The HTC Thunderbolt has been the focus of lots of Verizon Android fans’ attention these last few months as they’ve patiently waited for its release.  The LTE-equipped smartphone was originally thought to be shipping alongside the Motorola XOOM on February 14th.

When the XOOM launch came and went, reports surfaced that the Thunderbolt would arrive in late February.  But this is the last day of the month, and still there have been no announcements.  Why?

Apparently, the first LTE Android phone from Verizon has been plagued with terrible battery life, and the folks at the carrier and HTC are working on a firmware update to address the issue.  While Engadget is reporting that multiple sources have confirmed that this is, indeed, the cause of the push back, others believe the phone has been purposely delayed to help reportedly disappointing Verizon iPhone 4 sales.  Verizon is rightly stating that “no release date has ever been released” for the Thunderbolt, but has made no comment regarding delays. 

So, now the word is that March 4th is the day for the HTC Thunderbolt.  We’ll see.  If the March 4th date holds, this would seem to support the cynical theory that the issue isn’t one of hardware or software, while a longer delay would suggest bigger problems.

We’ll keep you updated on the latest rumors.