NEW: When Will the ThunderBolt be Available for Purchase?

[Preach2k]

I don't understand how people continue to hold VZW blameless in all of this. BB did not throw a dart at a calendar to choose a date to start preorders. Clearly they had to have info directly from VZW itself that indicated it was an approppriate time to get the ball rolling. By granting Best Buy exclusive retailer status they are saying that BB is in partnership with them. BB has taken a lot of the heat for this and while I think they have to own some of this, I do not think that it is entirely fair. BB has had my $50 dollars for weeks now and that has to be a direct result of info straight from Big Red's mouth. Several people keep on singing the refrain that VZW has never oficially released a date for release and therefore we have no right to be upset. When their exclusive retailer was allowed to start taking money that was as good as an announcement that the phone was coming soon. Clearly, it didn't. VZW could've taken the high road and communicated with their customers. But instead we got condescending and non-informative tweets and facebook postings. Now, I know someone is going to tell me that if I am so upset I should go ask BB to give me my money back. I don't want my money back I want the phone or a reasonable idea of when the heck I am going to get it.

Rant over. On topic I am still banking on the 10th!

I would never do pre-orders with best Buy when the Verizon store has not.. Because Verizon never Officially gave a release date... Best Buy jump the gun to get the customers in early.. Yes Verizon is not innocent in this but it is a business... Just show me where Verizon or HTC said that the phone will be released on this date?

 

[miss chris]

Throwing a dart at the calender sounds like a good idea. At least we would know what the date is. :icon_ banana:

You are right. Maybe I was on to something!

 

[scottt732]

OMG everyone! 12 minutes until Noon EST, GMT-5, VZW-0... world's longest drumroll...

 

[MeganLeigh1122]

i understand people want the thunderbolt to come out already but if you have a phone that's falling apart why not get the incredible? it's a great phone and you do have 14 days to decide if you want to keep it or not. if your 14 days are up and there's no sign of the incredible you can go back to your old phone and wait a little bit longer for the thunderbolt.

if you're just looking to upgrade be patient... this phone will be worth the wait

 

[leehblanc]

I don't understand how people continue to hold VZW blameless in all of this. BB did not throw a dart at a calendar to choose a date to start preorders. Clearly they had to have info directly from VZW itself that indicated it was an approppriate time to get the ball rolling. By granting Best Buy exclusive retailer status they are saying that BB is in partnership with them. BB has taken a lot of the heat for this and while I think they have to own some of this, I do not think that it is entirely fair. BB has had my $50 dollars for weeks now and that has to be a direct result of info straight from Big Red's mouth. Several people keep on singing the refrain that VZW has never oficially released a date for release and therefore we have no right to be upset. When their exclusive retailer was allowed to start taking money that was as good as an announcement that the phone was coming soon. Clearly, it didn't. VZW could've taken the high road and communicated with their customers. But instead we got condescending and non-informative tweets and facebook postings. Now, I know someone is going to tell me that if I am so upset I should go ask BB to give me my money back. I don't want my money back I want the phone or a reasonable idea of when the heck I am going to get it.

Rant over. On topic I am still banking on the 10th!

I would never do pre-orders with best Buy when the Verizon store has not.. Because Verizon never Officially gave a release date... Best Buy jump the gun to get the customers in early.. Yes Verizon is not innocent in this but it is a business... Just show me where Verizon or HTC said that the phone will be released on this date?

I can't show you where they did... you got me. Perhaps though someone would be willing to explain why Verizon and HTC practically took over the web and TV on February 14th (the day BB gave as the pickup date) I saw 8 TB commercials in an episode of House. CNN had an animated banner that took over the page when you went to it, etc etc. Are we to believe that this, followed by the ads being removed, is a coincidence? I think not, but I'm willing to listen...

 

[seldon]

No provider can be beholden to 1 supplier and let that supplier dictate their business.
/rant

This too funny.. Have you ever heard of little company called MICRO$OFT?

You're quoting me but I didn't write that

 

[madvad]

Saying VZW didn't announce the date and therefore is not delaying is correct. This is still a complete . I've never seen so many leaks regarding a product. They need to stop their leakers asap. As an example of managing leaks, look at Apple. Bestbuy is going to sell iPad2, first time I learned about the actual specs and street date, ignoring the rumor mills from suppliers, was this Thursday. BB was probably aware of the March 11 release date as well, yet we didn't see scans of their shipments, stock, or anything. So same distribution channel, yet we have a concrete release date in place. VZW did an awful job managing the release, whether its preventing leaks or not communicating with the customers is besides the point.

 

[P7M8]

While we have been speculating and obsessing over the release date of this phone 99% of the smartphone consumers have been clueless while going about their lives. They'll see a VZW/T-Bolt commercial with a 03.10.11 release date soon enough. Of those who want one, some will go to the store that day, some will wait a few days. But most will have no idea about the delays, bickering between VZW/HTC, iPhone conspiracies and endless forum threads.

Then after the release we'll have our phones and will care less about why it was delayed and enjoy our new devices for a few weeks until we come back and obsess over the next forthcoming release.

 

[wedge40]

So could this all be a very curel ad campaign? Now that would be funny.

I'm hoping for the 10th, but still figure the 31st is the date.

Note: I'm pretty sure I could make it the 10th. If I stop off at BB or Verizon this weekend and pick up xoom, the TB will be out the 10th.

 

[AmericanNomads]

So I heard HTC was coming out with a new phone?

 

[Stevessvt]

How will they know, as the masses go about their busy lives, to go to Verizon on 3-10-11 if Verizon never tells them to? Its 6 days away, are they waiting until the day before to tell them?
And we still have -0- concrete info on it being the 10th.

 

[Its TwiX]

Saying VZW didn't announce the date and therefore is not delaying is correct. This is a complete . However, I've never seen so many leaks regarding a product. They need to stop their leakers asap. As an example of managing leaks, look at Apple. Bestbuy is going to sell iPad2, first time I learned about the actual specs and street date, ignoring the rumor mills from suppliers, was this Thursday. BB was probably aware of the March 11 release date as well, yet we didn't see scans of their shipments, stock, or anything. So same distribution channel, yet we have a concrete release date in place. VZW did a job managing the release, whether its preventing leaks or not communicating with the customers is besides the point.

I saw leaks like 2 weeks ago about the iPad2... but Apple always keeps their products on the down low. Kind of helps to not go to any big mobile event like CES or MWC.

Leakers are just trying to get info. Whether it's correct or not is unclear. It's your job to decide whether you think it's true or not. So if someone leaks something and you believe it and it turns out not to be true it's not their fault. Don't be mad at the leakers. You're the one who blindly followed their uncertain information. You COULD wait to hear word from Verizon and then all the information you would get would be (mostly) always true.

Just because a person leaks a release date and it changes doesn't mean that wasn't true at the time. Things change. If you go walk into a Verizon Wireless store and ask about the Thunderbolt (at least when I go to ask) you'll get: It was supposed to be released on Valentine's Day... then the 24th, then the 28th, and now the [insert speculated date here]

And finally... pc's censors are pro... :yr1:

 

[HollywoodPR1]

I just want the phone. In the mean time I have the incredible. Maybe ill just root it.

Sent from my ADR6300 using DroidForums App

 

[wedge40]

No provider can be beholden to 1 supplier and let that supplier dictate their business. I'm sure Apple got some great perks in their contract, but control over VZWs release schedule for non-Apple products just isn't one of them.

/rant

This too funny.. Have you ever heard of little company called MICRO$OFT?

 

[MeganLeigh1122]

So I heard HTC was coming out with a new phone?

are you referring to the thunderbolt or something else?

in one of the past threads i remember reading that there was going to be a phone released towards the end of the year that would be a follow up to the incredible... but the only followup i see is the incredible s which is europe exclusive. is there going to be a us followup of the incredible?