300 dollar price point: might it change your mind?

[canesfan44]

You don't give any substantive reason why 4G is a huge deal, and why having data speeds that fast on a phone matters. You just assert it.

Here's all I can figure--LTE matters for video. That's about it. In some ways though HPSA+ seems like the sweet spot where it can move quickly enough for just about every task, but without the battery drain of LTE or WiMax. I don't play games on my phone, nor do I stream video, but I do use my phone seriously for work, email, browsing. Do I need 4G for that? What's the selling point? I've used WiMax on my Evo twice, and the battery drain was so bad I haven't used it since September. If an LTE radio draws power in anything like the same way as a WiMax radio, it's not worth it. I just don't need that extra speed at the expense it requires. I guess I can send email more quickly, maybe Pandora will work marginally better, but that's about it. I don't totally get how tripling the bandwidth available on my phone will revolutionize my phone experience. But maybe I'm just old school in my usage. I'd be happy to be wrong about this.

Edit: put differently, what can't you do on your phone now that LTE would let you do?

As a BB Storm owner and a South Floridian, I can look up the score of a Heat or Canes game in less than 5 minutes. To me, that's a pretty big deal, not too mention the possibility of it reading flash and being able to view many things I can't now. I'm not going to get into the possibility of Netflix and Skype.

 

[VideoEngineerAJS]

You don't give any substantive reason why 4G is a huge deal, and why having data speeds that fast on a phone matters. You just assert it.

Here's all I can figure--LTE matters for video. That's about it. In some ways though HPSA+ seems like the sweet spot where it can move quickly enough for just about every task, but without the battery drain of LTE or WiMax. I don't play games on my phone, nor do I stream video, but I do use my phone seriously for work, email, browsing. Do I need 4G for that? What's the selling point? I've used WiMax on my Evo twice, and the battery drain was so bad I haven't used it since September. If an LTE radio draws power in anything like the same way as a WiMax radio, it's not worth it. I just don't need that extra speed at the expense it requires. I guess I can send email more quickly, maybe Pandora will work marginally better, but that's about it. I don't totally get how tripling the bandwidth available on my phone will revolutionize my phone experience. But maybe I'm just old school in my usage. I'd be happy to be wrong about this.

Edit: put differently, what can't you do on your phone now that LTE would let you do?

For me personally? A lot as I have a lowly Storm 1. However, for business it is a big deal. In fact when our Verizon rep was here, everyone that went to talk to him was talking about LTE and the Thunderbolt because of the speed and this is in a billion dollar corporation. So LTE is not just about streaming video. Of all people, business people should be ecstatic about LTE.

For a lot of people LTE actually makes the Mobile Hotspot feature worth it. For Verizon customers LTE finally makes simultaneous voice and data possible. For non iPhone users, it makes simultaneous voice and data more enjoyable since the first round of LTE phones will have them on separate antennas.

And nobody knows for sure how the battery life will be, but Verizon's LTE network is more than likely much more advance and optimized than Sprint's Wimax, which could affect the battery drain rate.

I'm not at all trying to sell you, I'm stating myself why I think LTE is a big deal. If you want to go to another phone on another network, that is your prerogative. I'm just letting other people know that LTE is a much bigger deal than AT&T or T-Mobile's "creative" marketing.

 

[spooluptheFTL]

Wirefly has claimed that they will have the phone the same day everyone else does, at a "special" price. If I wake up on [enter release date here] and Wirefly has Thunderbolts available at a significantly lower price, I'll order from them and use my $50 BB gift card on something else.

 

[I am Fake Jesus]

iv never ordered from wirefly, can you port a number over thru them an setup new accounts?

but if this thing is $299, man im glad im buyin a cpo for my wife lol cause thats just rediculous. i think its gotta be $250 at most

 

[canesfan44]

For me personally? A lot as I have a lowly Storm 1. However, for business it is a big deal. In fact when our Verizon rep was here, everyone that went to talk to him was talking about LTE and the Thunderbolt because of the speed and this is in a billion dollar corporation. So LTE is not just about streaming video. Of all people, business people should be ecstatic about LTE.

For a lot of people LTE actually makes the Mobile Hotspot feature worth it. For Verizon customers LTE finally makes simultaneous voice and data possible. For non iPhone users, it makes simultaneous voice and data more enjoyable since the first round of LTE phones will have them on separate antennas.

And nobody knows for sure how the battery life will be, but Verizon's LTE network is more than likely much more advance and optimized than Sprint's Wimax, which could affect the battery drain rate.

I'm not at all trying to sell you, I'm stating myself why I think LTE is a big deal. If you want to go to another phone on another network, that is your prerogative. I'm just letting other people know that LTE is a much bigger deal than AT&T or T-Mobile's "creative" marketing.

I couldn't have said it better. In my post above yours, I just tried to keep it as simple as possible, showing that the difference in browsing speed alone is a big deal, especially considering LTE will be the same price as 3g. I should try to get the score of tonight's Heat game and time how long it takes. Then he might understand, in the simplest form, why LTE is a big deal. I'm constantly traveling and tethering my laptob to an LTE phone will be a HUGE difference, especially compared to my Storm 1.

 

[aupharmd2011]

phones now poop compared to whats coming out on other carriers WTB dual core or faster processor bigger screen hdmi out not a 300 dollar price tag thats insane you pay more for 4g already and waiting another week or whatever that is dumb

Oh God! somebody stole your punctuation! right out from under our noses at that!

as for the phone - $50 at this price range is not a huge step up in my opinion. It does suck that it has been previously advertised at $250 and if they wind up selling it for $300, it will definitely make a lot of people unhappy.

But, $300 just sounds a lot more than $250.

 

[spooluptheFTL]

iv never ordered from wirefly, can you port a number over thru them an setup new accounts?

Yup: Link

 

[SamOliver]

$300 is ok with me as long as it really comes with a 32 gb micro sd card and data plans for unlimited 4g are the same as 3g.

 

[bstmstrxellos]

I will not pay $300.00. I pre-ordered the phone at best buy when they advertised it at $250, and I will get them to sell it to me at 250 since it would be false advertising if they don't honor it for anyone that did the pre-order.

 

[SolidOrange]

i really wish people would stop quoting the "32gb SD card" as a reason for an increase in price. i have had an 8 gb card in my droid since the day i got it and it is only a little over half full. keep your huge SD card, take $50 off the price, and let me decide what size i need and how much i would like to pay on my own.

it is also hard to believe that the htc inspire is already available at at&t for $99. sure the LTE radio may increase the price some, but not 300%.

 

[potatolover1102]

I could not justify this cost as a poor college student. I am on a bb that I hate but it works and I will not purchase the tb at $300. Now at $250 I will because I have about $270 saved to cover taxes. I understand the whole "if you can't afford another fifty you cant afford the phone idea" I really do but in my situation another $50 is gas, a textbook, meals. It is something I "can't" spend due to what it is for not so much that I do not have the money for it.

 

[greydarrah]

Better budget for an extra $50 for 4 or 5 chargers (at work, at home, in the car, in your friends car, at your girlfriends house, etc...). Like all the HTC's, its battery is probably going to run for a solid 3 to 4 hours. I'm gonna wait for the bionic.

 

[anon(75289)]

Well I was getting two of these.. so if $300 really is going to be verizons price too then my total for them just went up by $110. Not sure if i'm getting two now.. not even sure if i'm getting one.

 

[prim8]

If money is that tight for people, they should really consider just getting a pre paid phone and save some money for awhile.

 

[Koato]

I have never had a smartphone, or any of the higher functioning phones.. I used to just go for whatever is free with my verizon upgrade... However nowadays phones are capable of alot more so I'm jumping to get a smartphone.

I was going to get the iphone 4... but after doing a little research the Thunderbolt seems to be a better phone.

Fruit vs. Robot? Thunderbolt.

So since I have never put down much money on mobile devices, I'm still willing to spend a little more on the T-bolt...

 

[Sokar]

Droid-Life is now reporting that the latest weekly ad, which previously showed $249 is now showing $299. Before it was just the monthly buyer's guide that showed $299, but now it's the weekly as well.

I'm sick of this whole thing now.

This Week’s Best Buy Add Shows Nothin’ but $299 for the Thunderbolt - Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog

 

[Edwill86]

Iv been here for a while now and this is the last thing I expected...the wait I can deal with..the price jump though......

looking at the poll it looks like a lot of ppl are in the same boat. 300 is just too much for this device.

 

[VideoEngineerAJS]

Iv been here for a while now and this is the last thing I expected...the wait I can deal with..the price jump though......

looking at the poll it looks like a lot of ppl are in the same boat. 300 is just too much for this device.

Well if what has been heard from Verizon reps is true then Verizon will sell it for $249.99, which is good because I can handle $320 for a 1 year contract. Not that I couldn't handle $370, it's just that I wouldn't want to pay it.

 

[Edwill86]

Well if what has been heard from Verizon reps is true then Verizon will sell it for $249.99, which is good because I can handle $320 for a 1 year contract. Not that I couldn't handle $370, it's just that I wouldn't want to pay it.

Yup. I can pay the 300 for a 2year..but it just would not be worth it..and prob have most of us regret paying so much for this device.

I really love this phone..but spending that much when a bunch of new phones are coming out soon would def have me regretting spending that much right now.

I do REALLY hope vzw will have it for 250..if not ill be forced to wait