HTC Merge vs HTC Thunderbolt
HTC Merge and HTC Thunderbolt are two Android smartphones from HTC with slideout QWERTY keyboard. Both HTC Merge and HTC Thunderbolt run Android 2.2 with HTC Sense. HTC Thunderbolt is a 4G-LTE phone that was unveiled on the first week of January 2011 while HTC Merge is a 3G-CDMA phone that was officially announced on 25 February 2011. HTC Thunderbolt was one of the first Android 4G phone to support 4G-LTE network (LTE 700) and HTC Merge is the first Android CDMA world phone from HTC. It is a 3G Phone that support 3G-CDMA network (CDMA 1X800/1900, CDMA EvDO rev.A) with global 3G roaming. This is the major difference between HTC Thunderbolt and HTC Merge. Other differences are in the hardware feature of the devices, those are mainly processor speed, display size and type and camera quality. Both are having slideout full QWERTY keyboard.
HTC Merge
HTC Merge is packed with 3.8″ display, 800MHz processor, 5 megapixel camera with auto focus, flash and capability to capture 720p HD video. HTC Merge comes with integrated Flickr, Facebook and Twitter. Other features are yet to be confirmed. The special feature of the device is the support for 3G roaming. The frequent travelers would like this phone for its roaming feature and physical keyboard.
HTC Thunderbolt
HTC Thunderbolt is built with a powerful 1GHz Qualcomm MDM9600 processor and 768 MB RAM to support the 4G speed. The handset has 8megapixel camera with dual LED flash, 720pHD video recording in the rear and 1.3megapixel camera in the front for video calling. The phone runs Android 2.2 (upgradeable to 2.3) with HTC Sense 2 that features fast boot. It also has an internal storage capacity of 8 GB and pre-installed 32 GB microSD.
With 4.3” WVGA display, high speed processor, 4G speed, Dolby Surround Sound, DLNA streaming and hands free kickstand the device will give the pleasure of live music environment to the users.
HTC Thunderbolt has integrated Skype mobile with video calling, you can make video call easily like a standard voice call. And with the mobile hotspot capability you can share your 4G connection with 8 other Wi-Fi enabled devices
The phone is expected to hit the market in March 2011 and is sure to catch the eyes of many, especially those who are obsessed with speed. The phone will be liked by all the mobile users who want to carry their office with them and on the move.
In the US market, HTC Thunderbolt has an exclusive tie up with Verizon. HTC Thunderbolt will run on Verizon’s 4G-LTE network (Network support LTE 700, CDMA EvDO Rev.A). However, HTC has announced that HTC Merge will not be tied with one carrier and it will be available from multiple North American operators starting from spring 2011. Anyhow, Verizon will definitely be the first carrier to get HTC Merge.