John- From what I have seen so far, the LTE radio doesn't tax the battery any more than any other radio in the system. Obviously, adding one more radio device adds to the current load on the battery but what I see here is the cause and effect of having an access to the internet that is efficient so that one tends to use it more. e.g. using the LTE to surf the net and in particular to play games and watch more video requires you use the screen more. The screen is the real drain on the battery, not the radio. I can keep the LTE active all day and when I rarely use the phone that turns on the screen, the battery can last easily 7-8 hours. Yesterday was dead, no phone calls and I only checked e-mail twice, and used the phone for about 15 minutes to shoot some still and video and then send those files to my wife's e-mail. The TBolt was pulled off the charger at 8AM and I got the 15% warning at midnight. 16 hours on one battery with the LTE active. So, a good question would be how much longer would the battery hold up had I switched to 3G or EVDO radio only?
Personally, I think the LTE is getting an unfair rap on this battery issue. Like you have an old clunker of a car you hate to drive so it sits in the driveway most of the time. Then you buy a new fancy car that is fun and you drive it all the time now. Guess what? I'd bet your gas cost per week on that new car is quite a bit more than the old clunker!