Peculiar leak suggests HTC ThunderBolt hitting Best Buy March 10th

By on Feb 25, 2011 at 7:20 AM
mobile February 25, 2011

The above photograph reeks of a coordinated leak, as it was sent to a handful of tech-centric sites and forums at around 11:30PM last night. What we’re allegedly looking at is a Best Buy Mobile launch roadmap that lists Verizon’s HTC ThunderBolt handset with a March 10th release date. We’re assuming that the sheet is quite old — it has a November 11, 2010 Continuum launch listed — making it unclear how much stock we can put in this one. Again, due to the timing and distribution pattern of this photo, we thought it was worth mentioning.

Also of note: that tweet from a Best Buy location tipping a March 4th launch has been deleted. So maybe the 4th is the date.

Come on Verizon, people want this handset and you, obviously, have it. Stop being stingy.

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  • Getitwhileitzhot

    Its ok verizon I am waiting patiently…one millionth mississippi, two millionth mississippi

    • Anonymous

      Funny, lol

  • kman

    who cares about best buy, what about verizon!

    • SiscoRampage

      best buy has the exclusive on this. so anyone that wants one should care about best buy

      • I work there

        It is a phone that will run on Verizon’s network. What they mean by “Best Buy will have the exclusive” is that Best buy will be the only retailer other than Verizon to carry the phone. Of course Big Red will have the phone if they are the only one with service, why wouldn’t they.

        You will not find it at Target, Walmart, Radio Shack and otehr such retailers however. Only Verizon Stores and Best Buy.

      • http://twitter.com/camokatu camokatu

        except it will be available online as well. Best Buy has exclusivity among brink and mortar stores, not interwebs.

      • Dick

        It’s “BRICK and MORTAR” you idiot!

  • Anonymous

    I have been fielding a lot of questions about this device. A lot of angry nerds. It really saddens me and others like me as we are used to new DROIDS every 2 to 4 weeks. This is not a good sign for us.

  • Anonymous

    It could be a photoshop job. March is written as 03, while February only uses 2. Also could be nothing, but I am trying use some wishful thinking that it will come out before the tenth. My business rep had said between the 24-28th a week ago, but that does not carry a lot of weight either.

  • Guttah2010

    If that sheet is old, just goes to show you that the phone has never been delayed and will arrive on schedule.

    • I work there

      Exactly

  • Anonymous

    That’s so Photoshop 101!!!

    No doubt ‘shopped’ by a jealous Steve Jobs fanatic while on bended knees.

  • Anonymous

    Regardless of when the release is, the reason that tweet was taken down was because the employee who posted the tweet violated the Social Network privacy policy of Best Buy. Whoever the employee was at that particular store probably never read the policy and either management or corporate took it down. Verizon reps frequent the stores, and some were out and about yesterday because of the Xoom, so it’s possible they delivered new information on the phone. Maybe this phone won’t be a flop like the iphone was at Best Buy.

  • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AR6HpRLyzMY Walter Sobchak

    Why does it have to be Photoshop? Couldn’t it just be a piece of paper someone made and took a picture of?
    I could make one of those right now, what date you want it to say?

  • Gadhafi’s Travel Agent

    “Come on Verizon, people want this handset and you, obviously, have it. Stop being stingy.”

    More like, hey Verizon, stop making us look bad, as we here at BGR publish a supposed new release date every other day.

  • Guyn2gis

    Makes sense, so it seems everything major is happening in 14 day increments, 1st the iPhone 2/10, then the Xoom 2/24, then the Thunderbolt 3/10, what will be released on 3/24…

  • SiscoRampage

    you have to believe harder that it exists before it will exist

  • Smartinez389

    The best buy tweet being deleted doesn’t mean it’s the actual release date. That just means an emplyee posted about a subject he or she wasn’t supposed too. Sad thing is that person probably lost their job over that.

  • http://www.facebook.com/QuietStorm11364 Keith Williams

    I think we all should tech Verizon Wireless a BIG LESSON, and Boycot the Thunderbolt and demand that we want it release by March3rd, or we won’t buy it until July 2011. That would really screw up everything for them, just like they are screwing us. I know that haven’t made any official dates based on what’s going on around the internet, but they should be responsible enough to at least address a definite date or at least a freakin Pre-Order date. They did it for that flippin iPhone 4….

    • One Thing, Keith

      While Verizon didn’t mention any one specific date, please remember there was a Spanish language VZW TBolt webmercial that clearly stated “Febrero” at the end before it was yanked. So, this is just as much on VZW as it is BBY for publishing release dates in their ad.

    • Anonymous

      please boycott so all the rest of us with a brain can make sure we get one before it sells out. lol

  • http://www.facebook.com/QuietStorm11364 Keith Williams

    We The People control their sales!!!

  • Mariana

    Why bother with all these bullcrap leaks, tweets, etc. When it’s released, it is released…period.

  • The Goat

    I have been out of contract for 5 months waiting for this, VZW is really starting to convince me to move to another carrier over this debacle.

    • Chris

      Wow you waited five months and because you have to wait one or two more weeks you can’t handle it. Ha please go ahead and switch carriers you’ll be back within their test drive period.

      • Cer

        The EVO2 is going to be announced right after the Thunderbolt is released. It’s going to kick TB to the curb easily. I’m no Sprint-lover, but hard to justify buying a TB in mid-late March.

  • I work there

    Actually, Verizon does NOT CLEARLY have this handset in. There are currently none in stock as there have been several issues – most reported on by BGR I believe, and the phone is still undergoing final maintanence before it can be sold. If there is one phone that has been expected, advertised, and then somewhat flopped it is definitely the Thunderbolt.

    Sure it may be the FIRST Big Red 4G device, but it surely isn’t the only one. As of right now, it looks like the others are on track and will be ready and if the Thuderbolt launch keeps getting pushed back it may be a bad break for HTC as LG and Motorola finish in a timely manner.

  • CJ

    Seriously, with the dual core goodness phones on VZ hitting the shelves shortly, is anyone actually still interested in getting this over the offerings from Motorola & LG? When it was 1st announced I planned replacing my Droid X with it, but then the Bionic was announced. The ThunderD’oh! is dead to me!

    • http://twitter.com/khanam Amir Khan

      A few things to consider:

      1. Motorola’s bootloader will remain locked so no custom roms/kernels – thats why droid x dev work at xda = pretty much zero.
      2. dual core = battery hog unless motorola has discovered something that the h/w community is not aware of. plus think of the heat being generated in a small space. hopefully motorola has taken that into account.
      3. Sense > Motoblur. I have both so I can say that without being biased.

      Motorola does always have the best hardware specs though, I have to admit… However, for a phone a dual core processor seems like overkill. Also, LG’s device is no longer dual core – was killing battery life.

    • But, CJ…

      I absolutely understand your statement, CJ…except there are some, like me, that put off upgrading and have a phone that is essentially a paperweight at this point & can’t wait much longer. I’ve seen that sentiment expressed in numerous boards (Droid Life, Engadget, BGR) especially OG Droid owners. I held off having to pay my deductible for a replacement Storm as long as possible due to all this TBolt nonsense and frankly I’m pissed. A posted date would have helped people plan and/or make decision.

  • Run_jon_run

    Droid DOES………..eventually? HURRY UP!!

  • wow mom cool

    if i dont have it now I am never buying a cell phone ever. boohoo!!1

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