Cost of Thunderbolt $$$

[huguleyite]

What im saying, this is the best phone Verizon has come out with. And it's not on the same level as past phones due to the fact that while other phones include 2gb cards or 16gb cards, this thing 32gigs! And it also has 4g speeds and top software. It's also more premium in terms of build quality. unibody aluminum compared to plastic. Theres a reason it cost more, and i can see why.

By this reasoning, the droid bionic is more phone than the droid x, so let's just charge $250 for it as well. However, it is (alledgedly) quoted to cost $150. Why? It's pricing is agressive for the current phone market. Not compared to the old phones and how they sale now. New tech verses new tech. Some would say that the Motorola Atrix is a better phone than the T-bolt, but it's $50 cheaper. The extra bucks makes no sense for the consumer. Verizon is doing what it does best...and dooping us into paying more for a product that doesn't require the extra cost. Get rid of the 32gb card and give me 16 for a lower price of $150. I will take it.

 

[rigorx]

I have an Archos 101. That is not a knock off brand. Anyone that is even remotely into tablets knows them. I mean, even the nook color (lowest form of Android tablet anyone should even consider buying) was just rooted with honeycomb, and it costs $250. I read this week that the Galaxy Tab was going on sale for $250.00 too (as a subsidy of course). There are plenty of tablets right at the $300.00 range that will do just fine at this point in the game. I just don't think a phone should compare in price. Just my opinion.

All good points.

 

[SpaceHippie]

By this reasoning, the droid bionic is more phone than the droid x, so let's just charge $250 for it as well. However, it is (alledgedly) quoted to cost $150. Why? It's pricing is agressive for the current phone market. Not compared to the old phones and how they sale now. New tech verses new tech. Some would say that the Motorola Atrix is a better phone than the T-bolt, but it's $50 cheaper. The extra bucks makes no sense for the consumer. Verizon is doing what it does best...and dooping us into paying more for a product that doesn't require the extra cost. Get rid of the 32gb card and give me 16 for a lower price of $150. I will take it.

I think the 32GB card is included to add more reasoning for customers to get the TB over the iphone. I see what your saying. I think at the end of the day, this may be verizons charge for 4g. There not going to be charging extra for 4G anytime soon, according to my co worker, so this is there profit for 4g speeds.

 

[huguleyite]

I think the 32GB card is included to add more reasoning for customers to get the TB over the iphone. I see what your saying. I think at the end of the day, this may be verizons charge for 4g. There not going to be charging extra for 4G anytime soon, according to my co worker, so this is there profit for 4g speeds.

That's probably true. I just hate to see it. Granted we don't actually know the cost of the T-bolt yet. However, if it is $250 with another phone coming to verizon soon at $150 with 2 cores, I might have to change my mind. I just read an article on Phandroid that asks which 4G phone is best right now. They went through all the carriers and came down to two. The Motorola Atrix and the Droid Bionic. Of course, the Atrix won, but they put the Bionic over the Thunderbolt because ultimately it's not that much less of a phone (if it's less at all). Depends on who you ask I guess. Yet and still, it is allegedly better AND cheaper. As much as I want the T-bolt, the Bionic is a viable option. Heck, if the Droid X gets Gingerbread officially, I would go with that I think too. Lol. Just sayin'.

 

[thebizz]

I truly doubt the bionic will release for 150 in can see 200 but that's just my thoughts no proof behind it

 

[vzwuser76]

That's probably true. I just hate to see it. Granted we don't actually know the cost of the T-bolt yet. However, if it is $250 with another phone coming to verizon soon at $150 with 2 cores, I might have to change my mind. I just read an article on Phandroid that asks which 4G phone is best right now. They went through all the carriers and came down to two. The Motorola Atrix and the Droid Bionic. Of course, the Atrix won, but they put the Bionic over the Thunderbolt because ultimately it's not that much less of a phone (if it's less at all). Depends on who you ask I guess. Yet and still, it is allegedly better AND cheaper. As much as I want the T-bolt, the Bionic is a viable option. Heck, if the Droid X gets Gingerbread officially, I would go with that I think too. Lol. Just sayin'.

The $150 you're quoting is from the Amazon website, just like what the Atrix showed on their site. The Atrix is now showing at $199 coming early March. I think the $150 is just a controlled leak to get people going after the Bionic over the Tbolt. At this point, Android OS cannot utilize multi core cpus. Everyone was saying that Honeycomb would solve that. Now we find HC is not coming to phones. At this point we have no idea what Android OS will unleash that capability. It's not in Gingerbread, so we are looking at the earliest end of 2011 and more likely 2012 before we see that come to fruition. I'd rather wait until Android can actually make use of multi core cpus before jumping into such a device. Even BMX isn't real enthusiastic about dual cores.

Now I'm not saying you have to do this or that, just don't be surprised if you won't be able to fully harness the Bionic's potential until a later (possibly much later) date.

 

[SpaceHippie]

Woah who said the Bionic was going to be 150!? I seriously doubt that. It will be AT LEAST 199 for 2yrs

 

[vzwuser76]

Woah who said the Bionic was going to be 150!? I seriously doubt that. It will be AT LEAST 199 for 2yrs

It was on a few tech blogs. The Bionic showed up on Amazon wireless shortly after the Atrix with the same $150 price. It was pulled quickly after the news broke, just like it did with the Atrix.

 

[SpaceHippie]

I doubt that price was accurate. That's ridiculous.

 

[blizz419]

I doubt that price was accurate. That's ridiculous.

Amazon and Best buy typically run $50 cheaper than VZW but they only do 2 year contracts and have there own added early termination fees as i understand it

 

[Kazer]

Well in case anyone is planning on getting a TBolt off contract, BMX just gave out the price on his twitter. I'm assuming his info is correct. Price is slightly higher than expected but that's probably because of the 32gb card included.

@black_man_x or anyone know vzw full retail price on the thunderbolt

@BBMCHAT 629.99

 

[huguleyite]

The $150 you're quoting is from the Amazon website, just like what the Atrix showed on their site. The Atrix is now showing at $199 coming early March. I think the $150 is just a controlled leak to get people going after the Bionic over the Tbolt. At this point, Android OS cannot utilize multi core cpus. Everyone was saying that Honeycomb would solve that. Now we find HC is not coming to phones. At this point we have no idea what Android OS will unleash that capability. It's not in Gingerbread, so we are looking at the earliest end of 2011 and more likely 2012 before we see that come to fruition. I'd rather wait until Android can actually make use of multi core cpus before jumping into such a device. Even BMX isn't real enthusiastic about dual cores.

Now I'm not saying you have to do this or that, just don't be surprised if you won't be able to fully harness the Bionic's potential until a later (possibly much later) date.

Yeah, it's possible that this was a controlled leak. Honestly, it probably was. However, I don't think they would have dropped the wrong price into that leak. That would cause customer dissatisfaction and cause them to look elsewhere for the product. As for everything else, you are right. The dual cores and all. Totally agreed, but the capability will be released. Sooner rather than later. Imma check all the tech sites and best buy when the new add comes out in the morning, and see if I can get better information. We'll see, huh? Goodluck everyone.

 

[Jude526]

forgot to mention that talking and data will be able to be done at the same time and the device will still work on the 3G network

 

[vzwuser76]

Yeah, it's possible that this was a controlled leak. Honestly, it probably was. However, I don't think they would have dropped the wrong price into that leak. That would cause customer dissatisfaction and cause them to look elsewhere for the product. As for everything else, you are right. The dual cores and all. Totally agreed, but the capability will be released. Sooner rather than later. Imma check all the tech sites and best buy when the new add comes out in the morning, and see if I can get better information. We'll see, huh? Goodluck everyone.

We already know the Atrix was priced $50 low, so it stands to reason that the Bionic will be priced the same at launch. Considering the Atrix is supposed to launch the 1st/2nd week of March, that should give you an idea what to expect out of the Bionics dual core cpu.

The capability of the phone taking advantage of dual core is a software patch by Moto (they mentioned this at CES). Call me cynical but software has never been Moto's strong suit (Blur). They did fine with the Droid 1 on Android 2.0, which was stock Android, but they had issues with the Android 2.1 & 2.2 updates. I'll wait until Android has multi core capability baked into it.

The funny thing is when everyone asks which Verizon 4G smartphone they are looking at, the say they'd like the Tbolt, but since it doesn't have dual core that's not an option. The thing is, the Bionic is the only dual core confirmed in Verizon's 2011 lineup. The LG revolution has the same cpu as the Tbolt, and the Samsung 4G LTE uses a 1.2 GHz Hummingbird processor (same as Fasciante but clocked 200MHz higher). The Galaxy S2 sounds like it will have dual core, but we don't know that it's coming to Verizon, & even if it did, I'd pass looking at their history on updates (the only Galaxy S phones on US carriers that have 2.2 are doing so with either leaks or custom ROMs). Some people are waiting for the Atrix to come to Verizon later in the year and asked BMX about it & he's heard nothing about that.

So, at this point we're looking at 1 (maybe 2) dual cores on Verizon this year. I could maybe see HTC or LG also bringing one, but I'd bet that the beginning of 2012 looks more likely for that. HTC's never had more than 2 Android devices on Verizon in a single year, and the Revolution will be LG's 1st high end smartphone, so they'll probably have their hands full with that. That's my take on it.

 

[DroidnOk]

Didn't the BB Buy Back program JUST launch ? I believe you have to purchase into the buy back program at time of purchase of your handset, right ?

Also, you can definitely fetch much more for your DInc on eBay.

I didn't even know that Best Buy had this program. Gotta love forums! Thanks for the info.

 

[pheatton]

Well in case anyone is planning on getting a TBolt off contract, BMX just gave out the price on his twitter. I'm assuming his info is correct. Price is slightly higher than expected but that's probably because of the 32gb card included.

@black_man_x or anyone know vzw full retail price on the thunderbolt

@BBMCHAT 629.99

Wow didnt realize it was that crazy expensive!!

 

[htowngator]

Wow didnt realize it was that crazy expensive!!

It has a new radio in it and 32GB of installed memory... $599 is about right for a standard smartphone off-contract so $629 is a big difference?

 

[pheatton]

Well now that I think of that its not that bad. Still really want to pick this up. Hmm sell the Fascinate or the Incredible?

 

[DocFreud]

I've seen a few different figures for the NE2 credit; $30, $50 and $100. How is the NE2 credit determined? Does the phone you're upgrading from factor into the credit?

Primary Line is eligible for an upgrade in May and the Secondary Line has been eligible since May, 2009 (my wife doesn't want to get rid of her easy-to-use feature phone).

Thank you!

 

[_Wes]

Wow - I want one!