HTC was the first manufacturer to provide a 4G phone though a US carrier when it shipped the HTC EVO 4G from Sprint. At the end of last year, HTC promised it would once again be the first to 4G with another carrier. And days later, the company announced the Thunderbolt smartphone with Verizon Wireless.  It's been a few months since the announcement, and although there were many rumored release dates for the phone, it only recently became available for consumers to purchase.