Thunderbolt Pre Announcement Waiting Room & Availability Thread.

[djcyph]

im really thinking its gonna be in feb now...i was in VZW other day and in between helping customers i kept seeing them going back to work on Thunderbolt training in between.....i really dont think they would want to get training done so quick if not out till march

 

[TBolt2011]

I also think that Verizon realizes that people KNOW the iPhone. The sh-- sells itself at this point... It's, what, 7 months old and EVERYBODY knows what it is and what it does. Just another thought.

 

[DolfanCole]

I also think that Verizon realizes that people KNOW the iPhone. The sh-- sells itself at this point... It's, what, 7 months old and EVERYBODY knows what it is and what it does. Just another thought.

That's true, but they also don't have the iPhone in one hand and the Tbolt in the other and comparing the two. Why have the competition between the two when Verizon can do much better separating them? The combined sales of the iPhone and the TBolt will undoubtedly be much higher if they are released weeks apart.

 

[racinbill]

According to a VZW tech chat...

That's true, but they also don't have the iPhone in one hand and the Tbolt in the other and comparing the two. Why have the competition between the two when Verizon can do much better separating them? The combined sales of the iPhone and the TBolt will undoubtedly be much higher if they are released weeks apart.

I was told in a online chat with a VZW tech last week that they were releasing these very close together to try and not have as much traffic hit their 3g (iPhone) network all at once.

In theory, releasing a 4g device close to the iphone will have folks choose and have some of that traffic hit their LTE network(those that went with the Tbolt and live in a 4g city), lightening the load on the 3g network that will be slammed by the iphones.

 

[reb422]

I was told in a online chat with a VZW tech last week that they were releasing these very close together to try and not have as much traffic hit their 3g (iPhone) network all at once.

In theory, releasing a 4g device close to the iphone will have folks choose and have some of that traffic hit their LTE network(those that went with the Tbolt and live in a 4g city), lightening the load on the 3g network that will be slammed by the iphones.

Makes sense

 

[ejz28]

I was told in a online chat with a VZW tech last week that they were releasing these very close together to try and not have as much traffic hit their 3g (iPhone) network all at once.

In theory, releasing a 4g device close to the iphone will have folks choose and have some of that traffic hit their LTE network(those that went with the Tbolt and live in a 4g city), lightening the load on the 3g network that will be slammed by the iphones.

this does make sense to me as well. as far for hurting themselves and not selling as much, i would ask why not? If someone is going in for one and they buy the other, Verizon is still selling a phone/service and getting more than likely a 2 year contract out of the person. it may hurt one phones sales over the other, but overall i would think verizon would sign up just as many people...

 

[oldpueblo]

Hey remember the HTC Merge?

 

[DolfanCole]

I was told in a online chat with a VZW tech last week that they were releasing these very close together to try and not have as much traffic hit their 3g (iPhone) network all at once.

In theory, releasing a 4g device close to the iphone will have folks choose and have some of that traffic hit their LTE network(those that went with the Tbolt and live in a 4g city), lightening the load on the 3g network that will be slammed by the iphones.

So they're sacrificing sales? Doesn't seem to be the Verizon way. Plus, I can't see how it would make any significant difference since the 4G network is very sparse at this point anyway, particularly at this point in time. What would be the difference in 4G coverage between February 11th and March? I live in Virginia and Verizon hasn't listed any city other than Bristol that will get 4G at all this year. Really? Not any suburb of DC or any Hampton Roads area?

 

[RocketSurgery]

this does make sense to me as well. as far for hurting themselves and not selling as much, i would ask why not? If someone is going in for one and they buy the other, Verizon is still selling a phone/service and getting more than likely a 2 year contract out of the person. it may hurt one phones sales over the other, but overall i would think verizon would sign up just as many people...

This is exactly how I see it. Verizon is still going to sell the phones, and I think their profit margin on the TB might actually be higher. We all know Apple is all about the money, why else charge $650 and $750 retail for a 7 month old glorified iPod Touch?

Most of the people who will buy iPhones will not be swayed by a simultaeous release, as they've had their hearts set on this phone for months, even years.

 

[racinbill]

So they're sacrificing sales?

First, I was just expaling what the tech told me. You can choose to believe him or not.

However how are they hurting sales by offering two devices at the same time? Most people will only be being one per line so if they sell u either a tbolt or an iphone they still get your contract/$$.

 

[DolfanCole]

First, I was just expaling what the tech told me. You can choose to believe him or not.

I understand. I'm not shooting the messenger. It's just that it doesn't seem to follow in how Verizon has done business in the past.

However how are they hurting sales by offering two devices at the same time? Most people will only be being one per line so if they sell u either a tbolt or an iphone they still get your contract/$$.

When you offer two items at the same time, it gives the customer a choice. So they choose one or the other (or neither). Obviously from the customer's perspective, that is a good thing. But from the seller's perspective, it's not. Granted there will be die hards that will buy the iPhone or TBolt regardless. The real difference comes when customers come in and only have one choice. In that case, Verizon will get additional customers for each that they wouldn't otherwise have. Verizon does this all the time as they spread out their releases -- look at the DX, DInc, D2, Fascinate, DPro.

 

[racinbill]

DolfanCole.... Are you saying that if they released them a couple months apart that some would buy the iPhone on 2/10 and then on 4/1 but the Tbolt?

That would be the only scenario I can see where VZW would make more money by releasing them sperately. Help me understnad if I misunderstood.
Thanks.

 

[ejz28]

So they're sacrificing sales? Doesn't seem to be the Verizon way. Plus, I can't see how it would make any significant difference since the 4G network is very sparse at this point anyway, particularly at this point in time. What would be the difference in 4G coverage between February 11th and March? I live in Virginia and Verizon hasn't listed any city other than Bristol that will get 4G at all this year. Really? Not any suburb of DC or any Hampton Roads area?

i bet as we get closer to the early/mid feb date we will see some more 4G sites go live. they have already added additional 3G towers (to help with the iphone althoguht they didnt specify that) adding 4G towers then starting to sell 4G phones will take SOME stress off of those 3G towers. i was pretty hooked to that 3/17 release date for the tbolt but more of this is making sense to me, fingers crossed...

 

[aggie]

I understand. I'm not shooting the messenger. It's just that it doesn't seem to follow in how Verizon has done business in the past.



When you offer two items at the same time, it gives the customer a choice. So they choose one or the other (or neither). Obviously from the customer's perspective, that is a good thing. But from the seller's perspective, it's not. Granted there will be die hards that will buy the iPhone or TBolt regardless. The real difference comes when customers come in and only have one choice. In that case, Verizon will get additional customers for each that they wouldn't otherwise have. Verizon does this all the time as they spread out their releases -- look at the DX, DInc, D2, Fascinate, DPro.

I would think allowing the customer multiple options and keeping them from walking out the door and picking up a device from another carrier would be the ideal situation. Most of their $ is made on the contract they rope you into, not the hardware. Offering a high number of quality devices is what they use to get you in the door to sign on the line so they can milk the contract for 2 years. I don't think they have a preference one way or the other for a customer to buy an iPhone, Dinc, X, TBolt, etc., they get that mandatory $30 data option tied onto any smartphone contract. IMO offering both devices in the same timeframe is a win-win for VZW and the consumer. They'll be getting people in the door that want an iPhone on a network where they can actually make calls, they'll also be getting people that want the LTE experience on the TBolt and in the major cities where there will be huge iPhone demand on the EVDO network their other hot device will be operating on the 4g network removing alot of people from the 3g network who upgrade from X, Dinc, Droid, etc..

 

[paulmike3]

DolfanCole.... Are you saying that if they released them a couple months apart that some would buy the iPhone on 2/10 and then on 4/1 but the Tbolt?

That would be the only scenario I can see where VZW would make more money by releasing them sperately. Help me understnad if I misunderstood.
Thanks.

+1. Assuming you're not scaring customers out of your store, you're going to get the same amount of sales regardless of release date for each device. If someone goes in and only has 1 option, they buy it and won't be back a month later to buy a diff device. If they walk in and have 2 options, they still only buy 1 so there's no lost sale for VZW. Or they buy both and VZW gains a sale.

Now that can all change if Apple has a say, but how many sacrifices do we think Beg Red has already made to Apple?

 

[mlpjunior]

Staggering device releases protects manufacturers, not carriers.

Sent from my SCH-I500 using Tapatalk

 

[SpaceHippie]

I get it. Hey come on into Verizon, we have the new iphone 4. Alright now that your here, are you sure this is the phone you want? Because we have a new 4g LTE called the Thunderbolt that is bigger and faster. Perhaps your interested?

 

[aggie]

I get it. Hey come on into Verizon, we have the new iphone 4. Alright now that your here, are you sure this is the phone you want? Because we have a new 4g LTE called the Thunderbolt that is bigger and faster. Perhaps your interested?

LOL that reminds me of that iPhone vs Evo Youtube cartoon

 

[Nitros7]

I get it. Hey come on into Verizon, we have the new iphone 4. Alright now that your here, are you sure this is the phone you want? Because we have a new 4g LTE called the Thunderbolt that is bigger and faster. Perhaps your interested?

That would work save the fact that Iphone fanboys think because it has 4 in the name the Iphone 4 is a 4g device... ah what it must be like to be blissfully unaware...

 

[experiment 626]

I remember seeing a post that Best Buy was going to be the exclusive indirect dealer for the Thunderbolt. Perhaps the Bolt gets released at BB first while the VZW corporate stores handle the iPhone tsunami. BTW, does Best Buy still only do 2yr contracts?