Previously we compared the HTC Thunderbolt with the iPhone 4. Moving on to another comparison, the HTC Thunderbolt and Inspire 4G are two of the hottest 4G smartphones right now. The Inspire 4G can be had for just $99 on AT&T with a new two year contract. To that, you’re likely to add the $25/month data plan which gives you 2GB of data transfer. The Thunderbolt is much more expensive at $249, and the data plan of choice is the $30/month unlimited plan. Both devices can do tethering for an added $20 per month, which gives you 2GB of data transfer.

The Inspire 4G is much thinner and lighter than the Thunderbolt, but you don’t get 4G LTE, or the kickstand. The Inspire 4G also feels higher-quality in hand thanks to unibody metal construction, whereas the Thunderbolt uses more plastic.

Inside, they are basically the same phone. Both have a 1GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon CPU with 768MB of RAM. The Thunderbolt comes with a huge 32GB microSD card, and the Inspire 4G includes an 8GB card. Another difference between the two devices is the inclusion of a front-facing camera on the Thunderbolt, which is nice for video chat.

In terms of day to day operation, both are speedy and capable.

And the end of the day, which device you go with is dependant on your needs. For those wanting a thin handset, the Inspire is best. For the fastest internet speeds possible, the Thunderbolt can do great LTE speeds.