Verizon on Friday night pushed an update (PDF) for the HTC Thunderbolt to address some common quirks but also to add new features. The 1.70.605.0 revamp solves a chronic problem with rebooting as well as one with data access. Completely new, however, is a desktop cradle app: it can show a clock when the phone is on its side in the dock and presumably is otherwise optimized for the new mode.
The update goes on to bring a number of other additions, such as a better Bluetooth discovery mode window, the option of viewing the app menu in tabs, and a new call history view. It’s now possible to search people, and Backup Assistant is easier to find. Verizon has also made some changes to the default loadout that not all users would appreciate, such as adding the New York Times to the web bookmarks and installing My Verizon, V Cast Music, and V Cast Videos.
It’s not known if any of the Verizon apps can be removed.
The update still leaves the phone on Android 2.2. HTC has been working on Android 2.3 and has even seen test builds leak out. Any final release date is still vague, though, as HTC has missed its spring target to bring the 4G phone up to date.
