HTC ThunderBolt outsells the Apple iPhone 4 on Verizon?

Some analysts have taken it upon themselves to find out how well the ThunderBolt has been doing, in terms of sales against Apple’s iPhone 4 on Verizon’s network. They contacted 150 Verizon Wireless retail stores over 22 major cities in the US and asked the sales representatives whether they were selling more ThunderBolts or iPhones over the past week. Their results: 61% said they sold an equal amount of both phones, 11% said they sold more iPhones and 28% said they sold more ThunderBolts.

But what do these results actually mean? Is the ThunderBolt really outselling the iPhone? Let’s take the following factors into consideration: the iPhone 4 has been out on the market for almost a year. Granted, it only arrived on Verizon a couple of months ago, but in the world of technology – the iPhone 4 is old. And as we all know, nobody really wants to buy an old phone. Let’s not forget – the iPhone 5 is rumored to arrive a few months down the road – who would want to be tied down to an old phone with a 2 year contract when a successor is due in the near future? The ThunderBolt is a new device, and consumer interest is at its peak, while interest in the iPhone has hit a plateau – of course people are going to want the more interesting, fresh device right now.

So while the ThunderBolt might be the hottest gadget right now (it is Verizon’s first 4G LTE phone after all), can it maintain its momentum? That is the more relevant question. After all it’s not saying much if a phone only sells well in its first few weeks, and then nobody buys it anymore. Until now, people are still buying the iPhone 4, which is a testament to the phone’s quality and attractiveness. Can we say the same thing for the ThunderBolt? And with Verizon being mum about the official sales figures for their phones, we won’t be able to tell for sure. What are your thoughts about the HTC ThunderBolt? Make sure you check out our sister’s site review of the iPhone 4 and of the ThunderBolt.