James Cushing from The Gadgets is reporting that a ROM and radio update was recently leaked via the XDA forums, and other sources. Many Thunderbolt users rejoiced with the news of better battery life and updated Sense UI. Now many users are reporting that the leaked update is bricking their devices.

Users don’t get any warning the handset is about to brick, and can happen a while after installing the update. At the moment if your device does brick there is now fix for it rendering the handset useless. You will have no chance getting a refund or a replacement as your warranty will be void as you have rooted the device.

If you have the leaked ROM it is advised you return back to the stock Froyo, and any ROM which is based on the leaked build could brick the device so don’t use it. For instructions on returning the handset back to Froyo click here.

Mark Raby from TG Daily is reporting that the issue to its high speed data network has been confirmed by Verizon. They have said they know what the cause is and are working to fix it. The problems began yesterday morning and affects owners of the only 4G handset currently on the network.

Users are left with a 1X data connection on their handsets, which is a really slow data connection similar to what was used at the start of the 2000s. The problems are also affecting USB modems and Verizon’s 4G MiFi devices.

The downtime originally affected users in the Atlanta area due to weather problems, but then expanded across the country. It now looks like that Verizon are starting to restore coverage, as Roger Cheng from The Wall Street journal is reporting the service is back in New York.

Have you been affected by the outage?

According to a report by Rob Jackson of Phandroid, the HTC Thunderbolt will come with a Mobile Hotspot option, but also it will be 4G and best of all free. Verizon offered the same sort of deal a year ago with the Palm Pre, so it might not be too farfetched. The offer is likely to be a short term deal, and the free part might only be for one month.

It is rumored that the device is being delayed because of issues with Skype, and the new release date could be between the 17th and 24th of February. There is also talk of the Thunderbolt supporting up to eight devices via its Hotspot feature.

Meanwhile over at PCMag there is an article giving owners of the Verizon iPhone, five ways to use the devices personal hotspot. When commuting home on the train, use the feature to connect your laptop to continue working.

If you are on a long journey in the car with the kids, use it to connect all their devices so there will be less chance of them getting bored. Or how about helping out a friend on AT&T when they are in a dead spot.

Nothing is known about the fifth-generation iPhone just yet – just speculation – but we do know that Apple will not make the same mistakes at it did with the current model. Unbeatable believes that Apple will have some tough competition this year, as there are a number of handsets coming to the market with a number of upgraded features.

Looking over some of these features they include dual-core processor, Android 2.3, 4G/LTE technology and much more. So what handsets come top of the list to take on the iPhone 5 in 2011?

The smartphones are as follows:

• Sony Ericsson Xperia Arc
• LG Optimus 2X
• Motorola ATRIX 4G
• HTC Thunderbolt
• Samsung Infuse 4G
• LG Optimus Black
• BlackBerry Torch 2

These are just 7 new handsets that could do very well, but one or two models could have a hard time competing with Apple’s smartphone. We do not think for one moment that the BlackBerry Torch 2 has what it takes; this first model was not that great and we have seen with the Storm 2 that RIM never offers any groundbreaking leaps from the first to the second-generation.

Now the Motorola ATRIX 4G and the HTC Thunderbolt is a different story, as both brands know how to produce good phones that are worthy of an all-out brawl with the iPhone.

There is one other handset that needs a mention – well multiple really – the new Samsung Galaxy S2 range, which should be released on most carriers, just like the current S model. More details on this handset can be seen in one of our recent posts here.

So what handset do you think will be able to take on the upcoming iPhone 5?

The snap-on cases cost just $12.99 and are available in six different colors, these are red, blue, clear, dark blue, purple and rose pink. Apparently these cases have a soft-touch rubberized finish and are made out of two-pieces, this unique design allows maximum exposure to the handset’s outer edges and display. You can buy your Thunderbolt Protex Hard Snap-on Cases here.

The other accessory available is a battery for the Thunderbolt, this is one of HTC’s standard 1400 mAh batteries and is identical to the one which HTC will supply with the new Thunderbolt 4G. You can buy your spare battery for $29.99 here.

Below we have embedded photos showing both of the HTC Thunderbolt accessories which we spoke about earlier in this post, do you like the look of the case?

If neither of these accessories interest you we have some good news, a website has been setup just for HTC Thunderbolt accessories, at the moment it looks as if the site is still being worked on, however it may be worth bookmarking the site for the future, here is the URL: http://www.onlythunderboltaccessories.com.

Found a better site for HTC Thunderbolt accessories? Let us know in the comments section below.

Phandroid’s Quentyn Kennemer claims that he has gathered evidence from several source and February 14th is looking like a likely date, indecently this is the same day that Mobile World Congress 2011 starts.

To be honest with you I do not know what to make of Quentyn’s prediction, he does not name the sources which helped him come up with this particular date, therefore we must not take this “news” too seriously.

If you would like to find out more about the HTC Thunderbolt you should chck out HTC’s official technical specifications page, also if you would like to receive emails direct from Verizon regarding the latest HTC Htunderbolt 4G news enter your email address on this page.

As we hear more regarding the HTC Thunderbolt 4G release we will keep you posted, are you waiting for the Thunderbolt? If so, how long will you wait?

Engadget has managed to get their hands on some advertising for the still unannounced device, and these ads reveal that the HTC Thunderbolt 4G will come with a 8 megapixel camera as well as a front-facing camera for video chat.

Don’t forget that this phone is headed to Verizon too, meaning that those video chats will also be running via Verizon’s new 4G LTE network. HTC nor Verizon are yet to reveal that this mystery device is indeed the Thunderbolt 4G, but it certainly looks that way since the handset is now appearing all over the place.

Verizon subscribers really have it good at the moment, as we’re also hearing that the Thunderbolt 4G will be joined by an unknown Samsung device on Verizon, only known by it’s Samsung SCH-i520 model number. CES 2011 probably has all the answers you’re looking for, so we’ll be letting you know what happens at the event live.