would you say is due to the first gen LTE antenna? I mean, I assume at this point we can call it first gen, right?
The Thunderbolt is in an odd spot in the VZW lineup. I feel it was rushed to showcase LTE---which it has done a great job of---but the phone itself isn't impressive in any specific way. It's not necessarily faster than other phones, the screen tech isn't amazing, and it's just really thick.
I agree with you on the qHD point: why can't manufacturers put out qHD with non-pentile matrix? Manufacturing-wise, is there a hold up? Is it an issue of contracts with vendors that need to end? I don't get it.
I keep seeing these smart phones that really just fall short in a way you think they could easily deliver.
Oh, and I didn't see you mention HTC's infamous "bump charging." I hear it's an issue with the Thunderbolt, too. Thanks for the awesome review. Super in depth!
@moids
Brian Klug - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
@moids,It's hard to say for certain really how much of that battery life hit is the second cellular modem. I originally intended to measure current on both of the MDM9600 modems with an in-line ammeter, but didn't get a chance last time I was in a 4G market. That'll come in the next couple of weeks though. Obviously having two modems is going to affect battery life. The thing gets warm, which to me always is a good indicator that it's using lots of power.
I don't believe there's any reason why we can't have a qHD screen without Pentile. Keep in mind though that Pentile lets you emulate a higher resolution without needing to have 3 subpixels per pixel.
I've definitely seen the bump charging situation show up on the Thunderbolt. The first couple initial charges definitely showed that bump charge behavior, later on it got better, but Smart Panel showed a similar trend to that infamous XDA devs thread. I haven't really messed around enough to speak too intelligently about that issue than to say that yes, it does seem to still be kicking around. Maybe the Pyramid/Sensation will change things. I hope!
-Brian
yibrushn - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
I am in a wimax market and they mean 3G data in that quote. 4G and calls are definitely a goBrian Klug - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Interesting! I pinged Qualcomm and was going to wait for them, but updated the article already. Thanks for pointing that out!-Brian
Omid.M - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Got it!By the way, if you guys implement a perm link feature that's per comment, I can reference certain..."issues"...for vendors to check out ;)
I want the Bolt because 4G in the Bay Area is STUPID FAST but it just feels like a sidegrade from my Fascinate. I'm pulling 10-12 hours with HEAVY use, 14-17 with moderate use, and well over 24 hours if I barely use it (hah). But, it took me many tweaks and still room for more tweaks.
I'm almost making pre-loaded Gingerbread a requirement of my next phone; I don't trust carriers/vendors anymore with promises of timetables. Yes, it has come to that: the OS version should be considered a marquee "feature." Sad.
The day that vendors stop caring about being first to market and care more about putting out a POLISHED experience is when we'll start to see others follow suit. There's no reason to rush products other than to meet a deadline by the higher ups.
I think it's fair to say that the negative impact of an unpolished product is far more damaging to credibility than the positive impact of being first to market (novelty).
Hear me, Verizon & HTC?
hans007 - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
i live in the bay and bought the tbolt.and WOW its like 10-20 mbps down. its insane fast. not to mention having used t-mobile before this (and i also used virgin mobile for about 3 weeks... which uh was pretty uneven honestly) the verizon network is bar none better than either of those (i dont use at&t but i hear it is horrible up here)
7Enigma - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
I will second the request for a permanent post # for referencing. I know the embedded message makes this more difficult but it could simply be the start of a string gets a post number and followups a second number (or letter as rarely do comments get over 20+ replies). I know I've given up several times when I want to go back to an older article to see if the author responded to one of my comments and can't find it without reading every single one.Hopefully something like this can be implemented in the near future as the comment system has really been the only thing lacking on Anandtech compared to other hardware review sites.
Brian Klug - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
We've been looking to add some features lately, I'll be sure to bring comment permalinking up. It might be a little while, but I totally agree.-Brian
CrystalBay - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Yea , nice job Brian...Omid.M - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Brian,Does it have dual mics, i.e. for noise cancellation?
I'm surprised at how many phones don't have this or at least don't advertise it.
@moids
Brian Klug - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Indeed it does, there's one up at the top near the headset jack which is used for noise cancellation. I found suppression to be very good. You can see the mic port here: http://www.anandtech.com/Gallery/Album/1039#21The problem with audio sounding strange when recording videos is still present, though HTC is going to fix this in an update soon, I'm told.
-Brian
SRHelicity - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Great review, Brian! As another commenter noted, this review is thorough and detailed. Good stuff!pandemonium - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
It got me really thinking about the basis of why Verizon and Sprint are pushing their LTE out.With how fast smart phones are being adopted by the general public, they better get a faster move on with their LTE coverage. I can't imagine not being able to simultaneously use data and voice being on a widely covered UMTS service compared to the lacking LTE coverage and the need for a dual transceiver device.
softdrinkviking - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
sorry to hear you were sick, brian. i know how it can be to get the double knockout, not so fun. :(nice to see this kind of form factor in the mix as it is exactly what i'm looking for.
do you, or anyone reading know if there are any similar designs around with a better screen? (ips)
i wonder what the refresh of the Dell streak 5" will add up to, if it's ever coming out?
Stuka87 - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Why is it so many (if not all) of the 4G phones out there are freaking huge?!Is this just a way of trying to move them farther up market, or what? I know there are people that want a larger device. But really, I like the smaller form factors. I would never even consider getting this device because of its size.
HangFire - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
I credit this to Angry Birds. The bigger the tablet, the better the experience.MilwaukeeMike - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Well... it comes with a kickstand, clearly they want us to watch movies on them, which means they're not going to get any smaller. Have you ever had one though? It's not that bad. I have a double sized battery on my EVO and the extra width actually makes it easier to take out of my pocket (The ridge by the kickstand makes a little 'handle') and easier to hold sideways.MilwaukeeMike - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Oh... and a thicker phone means it's more likely in contact with your leg (guys) if in your pocket and increases the chance that you'll feel it when on vibrate.HangFire - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Brian, great in-depth review.The original Tbolt specs had 8GB of NAND Flash, but mine only reads 4. I've heard a rumor the that half was locked out to help deal with the battery issue, and another rumor that it might be "unlocked" some day. Do you have any info?
Also, some mention should be made of the awful Blockbuster app that comes pre-installed, with permissions to spy on everything, running processes that constantly use data, and cannot be uninstalled short of rooting. HTC and Verizon should be made to understand that such shovelware/crapware is totally unacceptable.
I found the 5MP T-Mobile G2 camera much better indoors/low-light than my Tbolt. Alas, T-Mobile has poor data in my area so I moved over to Verizon and the Tbolt. I think the pointless increase in Megapixels is the cause. I'd like to see better pictures, not better specs.
Brian Klug - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Interesting, I went with the HTC specifications which list 8 GB, but see what you mean about 4 GB now on this Thunderbolt. Very curious. I don't think the reason could be battery usage since it's nonvolatile, though I've heard lots of discussion about devices with 1 GB+ of RAM using more battery. I'll ask some questions and find out.The funny part about the crapware on the Thunderbolt is that it's actually far less than I see on the Inspire 4G. I haven't seen the Blockbuster app be persistent (though that could be because I haven't launched it), but otherwise yes you're completely right about the preload situation.
-Brian
sooper_anandtech12 - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Nice to see that the 3.7" 854x480 display on the Droid and Droid 2 still rockin' it as one of THE best displays in the mobile space. As for the push towards qHD displays. To be honest, I would like Motorola and the rest of them to hold off on these qHD displays. They all employ PenTile pixel substructures which effectively means there are less pixels than advertised. Looking at an Atrix display compared to my Droid's display and it's clear the Atrix should have been called Atrocious. The pixelation around widgets and on wallpapers was unacceptable. I haven't seen pixelation like that since AMOLED. Why release qHD PenTile LCDs when Samsung recently admitted PenTile stinks and is going with a normal RGB set up with S-AMOLED+? I'd rather see a nice IPS display like in the LG G2X, running at the antiquated 800x480 than a qHD display running 30% less pixels than the 960x540 that's advertised.mlosee222 - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Confirmed by threads at xda developers and other sources:http://www.engadget.com/2011/04/27/verizons-lte-ne...
Maybe its just the verizon commercials, but what has me sold is the network. I could honestly care less about the phone compared to the speeds LTE offers. Voice is a secondary consideration to data throughput for me. I would buy the thunderbolt for the network alone.
With that being said, I sincerely hope verizon's LTE isn't as overloaded and useless as T-Mobile's "3G" network is.
hans007 - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
i agree. as someone who just left t-mobile for verizon, their network is terrible now at least for data. their voice isn't really spectacular either.in the bay area, their 3G coverage was really spotty.
and i am also in los angeles a lot and t-mobile has a ton of dead zones. i can't believe they advertise it as 4G as it felt slower than 3G on verizon.
Brian Klug - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
It's a bitter irony really, of course the day after I post everything, eHRPD goes down and takes 4G LTE and 3G EVDO (on eHRPD) with it.If you go into EPST (##778#) and enter MSL (000000), you can change the modem setting under Rev.A to use just HRPD instead of eHRPD. That way, you're anchored through the old 3G data network instead of the common anchor point for EVDO and LTE that appears to be having problems right now.
I've been having sporadic EVDO (eHRPD) connectivity all day with dips to 1x. Unfortunate, but things like this will gradually get better in time.
-Brian
synaesthetic - Thursday, April 28, 2011 - link
Really depends on where you live, and plus you also get what you pay for. T-Mobile is considerably cheaper than Verizon.For slightly less service (assuming I do not buy an LTE device), Verizon charges me $30 more than T-Mobile does. From $65 to $95 for almost exactly the same service (though I lose 50 minutes of anytime minutes on Verizon).
Considering the uncertain future of T-Mobile US, I am considering Verizon as an option, but to me the device--and more specifically, the ROM--is the most important thing as long as my network speeds are decent enough.
For the record, my T-Mobile HSPA+ in downtown Berkeley is excellent, usually 6-7Mbps down and 2-3Mbps up. Absolutely sufficient for my purposes. At home, yeah, in the 'burbs my data speed kind of bites... but I have wifi and much faster wired broadband, why would I bother with using my data plan at home? :D
kmmatney - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
One important battery test is how long the phone lasts just sitting around doing nothing, or walking around in a pocket. I can get 3 days out of iPhone 3GS, if I just use it as a phone and not much else.hans007 - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
this or the charge are both pretty similar.the bionic is delayred until at least Q3 . i'm figuring there is probably a reason there are no dual core LTE phones out and they keep getting delayed.
i think either of them is a good choice, if you want to mod your phone, the tbolt is already rooted with several custom roms, and CM7 is already in alpha/beta stage.
HangFire - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Brian,It's not the BB app but the background services behind it that are persistent, particularly PVWmdrmService. You can kill it but it will come back on next reboot.
The first hit on a Google of Thunderbolt Disable Blockbuster recommends starting and updating the app, and then turning off updates from within the app. While this seems to be good advice as far as data usage goes, it does nothing for preventing the background services from starting and taking up RAM.
Looking forward to what you find on the 8GB issue.
bplewis24 - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Brian, excellent job with the review. One of my favorite aspects of the review is how you appropriately compared it to different devices in different contexts (design, function, performance, display, etc), instead of always comparing it to the iPhone4 or always comparing it to the Evo, etc.Very objective, informative and practical review, which I realize is a delicate balance.
Kudos,
Brandon
HangFire - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Just a note, I work in a non-LTE area of MD, and 3G (HRPD I suppose) has been working great all day.pedant - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
"That’s almost exactly double the size"...vision33r - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Soon, all these Android phones will be 4.5"+ and pushing towards 4.7" and 5.0"synaesthetic - Thursday, April 28, 2011 - link
The 4" screen size with the near-8:5 aspect ratio is absolutely my sweet spot. Software problems aside, I love love LOVED my Galaxy S's screen size. The slightly smaller one on my Glacier just feels a bit cramped.carte247 - Wednesday, April 27, 2011 - link
Good job Brian on the extremely thorough and interesting review. There's always a level of thought and analysis in Anandtech reviews that other sites lack. Or maybe I should be angry, as you're seriously making me consider moving away from my G2 (which up until now I was perfectly happy with...).mlangsottile - Thursday, April 28, 2011 - link
Absolutely fantastic review. Anand Tech is my favorite source for detailed technical analysis of consumer electronics like this. Keep up the good work.Omid.M - Thursday, April 28, 2011 - link
A friend "in the know" (yeah, yeah) said HTC accidentally shipped it with S-ON for that portion of the internal storage, and that HTC had (has?) issued an OTA that will allow the full 8GB to be useable. Not sure if it's been pushed, as I don't have the Thunderbolt.Brian,
1) How quickly did GPS lock?
I feel like some of these issues that users experience with other phones---e.g. GPS lock on SGS phones---should be considered for reviews of future phones. I know it can be a hassle, but it should highlight that some issues are manufacturer specific. Hopefully, it lights a fire under mfrs. to correct these problems, if they see that other phones don't suffer from the same.
2) Also, maybe I missed it, but has AnandTech established a Light-Moderate-Heavy usage pattern for phones to test battery life?
i.e., Moderate = 45 min of Bluetooth, 20 min GPS navigation, 10 phone calls, 50 sms, 20 still pictures, etc ?
I saw you set display brightness to 50% and loaded web pages, but I'm talking about how a user would normally use the phone: calls, sms, pictures, BT, GPS...etc.
I am positive you guys have done it before.
Really amazing review. Have been spreading the word, hoping more people flock to AnandTech. You guys deserve the recognition!
@moids
Brian Klug - Thursday, April 28, 2011 - link
Moids,I haven't gotten any OTA updates, but that's entirely possible. Sometimes these review units get updates on a different schedule, so I have no idea. I should check whether it's S-ON or S-OFF.
I constantly forget to post about our GPS testing, possibly because I take it for granted these days that devices do it right. It's something I do test however with a bunch of phones at the same time and compare SNR for all the visible satellites using GPS-Test.
GPS locks fast, but not extremely fast. I took multiple road trips to Phoenix with the Thunderbolt doing navigation guidance. I'd say that 15 seconds with complete sky LOS is enough to get a lock. In location services it does have checkboxes for Verizon's location services and google's. I neglected to take screenshots but SNR is very good on the TB, no GPS problems here.
So the battery life test situation is continuing to evolve. We're working on and will have a system trace setup (exactly what you mention, GPS, using the phone, SMS, browsing) eventually. It's still in progress, of course it'd only work for Android comparisons at present.
Thanks for the good word as always ;)
-Brian
Omid.M - Thursday, April 28, 2011 - link
Feature requests:1) permalinking
2) Signature (with char. limit, like 40 chars, for Twitter ID,etc.)
3) Comment reply notification -- this one is HUGE. It's impossible for me to find replies to my comments, given then I can reply to an old comment (so my reply is "newer") but still buried in a sea of comments from older dates. Make sense?
4) Add Tapatalk compatibility to the AT forums. The mods said they're just waiting on Anand to approve, and I've given examples of other forums built on the same system (phpBB, etc) with equal or more users, to show that those forums are working fine and won't buckle under high traffic. Just have to register the forums (free) with Tapatalk so we can post using the Android/iOS app.
Oh, and a Wordpress style mobile version of these articles would be sweet, especially for commenting.
Come on, AT! The best tech site on the net should have these features! :D
Great work as always. Hope you nail those papers, Brian.
Omid.M - Thursday, April 28, 2011 - link
Awesome. Thanks for the reply!The OTA is coming if it hasn't already. I'll check with my source, but he said HTC definitely wanted to make the full 8 GB usable, so it was definitely a minor oversight on their part which they intend to correct.
I don't know why more manufacturers haven't built antennas into the cover. It definitely seems the way to go.
FYI,
Regarding the sig, if you could make it so the badge (to the left) has another bar below the handle where you can put, say, a Twitter ID...well, that'd be slick...hint hint.
That way, since it can only take something like a Twitter ID, you won't have to worry about junk URLs clogging up the comments section. Plus, people can retweet or tweet at individual comments.
Expect more RTs of this article shortly :)
whthawk - Friday, April 29, 2011 - link
Fascinating and easy read. Thanks!FITCamaro - Sunday, May 1, 2011 - link
I love all the people who are like "its thick and heavy....waaaa..." Man up people. Some of us like to have a phone that has some meat to it so we don't feel like we're going to break it. Nor is 5 ounces instead of 4 going to make any difference. For me even the Thunderbolt barely is noticeable when I'm holding it.floyd1 - Wednesday, May 4, 2011 - link
he folks who can tell me how can i order this htc thunderbolt???? and what is the price??? hope some one can help me my regards floyd from hollandname99 - Saturday, May 7, 2011 - link
"The Thunderbolt has noticeably less attenuation when held in a 4G LTE scenario, no doubt thanks in part to the fact that it's fully leveraging MIMO "This statement makes no sense.
(a) To know what is going on requires knowing what is being reported by that signal strength number. THE big issue with mobile radio is the VARIANCE in signal strength. This variance occurs on a timescale of 10s of ms, and a spatial scale of cm/
So when that dB number is reported, what EXACTLY is being reported? The maximum value over the past n seconds? The minimum value? A time average of the power, converted into dB? A time average of the dB rating. (Since the mapping from power to dB is non-linear, these two types of averages are VERY different),
(b) MIMO is NOT a technology to deal with a weak radio signal, in fact the exact opposite.
Given two antennas, you can use them in two DIFFERENT ways.
(i) You can use the two antennas via receive diversity, which means they each pick up an independent version of what is essentially the same signal. This is useful when the amount of signal variance means that one of the signals is frequently too weak to be useful, but usually not both, so at least one of the signals is strong enough to be useful.
ST codes like Alamouti are a fancy version of this idea.
Note --- this is useful for situation where the combination of the mean signal strength AND the variance means that the signal is sometimes too weak. It does not help if the mean strength is too low to be useful; it is a coping mechanism for a high variance.
(ii) MIMO is different. MIMO says we will use the two antennas to decode what are essentially two independent streams of data, and double our throughput. For this to work, we require that the lowest signal strength received (even in the presence of variance) not be too low. Thus this is a technology to take advantage of either a high mean signal strength, or an unusually low variance in the signal strength.
You can use your antennas to give you either diversity (more consistent reception) or MIMO (higher throughput, under good conditions), but not both.
NEITHER diversity nor MIMO can deal with a signal that is too weak. There IS multi-antenna technology that can do this (beam shaping) but I don't know if any carrier or cell-phones use this.
In other words, if this phone shows lower attenuation when being held
(a) who knows WTF that actually means, since we have no idea what is actually being measured
(b) it likely has more to do with the details of the placement and geometry of the antenna than with antenna diversity
(c) it certainly has nothing to do with the specific technology of MIMO
name99 - Saturday, May 7, 2011 - link
Having made the complaint above, congrats to Brian for taking my earlier complaints about these reviews to heart and trying to get a more comprehensive picture of the capabilities of these phones beyond mere headline numbers!Certainly, for example, the histograms are very helpful.
EvoGuy - Monday, May 16, 2011 - link
Droid Charge does not have an MDM9600 or any other Qualcomm IC.Of the four LTE smartphones coming to Verizon, only HTC has a Qualcomm LTE IC. CDMA is handled by VIA in the Charge, Q has the other three.
Also, EV-DO stands for EVolution-Data Only. "Data Optimized" is a backronym to try and cover up the fact that EV-DO cannot support voice. There was a standard called EV-DV (EVolution - Data & Voice), but it was killed by the giant IC company.
Nitpicker - Wednesday, June 29, 2011 - link
Why is the video in this review from the TB's front-facing camera in mirror image?Compare to the first video and also see that the Congress St sign is backwards!
Great review!