Best Buy gets retail exclusivity on HTC Thunderbolt; mid-February launch

By on Feb 7, 2011 at 5:52 PM
mobile February 7, 2011

Via a short press release today, Best Buy announced its national, retail exclusivity on HTC’s Thunderbolt handset from Verizon Wireless. Sadly, the announcement lacked a specific launch date — merely referring to “mid-February” — but our money is still on the 24th. Those interested in the LTE handset can pre-order from Best Buy “immediately.” Hit the jump for the full press release.

Best Buy® Announces National Retail Exclusive and Pre-Sale Availability of HTC ThunderBolt

HTC ThunderBolt is the nation’s first 4G LTE smart phone

MINNEAPOLIS–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Best Buy today announced the immediate pre-sale availability of the HTC ThunderBolt at Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile standalone stores nationwide. The HTC ThunderBolt, which will launch in mid-February as a national retail exclusive for Best Buy, is the first smart phone on the Verizon Wireless 4G LTE network.

“The HTC ThunderBolt is a groundbreaking smart phone and Best Buy couldn’t think of a better way to kick off 2011 than by offering it as a national retail exclusive to our customers,” said Scott Anderson, head of merchandising for Best Buy Mobile. “We have worked hard to provide our customers with a great selection of smart phones which now includes the HTC ThunderBolt, both versions of the iPhone 4, Samsung Nexus S, HTC EVO™ 4G and many more options.”

The HTC ThunderBolt offers a rich web browsing experience and the ability for users to easily generate and share their own video experiences. Other key features of the HTC ThunderBolt include the ability to:

  • Download a song in less than 4 seconds
  • Download 20 photos in a minute
  • Stream TV shows from your computer

Best Buy Mobile offers an array of services aimed at improving customers’ experience, including Walk Out Working, Upgrade Checker, Happy24, Buy Back and a full array of accessories for customers to protect and personalize their device.

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  • http://twitter.com/DavisDarvish Davis Darvish

    RIP OG Droid

  • Steve H

    This still means Verizon will sell it, right?

    • Ethan

      Nope. Best Buy only, just like the Nexus S.

  • MePascal

    If it says mid February launch and there are 28 days in February, the math I was taught would lead me to believe that the 14th is a safe bet

    • Jeffejames

      Sweeeeeet!!!
      I just pre ordered mine today!

      • MePascal

        Yeah…had mine pre-ordered on the 6th just as best buy was opening. Csr at best buy was very informative in telling me that the 14th was the hard launch however if the devices arrived on the 13th as they expected that I should expect a call to come pick up my TBolt.

  • VZW Agent

    This is almost entirely incorrect. Best Buy will NOT be the only retailer selling this phone mid February. I know this because my store will have it here by the 14th or close to it… We already have our dummy phones

    • Soon-to-be-Thor

      Can’t both be correct?

      I plunked my $50 down last night at BB, and was told pretty unequivocally that I should expect to be back next Monday (the 14th).

      The 10 days before the 24th, the day Verizon Store employees are told to prepare for their delivery of their Thunderbolts would qualify as a retail exclusive for BB: they get the Thunderbolt 10 days before anyone else, thus, exclusivity.

      • Bigq548

        i am a vzw rep, we were told we will be getting them next week even though we are a retail agent. but they did not confirm the date sales will start. we already have accessories in stock

    • MePascal

      Why should we believe anything that any “VZW agent” says?…We all have asked at least 5 different csr’s from Verizon the same questions and got 5 different answers. None of you are on the same page.

    • Verizon Rep.

      Best Buy is the only National Retailer that will be getting it.. So like Cosco or Walmart wont. But indirect locations will..

  • Dustin Knowlton

    Just preordered mine. Was told it was launching on February 14th

  • Anonymous

    So close, yet so far.

  • N3mofish

    does anyone know how much the data plan is gonna be?

    • VZW AGENT

      As far as I know…it should be the same price as current smart phones..maybe cheaper…. a good indicator would be our 4g aircards are actually $10 cheaper than our old 3g cards.

    • Ethan

      $30 unlimited only, from what I hear. $20 extra for hotspot tether limited to 4 gigs.

  • DonnyDon

    Norwalk CT already has it in stock. I played with it. Reserved it. $30 unlimited plan confirmed!!!! I forgot but if i remember he said eith the 14th or 17th. This was direct from verizon rep there. They had a whole closet full of em!!!!!

    Either way i only got it cause of 4g once iphone goes lte im gone. Android has no applications period!!!!!

    • Booboolala2000

      Really?

    • Anonymous

      “Android has no applications period!!!!!”

      …I’m at a loss for words. I feel like I was just lobotomized by that comment.

      • Tgall22

        Agreed!!!

    • Tim242

      LoL @ 240,000 apps being equal to no apps. Ignorance must be bliss.

  • Capt.D

    I pre ordered today and was told that I would be able to pick it up on the 14th.

  • gsb

    What does Exclusivity mean?…does mean VZW won’t sell this in their stores or just others like RadioShack don’t get to sell this?

  • Tgall22

    Whats Best Buys Price on this??

    • Dustin Knowlton

      $249.99

  • The Answer

    All Verizon stores will get it on launch day (direct and indirect channels). Best Buy is the only “National Retailer” (such as Target, Walmart, etc.) that will carry the DROID at launch.

    • The Answer

      By DROID I mean Thunderbolt…

      • Anonymous

        Thank you, because I have a
        “DROID” X and it’s CRAP compared to HTC; speaking from experience because I’ve owned The EVOOOO. And, pretty soon I’ll have it back in the formm of ThunderBolt¡₣; so I can ditch this “CRAP” X with Motoblur.

  • http://twitter.com/jkloska JFK

    Confirmed from my Best Buy in Michigan, they are for sale starting on the 14th.

  • pc

    14th for sure, that’s what our systems say at bb.

  • Tim242

    Happy Valentines Day to Me!

  • ethan

    I was told Feb. 14th.

  • Anonymous

    this news story was posted Monday. i had Bestbuy’ Sunday ad (on sunday) which gave the release date. so shouldn’t this have been put up before sunday to have any relevance?

  • Guythatuseshisbrain

    Bgr, you have just lost all credibility by this post. Do you truly think that the leading wireless carrier would launch their first 4g phone exclusively at one of their Smaller Authorized Agents? Anybody with a decent brain can figure this one one out.

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