HTC Thunderbolt Could Be Delayed Due to Battery Issues! Is There a Bigger Issue?

It seems such a long time ago that we got our exclusive first hands on with the HTC Thunderbolt, and still no confirmed release date.  There have been numerous dates bounced around.  Best Buy tweeted that the phone should be available on March 4th, and then a few other news outlet reported a March 10th release.  According to recent speculation and the removal of the latest round of Verizon ads from YouTube, it’s thought that the HTC Thunderbolt may have battery issues and they are waiting for a new firmware release to resolve the issues.

Maybe the new 4G LTE is taking more power than anticipated?  Are the latest smartphones becoming too powerful for the batteries supplying them with power? It does seem that the manufacturers claims of “improved performance with better technologies will result in better life” may not be true.

Not much has changed in battery technology or size since the release of the T-Mobile G1 and I for one would be more than happy for a small increase in weight if it means I can get a step up in usability time for my phone.

With the possible delay of the HTC Thunderbolt from Verizon, what does this mean for the 4G LTE experience everyone is waiting for?  If the battery life is significantly impacted when a device uses 4G LTE, does this also mean other devices will be affected?

The Motorola Xoom is waiting for a firmware upgrade that will enable 4G LTE mode in its radio, and tablets already have issues with battery life powering such large displays.  Let’s hope this is not a sign of things to come, or the manufacturers come up with a new technology to improve the amount of power they can store in batteries or more efficient innards such as processors that make up the difference.  Whatever happens, I think that manufacturers like HTC need to start getting our latest round of Super Phones working for longer periods of time so we don’t have to carry extra batteries and chargers all over the place.

What device do you have and how long does the battery last?  What other accessories do you carry to help you get through the day?