If there are two handsets we’ve written about more than any others so far this year the Apple iPhone 4 for Verizon and the HTC Thunderbolt, also on Verizon, would have to be two of the main candidates. We have previously compared these two phones along with the Motorola Droid Bionic, as far as specs go but we wondered in the battle of the HTC Thunderbolt vs. the Verizon iPhone 4, which is selling better?
Verizon finally got the iPhone 4 in February while the Thunderbolt was released in a blaze of publicity in March because it was the first 4G handset for the Verizon 4G LTE network. If you want to check out more specs for either of these handsets then head to the Verizon Wireless website here, where you’ll be able find out information on both. For now though we wanted to know which phone is selling best at Verizon stores and it seems that the Thunderbolt is actually outselling the Verizon iPhone.
Over on BGR, sourced from BTIG Research, Zach Epstein reports on how analyst Walter Piecyk says that not only are HTC Thunderbolt sales holding up against the iPhone 4 at Verizon Wireless stores, but that in some stores the Thunderbolt has the edge. Research involved 150 Verizon stores across 22 cities whereby stores were asked which handset was selling more. Apparently the amount of stores saying they were selling in roughly the same amounts was 61% but 28% said Thunderbolts were selling more while only 11% asserted the iPhone 4 was selling more than the Thunderbolt.
The Thunderbolt has impressed many with its excellent speed performance, though hasn’t been without reported problems, but has certainly got off to a good start sales-wise although of course we should remember this research only covered sales from Verizon Wireless stores. It seems to suggest though, that the trend towards larger displays continues which would be something that Apple should note for the iPhone 5 whenever it eventually comes. Wireless and Mobile News also reports on this sales research and adds that the Thunderbolt is expected to get the Android 2.3 Gingerbread update sometime in this second quarter.
After the entire hullabaloo when Verizon finally got the iPhone are you surprised that the HTC Thunderbolt is outselling it at Verizon stores? Maybe you think it’s understandable considering the fact that the Thunderbolt is a 4G phone and the iPhone 4 is not? Let us know your thoughts by sending us your comments please.