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We were hoping the iPhone 4 wouldn’t deter Verizon from their plans to release the HTC Thunderbolt smack dab in the middle of the month, but according to evidence sent to Droid Life, they have delayed the device and have no definite ETA on its new arrival.
We were hopeful February 14th would be a solid date to look forward to as we heard it from several independent insiders and saw evidence from Amazon suggesting as much. Best Buy also began advertising and taking pre-orders for the device this week.
There’s still hope, however, as this same internal memo says “there has been a delay with the creative for the Moto Xoom.” I’m not sure what kind of term that is in Verizon’s language, but in marketing language, a “creative” could be anything from a small store poster to a 3 million dollar Super Bowl ad.
The document also reveals that 4G mobile hotspot was scheduled for the 17th of this month and has also been delayed with no ETA, but that’s to be expected considering the Thunderbolt is the only 4G phone to be available on Verizon this month.
Droid Life speculates that the delay could be due to mobile hotspot not working, but internals from Verizon initially suggested it wouldn’t be available out of the box anyway, so we can’t see why they’d want to delay the phone for functionality that hasn’t been promised right away.
Whatever’s going on, a February 14th launch date for their first LTE phone is looking less and less likely, at this point. All the more reason to spend your lunch money on that nice $800 tablet they’ve got coming up soon.
[Update]: And dummy units are now arriving in stores just as the above document says, ironically carrying a day of “Mon, Feb 14” on that fake HTC clock widget on the homescreen. Confusing? Yes. Torture? It’s the Big Red way. Let’s hope that’s a funny nod to the phone’s actual launch date.
I call BS
Absolutely BS. They;re bluffing so people get the iPhone. I wonder how HTC feels about Verizon completely undermining their product because the iPhone is coming out.
Vz ticking me off, they are making this so complicated.
I call BS as well. They can keep this damn phone. I’m tired of the stupidity involving this launch.
The authorized dealers just received the dummy phones and cases. They said it was pushed back to the 24th.
You know, up till now I was extremely excited about thisdevice, but there is only one thing that is giving me the biggest hesitation. Coming from sprint and the EVO I can tell you, while it was a beautiful device, the battery life was abysmal. So much so that I wanted to return it outright. I see that they are even going with a lower capacity battery 1400 mAh?! what is the logic here? Am I missing something? Someone please tell me that thiswill automagically have better battery performance while having a lower capacity.
I am still being told by best buy associates that it will launch the 14th. Just chatted with on on their mobile website
Verizon should delay the iphone
Verizon should delay the iphone
Bs they wouldn’t change it so close and after best buy is already doing pre orders? I don’t think so. But I don’t care the LG revolution is looking betty and better to me but I love the HTC update support you just don’t get that with LG and Samsung
@Sean
The processor on the ThunderBolt is a newer generation Snapdragon with better performance and if its anything like Desktop PC cores are when there improved, it will use less power, and its not using an AMOLED screen, instead it uses a more power efficient SLCD display. Incredible/EVO has a 1350aAh battery, and with the slight change in mAh they must know that battery life isn’t drastically cortailed by the performance increase in the CPU. but only the reviews can answer that before the phone is released, which Engadget will likely have like they did with the Incredible/EVO before it was out.
ok then we know its delayed but atleast we know its February becuase of that ad Verizon teased yesterday.
I am not sure why anyone would buy this to begin with. It is a clone of an 8 month old phone and is outdated other than having LTE. Wait for the Bionic or something else that is a real step forward.
Didn’t Best Buy announce that TB was exclusive to them – and is this document internal from the Verizon Store? If so it all makes sense – that the store ETA would be delayed – cuz it’s only at Best Buy.
The cruse of the iphone starts!
Android-Central says it might be because of Skype Mobile
http://www.androidcentral.com/htc-thunderbolt-dummy-phones-arrive-it-looks-like-phone-delayed
Yup, absolutely BS. They just want people to buy more iphone. They must have bonuses tied to it.
@NCX
Well, that does make me feel a little bit better. If all that is true of course. I just hope the processor will make all the difference. If the battery life turns out to be drastically improved I will be the first in line.
Maybe its because the hotspot feature cant really support up to 8 ppl instead of 5
I’m guessing that they see more dollars available from the iPhone sales, and a lot of flack to come when people realize they are not in one of the 38 cities that have LTE.
As a Verizon customer, I don’t give a shit about the Verizon iPhone. Please Verizon, offer us a several choices on your network. I would never own a iPhone, having rooted my droid, the ios platform is tooooo boring. Suck it Jobs, how’s that new liver working out for ya?
It’s iphone related, more breathing room for traffic into stores in my opinion. I still think VZ should let Best Buy and Amazon offer the tbolt on the 14th.
g@*d@*7m Verizon BS. The stinking iPhone is not the only flippin phone in the world, and not everybody wants the stinking thing. Get a grip Verizon, people are getting tired of waiting and being told this or that is coming while you bow down to Apple. I’m tired of waiting, I’ve waited g0#*D@mn long enough, and I am on my way to the Sprint store…good riddance Verizon, oh, and by the way, I’m taking my corporate account with me Courtney, if you care.
Android phones only get teased and delayed for months and months at a time after they’re leaked. The iPhone 4 was announced just a few months after we got leaks about it. Don’t you guys think it’s fair to put the smartphone platform that’s sold you more smartphones than any other carrier in the backseat for APPLE’s sake? Hint: I don’t.
@Marc
because I’m tired of waiting. Motorola promised a dual core by the end of last year, so instead of upgrading to a DX, I waited. They then said it was delayed, but promised it around the late january/early february mark. Now they’re saying second quarter? I’m tired of waiting, especially when the thunderbolt benchmarks are faster than the bionic’s. Yes, that will all change when the software is optimized for dual cores, but still, that’s pretty good for “a clone of an 8 month old phone.” And I agree, “Suck it Jobs”
@dan z
Best Buy Mobile is the exclusive third party seller. You will be able to get the Thunderbolt either in Best Buy Mobile or Verizon corporate stores.
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA! VZW falling down ees funny!! IPhone delays as well? who knows? LoL
Oh, and to bigwilliestyle….. Im not a fan of Mr. Jobs either, but thats a low blow…. you shoulda left your 4th grade mentality in the 4th grade. Godspeed Mr. Jobs, heres to a quick and uncomplicated recovery good sir :)
@Dan Z
Good observation, that makes sense. Hope your right.
I think this is funny. My pre-order slip said available on 2/13
@Marc
I don’t know why people like you keep says the Thunderbolt is just like the Evo. No it is not. You can say a better version of it because it does have a better processor, more RAM, better camera, newer version of sense, better screen, etc.
— and yes i know that is subject to change just why the 12/14 dates when my slip said 12/13
I have been waiting for this phone ~ my contract is up, I want to get rid of my blackberry & I’m sick of hearing about the iphone. Verizon there are a lot of us out here who don’t want an iphone we want this phone so stop jerking us around…..geez…
Walmart wireless is selling the Thunderbolt in April.
Walmart wireless always have better prices than Best Buy.
http://www.walmart.letstalk.com/product/product.htm?prId=38400&productComingSoon=1
@34 This whole article is about how we are upset with a delay…do you think your comment is relevant here when you state Walmart will have it in April? No one is wanting to wait.