HTC Thunderbolt Crippled from Launch: No Mobile Hotspot & No Skype Video Chat? [HTC Thunderbolt Rumored Not to Offer Mobile Hotspot Features or Skype Video Chat on Launch Date]

Posted on TFTS by Chris Smith on Sunday, 30. January 2011 under: Mobile/Cell Phones

The HTC Thunderbolt keeps popping all over the Internets and this time it’s not all good news. In fact we’re pretty surprised to hear that the HTC Thunderbolt will not offer Mobile Hotspot functionality or Skype video chat out of the box considering that we’re looking at an amazing Android device scheduled to hit stores soon.

First off we’ll start with that Mobile Hotspot feature which is something we’ve seen in various other phones, especially hot Android devices. In fact, even the Verizon iPhone 4 will come with Mobile Hotspot functionality, and while not every smartphone owner will choose to use it it’s still great to know such a feature could be activated at your own wish.

So what’s going on with the HTC Thunderbolt and why isn’t it going to get Mobile Hotspot powers? Is such a feature going to be enabled by a future update?

Moving on to Skype video chat, well, it’s really not something you couldn’t do without, and it’s certainly not a must-have, especially when compared to that Mobile Hotspot feature. But the HTC Thunderbolt will not get it either, at least not outside the box.

We have already told you that the Thunderbolt will have simultaneous voice and data capabilities both over 3G and 4G, which is quite interesting and especially useful if you’re going to use your phone as a Mi-Fi solution. That way you could still share the Internet connection with your Wi-Fi devices while talking on the phone, which is not something the CDMA iPhone 4 will be able to do.

But the Thunderbolt will lack that Mobile Hotspot feature so it won’t really be used as a Mi-Fi as soon as it gets launched. We’re yet to officially confirm these details so stick around, folks, for more Thunderbolt details. The phone’s release date has not been announced yet and there’s plenty of time for things to change when it comes to these two missing features.

Anyone already angry about any of this?

Source

Chris Smith
@Res D, yes, that is true, but the features mentioned on the official HTC site might not be the actual features the Thunderbolt has to offer at launch. I never said Mobile Hotspot and Skype video chat aren’t coming, they might be enabled with future updates. Other blogs that are covering Android-news mostly, check the via link, got a hold of this rumor, and I’m sure they visited the same official HTC page a bunch of times themselves.

DroidFan
I would still want the phone. It is a little disappointing, but it is expected to be great!!
alex
I don’t care about hotspot..!!!
Krem
Hmm.
“We’re yet to officially confirm these details … ”
Are you kidding right now? That’s like me saying, “I already have the Thunderbolt in my pocket, and it’s on ATT, not Verizon. Of course, this could be completely false, so don’t bother listening.”
Yeah…
tanazije
How long it will take for xda to break that up it is to be seen… I say few weeks and it’ll be up and running with both :)
Coffee
Iphone 4! I need the Iphone 4, give it to me now! I want the one with the bigger GBs, it has the wifis.
Brad
I have been looking forward to this phone and now am finding out they are taking away certain features which are posted in store and I say that makes it no better than the droid and they better lower the cost of this phone and not ask the %300 they are advertising……
Verizon is already on this ice with me since they have made certain changes and have gone away from pleasing the consumer !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
evan
I have this phone on verizon. There is a mobile hot spot feature, its free till may 15. I moved to this phone from the Droid 2, this one is much better, I trust htc more than Motorola. The guy I bought it from kept raving about how its solidly built, metal frame. My only problem is mobile internet isn’t working. It’s no problem now cuz I’m sure its a simple fix. Thats the only thing I can find wrong with this phone.