If It's The 24th, Isn't It Time For An Announcement And Preorders?

[magisternautaque]

Incredible preorders started 10 days before launch. I*hone preorders started 7 days before launch. I'm beginning to doubt the Thunderbolt will launch by the 24th.

WTF Verizon?

 

[durangojim#AC]

I agree and fully admit I am very skeptical about any launch date that is not given by Verizon themselves.

 

[Target#AC]

Yeah, they're not helping. We've pieced together our scanerios: There could be an announcement tomorrow by Verizon. If there is a preorder, could happen this Thursday (2/17) or next Monday (2/21). Lord knows the thing already has enough hype, ads don't even seem necessary

 

[jd10984]

Ya I dont get what on earth is keeping them.. The iphone release date was anounced what a good 3 weeks before the phone came out. One would think verizon would do the same with their first 4g phone... Sigh. I am thinking we will FINALLY find out by tomorrow, Monday at the latest, still a week away (from what all the rumors, proof looks to be) with no official launch date is bs on Verizons part..

 

[AmousmosesMW]

I was thinking the same thing.... I got an email on theVZW iphone release 3 weeks before the 2/3 pre-order launch which was a week before the 2/10 public launch.

I was thinking (hoping) they would announce the phone tomorrow with the launch date of the 24th. But then, that would not include a pre-order probably? Do they always offer a pre-order?

I guess time will tell. I am only concerned with how antsy I am getting now that I am eligible for my upgrade. And since they don't expect my area to have 4G LTE until mid-year, I am contemplating saving myself some money right now by getting the Incredible on a 1 year contract. I am trying to wait though until VZW announces the TB release. Hopefully it will be very soon!

 

[ShaggyKids]

When I talked to the VZW store mgr the other day he said they weren't going to offer pre-orders. Of course, that's a VZW employee and none of them seem to have the same info twice so who knows, heh?

Has anyone ever heard of them putting a phone up for sale the same day or day after it's announced?

 

[anon(149276)]

I was thinking the same thing.... I got an email on theVZW iphone release 3 weeks before the 2/3 pre-order launch which was a week before the 2/10 public launch.

I was thinking (hoping) they would announce the phone tomorrow with the launch date of the 24th. But then, that would not include a pre-order probably? Do they always offer a pre-order?

I guess time will tell. I am only concerned with how antsy I am getting now that I am eligible for my upgrade. And since they don't expect my area to have 4G LTE until mid-year, I am contemplating saving myself some money right now by getting the Incredible on a 1 year contract. I am trying to wait though until VZW announces the TB release. Hopefully it will be very soon!

Yeah I was thinking tomorrow too. And if nothing comes about tomorrow or Friday at the latest I don't think it could be a 24th release. And I don't think they'll do a preorder. Not with Bestbuy doing one and it being so late. They'll probably say Thunderbolt @ VZW on the 24th, come and get 'em.

 

[ufmace]

Which is what seems strange about the whole thing. Actually launching a phone involves a lot of logistics that we'd probably be seeing bits and pieces of, stuff like phones and marketing materials arriving early, store reps getting training, ad campaigns, website redesigns, etc. So why nothing yet? It seems like the best we can hope for at this point is formal announcements tomorrow-ish and release on the 24th.

 

[P7M8]

...Lord knows the thing already has enough hype, ads don't even seem necessary

The only people who really know about this phone or any of the other forthcoming devices are those of us who monitor these forums. I chastised my brother-in-law last week for getting an iPhone4. He said he was told it was 4G and had no idea about new Android devices.

 

[jd10984]

It's obvious they are stalling due to the iphone but come on... Just give us the info we want and release it already lol. Verizon is being soo shady about this whole launch imo.

 

[anon(157335)]

Which is what seems strange about the whole thing. Actually launching a phone involves a lot of logistics that we'd probably be seeing bits and pieces of, stuff like phones and marketing materials arriving early, store reps getting training, ad campaigns, website redesigns, etc. So why nothing yet? It seems like the best we can hope for at this point is formal announcements tomorrow-ish and release on the 24th.

Marketing materials for the TB are already at VZW and BB stores, accessories have arrived in store, and there has been a commercial on TV for it along with fairly wide-spread advertising on the web.

 

[hydroz_23]

The phone does not have to be announced. Many phones go online with no advertising at all. Just because the incredible was pre order does not mean all phones are. Just because BB was taking pre orders does not mean VZW will. They are not behind because VZW has never officially released a date yet. A screen shot of in stock date at BB or what a rep said is about as usefull as my 8 year old guessing a release date. I have had a lot of launch devices but the speculation on the TB is insane

 

[Generalg]

Speaking of not annoucing phones. Was there ever an offical annoucement made by Verizon for the Samsung Frustrate?

 

[anon(149276)]

Verizon Wireless launches 4G LTE in Detroit, MI | BGR | Boy Genius Report

Could they be delaying the announcement till these new markets go live?? That's an extra 67 towns around Detroit where VZW stores wont have to say "I'm sorry, we don't have LTE in our city till 'Sometime 2011'."

So hopefully there would be an announcement tomorrow after they go live

 

[rob22202]

I just got back from a trip to BJs. They had the TB dummy on display. I actually got to hold it in my hands! They had no idea when the units will be available, though. I also asked them about the SIM card and would they be installing one when I purchase a TB. They didn't know it had a SIM card. So, they have the materials but not the training yet? Who knows.

 

[Mooch10]

I often wonder what the Verizon brass think when they read these forums. Do you think the discuss what we talk about here in there meetings? Looks like we are driving the public nuts, thats just we want a frenzy.

 

[ultraray]

Marketing materials for the TB are already at VZW and BB stores, accessories have arrived in store, and there has been a commercial on TV for it along with fairly wide-spread advertising on the web.

This is true. A VZ store manager I spoke to yesterday said that his store has already received accessories for the TB. He said he has never seen accessories come in for a phone and NOT have the phone released within 1-2 weeks after that. He is raging to get a TB as much as we all are.

This is in downtown San Francisco btw.

 

[abomb78]

Shame on Verizon!!

It's obvious they are stalling due to the iphone but come on... Just give us the info we want and release it already lol. Verizon is being soo shady about this whole launch imo.

This has got to be the most botched phone release by them to date. The fact that the i-bore had so much info available weeks in advance and the TB being their first flagship phone on their shinny new network with not a zip mentioned publically is highly suspect. I wonder if Jobs put a gag order on the big Red during the 1st 2 weeks of the i-bore's release? That may explain why they are leaving us all in the dark about it. IDK, but from all the sites and forums i've been in, the TB has to be the most sought-after device to drop on the market and the one with the most people pissed off about the lack of information on the phone. IMO, that January 6th anouncement date came waaaaay too early.

 

[phantomog]

before the iphone, did VZW ever have preordering before? It seems to me like VZW never really announced release dates very much before, and I definitely don't ever remember them going so far as to announcing a date plus allow for pre-ordering...

 

[RetiredJedi]

Biggest fear...

I have to wait on this phone anyways since I'm not ready for an upgrade until March...so waiting isn't the problem for me. It's not knowing anything that's killing me. My biggest fear is that, now that I got my wife all excited about this phone, they announce an increase in pricing. If that happens I don't know what to get.