Thunderbolt - Best Buy Availability/Pricing/Ordering Discussion

[paulmike3]

HTC Thunderbolt release date set for February 24th? | BGR | Boy Genius Report

this is actually where i got it from. i confused the 130 post because i have been reading so much **** over the last couple of weeks. the BB exclusive rumor has been around since day one, and no one has dispelled it. you dont find that odd?

The rumor is that BB will be the exclusive third party retailer to start with, not the only retailer period. In other words, Amazon and other non-VZW stores won't get it release day -- only BB. To think VZW won't have it in their own stores on the day it's released is ludicrous. That's like FOX advertising the Super Bowl on FOX for several months and throwing a multi-million dollar roadshow and press conference for it, then having the first quarter on CBS. Not gonna happen.

 

[akira751]

My Storm2 is valued at a whopping $44

My storm 1= $8.00 lmao

 

[ruger141]

Ya thats what I saw as well Titan.

Just saw this pop up in the news section when I Googled the Thunderbolt.

HTC ThunderBolt Presales Superbowl Sunday | Android Community

 

[Bobman]

Go ahead and take the plunge. I think we can all tell you that the battery life will be "charge nightly"

If it is "charge nightly" that would be fine. Just as long as I can make it through the day with decent usage. Although, I'm in a non-LTE area so I imagine turning off the LTE antenna should save battery a good bit.

 

[fatrob]

Gazelle!!! 110 for my Storm 2.....i cant sell this piece of **** fast enough!!!!!

 

[dajogejr]

I just spoke to a VW rep on the phone about the ad in BB regarding pre-ordering the TB. She stated that BB was the only authorized retailer to offer the TB and that if I wanted it- I would have to go through them to get my mits on one 1st. Why does VW give existing customer dibs on getting an i-crap 4 a head of time, yet future TB owners get chop liver? It seems i-morons get preferred treatment. You suck Verizon. Give us TB seekers equal treatment FFS!

No...let them buy out the iphones till their hearts are content.
That will mean more TBs for everyone else!!

 

[optimum5]

Looks like preorders will be this sunday. So maybe the 14th is launch day?

That's what I'm thinking too. iPhone4 preorders are only a week from it's actual release, so it's possible that it could be the same thing with the Thunderbolt.

I'm going to be out of the state for the next five days though, so unfortunately I won't be able to preorder the phone at my local Best Buy store until next Wednesday the earliest. It'll be a tragedy for me if I don't get this phone at launch, since I've been dying to upgrade from my Storm1 for a very very very long time now.

 

[Jaredshoes]

looking forward to the Tbolt

 

[jbjonesjr]

The rumor is that BB will be the exclusive third party retailer to start with, not the only retailer period. In other words, Amazon and other non-VZW stores won't get it release day -- only BB. To think VZW won't have it in their own stores on the day it's released is ludicrous. That's like FOX advertising the Super Bowl on FOX for several months and throwing a multi-million dollar roadshow and press conference for it, then having the first quarter on CBS. Not gonna happen.

I'm not sure why it is so ludicrous... These exclusivity deals have a dollar sign attached to them. With VZW retail stores already up to their gills with 15 year olds wanting the IPhone, i'm sure they would be happy to take a nice sum of $$, not deal with the day of rush, and get the device out there. Remember, it's the contract they care about, not the phone sale.

With all that said, I have no idea or could care less where the phone hits first. But the idea that Big Red has some sort of pride on the line with being the first to have droid-nerds (like me) line up outside their store is off the wall. VZW has pride that they are managing to turn February into a cash cow, and that is it.

 

[amotter]

If it is "charge nightly" that would be fine. Just as long as I can make it through the day with decent usage. Although, I'm in a non-LTE area so I imagine turning off the LTE antenna should save battery a good bit.

I will be in the LTE Area (Akron Ohio)...my friend has an EVO 4G...hers was dead at 2:00 this afternoon...she says she just charges it in the car or the computer....but she leaves her bluetooth on (aparently her phone talkes to her car...cool!) and she leaves wi-fi on, etc. There is an awesome summary in the EVO 4G forum about conserving battery life (at the top of the forum)...I assume it will be the same for us...

Someone also suggested going to another battery. Bottom line: I need from 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM...Moderate use of phone, heavy use of e-mail, some texting...probably very limited use of internet...not much of a gamer (yet)...Many days I am not going to have the opportunity to charge in the middle of the day.

 

[anon(75289)]

Haha sounds like a bunch of us will be using that!

 

[vzwuser76]

Tried it out on my Incredible out of curiosity. I've got all the stuff it came with and it's in perfect shape. They offered me $176. Compared to what some of you have been getting I'm going to personally file this under hit or miss. I think I'd be better off with eBay or Craigslist whenever the time comes that I part with my Incredible.

Btw, don't know if this has been posted yet,
Best Buy’s Buy Back Program Will be FREE for Mobile Phones February 6-26 - Droid Life: A Droid Community Blog

 

[amotter]

My Blackberry Storm is worth 8 dollars on Verizon and 45 Dollars on Gazelle....Someone should type in Thunderbolt six months after the release to see how cooked we are going to be!

Yes, I am still buying not one...but two of them!

 

[Kazer]

The part about the "Future Proof" plan being put together at Best Buy is a cool sounding idea. This is all good news except the fact that I am gonna be adding a second line to get the T-Bolt and want a 1yr contract with it so I'm thinking I have to get mine from a VZ store?

Yeah I'm planning on getting just a 1 year contract as well. Hopefully you can do this via Best Buy or they better have this on launch day at the Verizon stores.

 

[anon(75289)]

Yep I'm getting two too.

 

[paulmike3]

I'm not sure why it is so ludicrous... These exclusivity deals have a dollar sign attached to them. With VZW retail stores already up to their gills with 15 year olds wanting the IPhone, i'm sure they would be happy to take a nice sum of $$, not deal with the day of rush, and get the device out there. Remember, it's the contract they care about, not the phone sale.

With all that said, I have no idea or could care less where the phone hits first. But the idea that Big Red has some sort of pride on the line with being the first to have droid-nerds (like me) line up outside their store is off the wall. VZW has pride that they are managing to turn February into a cash cow, and that is it.

It's ludicrous because they will lose sales. Period. I won't go into a Best Buy to buy the phone, because A) I hate Best Buy, B) I hate sales people and C) I hate Best Buy sales people (no offense to anyone that works there -- I just don't need a $100 HDMI cable no matter how many benefits you tell me gold plating has). Therefore, if it's only available in Best Buy, Verizon just lost my sale. Not good business for a corporation that is looking at the opening day bottom line to prove they are kings of 4G. How is this so confusing?

 

[htowngator]

Yeah I'm planning on getting just a 1 year contract as well. Hopefully you can do this via Best Buy or they better have this on launch day at the Verizon stores.

Nope, no one does 1yr contracts except VZW corp stores.

 

[thedeceiver]

It's ludicrous because they will lose sales. Period. I won't go into a Best Buy to buy the phone, because A) I hate Best Buy, B) I hate sales people and C) I hate Best Buy sales people (no offense to anyone that works there -- I just don't need a $100 HDMI cable no matter how many benefits you tell me gold plating has). Therefore, if it's only available in Best Buy, Verizon just lost my sale. Not good business for a corporation that is looking at the opening day bottom line to prove they are kings of 4G. How is this so confusing?

I think you'd agree that your hate for Best Buy is probably atypical. I am sure there are lots of people that hate Best Buy but would go in there to get a phone.

I also find it strange that the Best Buy Mobile folks put you off but are willing to put up with the VZW Store Employees who want you to buy the most expensive thing there, don't have any answers, and have no stock of any actual accessories.

If it makes it any better, I hate phone stores and much prefer Best Buy.

 

[jbjonesjr]

It's ludicrous because they will lose sales. Period. I won't go into a Best Buy to buy the phone, because A) I hate Best Buy, B) I hate sales people and C) I hate Best Buy sales people (no offense to anyone that works there -- I just don't need a $100 HDMI cable no matter how many benefits you tell me gold plating has). Therefore, if it's only available in Best Buy, Verizon just lost my sale. Not good business for a corporation that is looking at the opening day bottom line to prove they are kings of 4G. How is this so confusing?

Under the "hypothetical" best buy scenario, it only has exclusivity at BB for 10 days (if that long). When your options are to buy a TB at BB on February 14, grab it at VZW on the 24th, or wait until April for a Bionic, that's a lot of waiting just to prove a point about BB.

But if you feel that way, you'll get much further emailing Big Red than commenting here... You are entitled to your opinions (especially about BB), but complaining here won't help you (or the forum) much.

 

[Kazer]

Nope, no one does 1yr contracts except VZW corp stores.

Ughh no good. Can I just buy the phone for full price at best buy if there's no other option? I'd hope they at least let customers do that.