It’s no secret that the HTC Thunderbolt on Verizon LTE, though capable of some of the fastest data rates around, can be a bit of a power hog. We’re hoping that the issues leading to its heavy battery demands get worked out in future LTE devices, and in the meantime we’ve looked at tricks like turning off the phone’s 4G that could help extend battery life a little. On the flip side of the coin, rather than make the phone more energy-efficient, you could always just make charging it a little more convenient. To that end, there will be a replacement battery cover for the phone that lets it charge inductively, and it’s already started showing up on Verizon’s website.

The replacement cover will render your Thunderbolt a smidge thicker, making room for the antenna used to draw power from a nearby inductive charger. The cover may be appearing on Verizon’s site (though it won’t actually let you order it yet), but there’s no sign of the needed charger as of yet. It’s likely the accessory will be compatible with the charging pad we’ve seen for the LG Revolution’s similar inductive battery cover. Verizon is expected to start selling the pad soon for $70. The Thunderbolt cover itself lists for another $40. At this kind of money, does inductive charging sound like a viable option, or more like an expensive curiosity?

Source: GottaBeMobile

Via: Phandroid