Thunderbolt - Best Buy Availability/Pricing/Ordering Discussion

[Laj5001]

my contract has been up for verizon and im currently on month to month. with the tbolt coming to BB, should i get it through BB or wait and see what the deal with it is on verizon? will i have to renew my contract at BB for 2 years or what? and even though my contract is up, i'm eligible for my NE2 with verizon, but will they even honor that with this new phone? help!

 

[rewd]

Does anyone know when sites like letstalk.com or wirefly.com will get the tbolt? Same day Verizon releases it?

I am switching to VZW from AT&T so I want to order it through one of those sites since it's usually a hole crap load cheaper.

 

[rigorx]

Anyone wanting a 1 year contract, simply do the pre-order through Verizon (store / phone support / online). I'm sure we'll hear about the VZW pre-order withing another week or so at most. Last year, first wave of Droid Incredible pro-order shipments actually arrived a couple days before release day.

 

[rigorx]

Does anyone know when sites like letstalk.com or wirefly.com will get the tbolt? Same day Verizon releases it?

I am switching to VZW from AT&T so I want to order it through one of those sites since it's usually a hole crap load cheaper.

I'd keep an eye on AmazonWireless: Cell Phones and Plans

They only do 2 year contracts with the heavier discounts they provide.

 

[rewd]

I'd keep an eye on AmazonWireless: Cell Phones and Plans

They only do 2 year contracts with the heavier discounts they provide.

Eh, letstalk always seems to be the cheapest out of the three.

EDIT: Wait, are you saying Amazon will do 1 years at cheaper prices? I love letstalk but I'd consider a 1 year contract for the Tbolt if I could get it a discounted price like the 2 year. If not, I'll just stick with the discount and be happy with the Tbolt for 2 years.

 

[rigorx]

No. "They only do 2 year contracts..."

 

[RichardClark]

this is almost proof of the 14th

Not really. All this means is that it's close enough to take pre-orders for but not close enough to reveal exact dates or prices. They could be taking pre-orders for a week or a month. No way to know at the moment, though it does get me just a little bit more excited.

 

[dxbrbnk]

Will the 4G LTE Data connectivity be 'always on' (if in an area with 4G LTE coverage) or will it be able to turn off (like the EVO 4G via Sense UI widgets, etc.)

 

[rigorx]

Will the 4G LTE Data connectivity be 'always on' (if in an area with 4G LTE coverage) or will it be able to turn off (like the EVO 4G via Sense UI widgets, etc.)

There will be various widget methods (from HTC & the Market) of either turning on/off mobile data all together, or turning 4G off and leaving 3G on.

 

[experiment 626]

Still need prices and details on how Verizon plans to implement LTE. Not fair that iPhone buyers already know the specifics of their plans and Verizon tells us nothing.

 

[swarlos]

My plan was to buy the phone at full retail would this be possible at BB with a pre-order or only for contracts?

Also what do you guys think just buy at full retail or add a line to get the subsidized price?

 

[rigorx]

You should be able to pre-order @ Best Buy and pay full retail, as I did that with the DInc.

 

[tucker_dahlin]

Couldnt this ad just be BB's equivalent to Verizon and HTC's "coming soon" sites? They have both had pre-order buttons up for a while now. There is zero specific info here.



edit: ^info

 

[66dude]

Based on what I've been reading here, here's my prediction:

2/7/11: Pre-orders start for the TBolt through BB
2/14/11: TBolt available through BB and VZW stores

It makes no sense in my mind for VZW to let BB release the TBolt 10 days before the rumored 2/24/11 release date in VZW stores. I could just be blowing smoke up my ass with this, though.

As for myself, I can't wait for the TBolt to come out. My NE2 started on 12/27, and my contract expires on 4/27. According to a VZW rep I talked to, I have until 6/27/11 to use the $30 NE2 discount currently available. The hard part is convincing my wife that the TBolt is a good value. We'll see...

 

[optimum5]

Here's another question, will there be enough Thunderbolts to go around for all of us who do pre-order? I'm actually getting three of them too (me, wife, sis-in-law).

This will be the first time I'm planning to get a phone in it's launch date, so I don't know how important it is to pre-order really early, or if it's necessary to show up at the store really early just to get a pre-ordered phone.

 

[I am Fake Jesus]

as of right now this phone isnt goin to fly off shelves like the iphone 4 probaly will. depending on your market. will determine how many your store carries. once everything is known. pricing an plans. then i might pre order. but if it is the 14th im off work so i will just go early. if 24th im at work i will most likely pre order.

but usually on top selling items they stock up on it. last i rememberd the incredible had a hard tim getting in stock due to manufacturing issues with not enough screens produced for it. i cant remember last time an item actually sold out on launch day

 

[I am Fake Jesus]

i agree with you prediction. and i def hope we are right lol

 

[odiej34]

Does anyone know when sites like letstalk.com or wirefly.com will get the tbolt? Same day Verizon releases it?

I am switching to VZW from AT&T so I want to order it through one of those sites since it's usually a hole crap load cheaper.

Best Buy exclusive. I would not plan on let's talk and Wirefly for a bit, if ever.

 

[French]

Question:

If buying full retail, is the main difference between buying from Verizon versus Best Buy the return policy?

I know Verizon is now 15 days...but isn't Best Buy 30 days? If so, that would be the way to go for us full retail or 2-year contract
people.

Additionally (unrelated to above)...we have a Verizon Wireless seller in our area that is not a Verizon corporate store but they are a Verizon authorized store...not a Wireless Zone...they only sell Verizon Wireless. Will they likely stock this at the same time as a Corporate store. I forget what they call themselves in the hierarchy of Verizon stores...but they are "above" a Wireless Zone and below Corporate.

 

[Moganus]

Wouldn't it have made sense for HTC to announce a definite release date yesterday or at least early today because of all the crazy people who pre-ordered an iPhone at 3am? I bet a lot of people would maybe have waited another week or two if they knew it was definitely coming out on the 14th. I've had a Blackberry Storm 1 for like 9 years it seems just DYING for an upgrade. Was going to wait for a Bionic, but I'm liking the Thunderbolt.