Connect with us

Mobile

Verizon Pulls HTC Thunderbolt Commercial…What’s Going on?

Published

on

Verizon Wireless has removed its HTC Thunderbolt commercial from public view, which was originally published on Tuesday. Both the English and Spanish versions of the Thunderbolt commercial are now marked as private and have been removed from Verizon’s YouTube channel. It’s almost as if Verizon wants to quell the crowds clamoring for an official Thunderbolt release date.

The HTC Thunderbolt has been a highly anticipated Android device since it was announced at CES 2011. Pre-orders for the Thunderbolt began on February 6 at Best Buy, but no formal launch date has been announced by Verizon, the Thunderbolt’s exclusive wireless carrier.

March 4 is the latest ‘solid’ release date, which was mentioned in a Tweet by a lone Best Buy store. Best Buy HQ has yet to release official word of when it will begin fulfilling pre-orders.


A YouTube user re-posted the Thunderbolt commercial.

An HTC training rep confirmed the March 4 target, but said that there are a lot of politics with all of the involved parties and it may take another two weeks before the Thunderbolt actually goes on sale.

Here are some screen grabs from the commercial, just in case Verizon pulls this copy of the commercial as well.

41 Comments

41 Comments

  1. Josephgzalez

    02/26/2011 at 6:52 am

    Theres also a second commercial by htc that was aired on TV today..

    • Bob

      02/26/2011 at 6:23 pm

      And what new commercial is that pls put links don’t just tell us duh

  2. Dave

    02/26/2011 at 8:46 am

    This is poor customer service on Verizon’s part they should have never let a two bit company like Best Buy in on this, they have raised the prices and screwed the release date. I am debating whether or not to leave VZW over this whole thing, if they cant get a phone launch correct what else are they screwing up? Its a shame too because I have always had excellent customer service from them, but this is a big flag to me. Something sneaky is going on behind the scenes involving all players, the phone is ready for release and company politics are holding it up, they right there have let customers take a back seat.

    • Dave

      02/26/2011 at 8:47 am

      I know its just a phone, but the point is there is no need to leave the customers in the dark. I know kids in Africa don’t care about a phone, luck of draw I guess, my life is more simplified.

      • Rob

        02/26/2011 at 9:09 am

        Verizon, nor anyone else, has even said when the phone will be released. Everyone just keeps speculating, and then getting mad because there own bull shit “sources” are wrong.

        As far as being pre orders, so what? I can go to gamestop and pre order a game that will be released this fall. So the fact that it is on preorder is irrelevant. If you want the phone, you’ll wait. Verizon is still the best of the big 4 carriers, especially if you live in the eastern US. T-Mobile may have better plans in terms of pricing and stuff, but Verizon has the best call quality and at&t is probably at the bottom of the heap.

        So I’ll be sticking with Verizon, and like a normal sane person who doesn’t get uptight about a phone, I’ll just relax and wait. I may even wait a bit longer to see if there are reviews for the phone, saying whether it is worth it or not.

        My two cents.

        • Trueabm

          02/26/2011 at 9:36 am

          @Rob
          Although VZW hasn’t given an official date, Best Buy reps have repeatedly given out dates. I’ve been told the 14th, 20th, 21st, 24th and 28th. If you take a look at the details of the HTC Thunderbolt in their weekly ad, you’ll see that it says “*Carriers, coverage and products may vary by store. Available in New Jersey” but it is not available in New Jersey. That ad was first posted on the 20th and I’ve yet to find a store in New Jersey or any other state with it in stock.

        • Tombs513

          02/26/2011 at 4:52 pm

          But how long is coming soon? A term used usually not meaning an extended period of time. HTC and Verizon has used “coming soon.”

        • Dan

          02/26/2011 at 7:23 pm

          I totally agree. Stop believing all of these rumors and possible release dates. Don’t believe anything until you see a commercial from Verizon with an ACTUAL RELEASE DATE!!!

      • Anonymous

        03/02/2011 at 10:40 pm

        I think it has to do with the iPhone sales not doing as well and them wanting to sell more of those units…..and today they lowered all other Android Phones $100.00. Think they’re trying to clear out some older models from the warehouse before the new lineup is available.

    • matt

      02/26/2011 at 7:49 pm

      I am also frustrated with the changing dates with the release of this supposed phone. I’m beginning to wonder if it really even exists! Unlike many of you that have responded, I found out about this phone while trying the Evo and told at a corporate Verizon store that they were releasing a phone just like the Evo called the Thunderbolt on Feb. 24th. That came from Verizon. Well obviously that didn’t happened. I even talked to a rep from Verizon on the 23rd to verify and they said that it should be out on the 24th, but no guarantee, I guess I should have known. I am considering changing back to Sprint, their service here was just as good if not better than Verizon and the customer service that I got with them was a drastic improvement over the old Sprint. If something doesn’t happen with some kind of official statement from Verizon I think I’ll switch!

  3. Brian

    02/26/2011 at 10:06 am

    I’m right there with you Rob. Everyone that I have seen upset is depending on what they believe is supposed to happen and speculation. When Verizon HAS RELEASED THE PHONE, IT WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE. You are all expecting the phone based on guesses which is not fair to Verizon and is just not smart as an individual. If you currently have a phone, use it until this one is available. You current carrier should let you continue using your phone and make 1 more monthly payment. The rest of the adults can wait for this device. If you feel that you have to get another phone, do it! This is all about wanting a device you cannot have and I can’t believe how many people gotta have it right now before they explode. Would it be nice to have now…sure. Can I live without it….sure. So wait 2 more weeks and it will most likely be there. If it’s not, so what. I will wait until it is. Before I hear this again, yes it is your right to complain. It is also my right to laugh about it because you are so impatient.

  4. Arrow Ray

    02/26/2011 at 12:43 pm

    Not fair to verizon ? They put it on a t.v commercial, they push and push. Then back off. I won’t buy a damn thing from verizon if they keep this up. If we the customer as one, don’t buy,than maybe verizon will have on the shelf what they commercialize to the public. And stop the tease as far as release dates go, if not for us. We would be knocking the doors down at AT &T for these phones

    • Wazupwitutface

      02/26/2011 at 12:57 pm

      lol this is funny…. Dave blames best buy…. Brain says he agrees with dave but as long as your not 12 youll be fine waiting…so no tantrums….and ray is like screw this and you’re lte! I’m bailing for the atrix dual core AND fiber optics!!!

      You guys are crazy…I’m just happy you don’t have iphones lol….

    • Richard Johnson

      02/26/2011 at 5:44 pm

      “They put it on a t.v commercial, they push and push. Then back off”

      They put out a commercial that said “coming soon”. Don’t know as I’ve seen a commercial or ad from Verizon or HTC with a release DATE. How have they “backed off”?

  5. Gj96

    02/26/2011 at 1:26 pm

    finding out that the thunderbolt has battery issues. battery life is beyond horrible. less then 3 hours on min. use
    it gonna be awhile berore this thing debuts

  6. Nylimo

    02/26/2011 at 3:07 pm

    My contract is up on 3.14.11……I hope I can see some reviews before I buy this phone, which will be outdated shortly.

  7. Marcallen_-1

    02/26/2011 at 3:48 pm

    Hey folks, as with all new things there will be bugs to work out. My vote is wait and see before before you buy into it. Nothing worse than getting stuck with a problem ridden phone over a 2 year contract! ie: first version of Blackberry storm what a piece of shit that was!

  8. Bob

    02/26/2011 at 6:16 pm

    Ok I don’t get this at all and I am completely against these words considering I have seen both of these commercials on tv today and watched the Spanish one on verizons YouTube channel…

  9. Jwallacenc

    02/26/2011 at 6:55 pm

    As a person who put down $50 buck to pre-order, I think that Verizon has missed an opportunity to do some positive marketing by failing to keep their customers informed. If the thunderbolt has some technical glitches thrn that need to be addressed before released then OK….just say so because no one will want to be stuck in a 2 year contract with a lemon of a phone. VZN and HTC could turn this into a positive thing by saying we will not release the thunderbolt until it is perfect and give a realistic date when they expect a release. As it is, because of because of politics, marketing blunders, technical issues, a rush to production….whatever, this phone and the companies involved are taking a hit to their reputations and will be viewed with suspicion. Early adapters of new cell phones are often the ones less techically oriented people turn to for advice when making purchasing decisions. Word of mouth and negative feedback on social networking sites will turn this phone launch into a dud if VZN, HTC and BBY dont get proactive and start telling the public whats going on.

  10. Jwallacenc

    02/26/2011 at 7:03 pm

    If I were ATT I would use the VZNs failure to launch as a marketing tool to poke fun at VZN….a big flash and a boom…and a vaporware phone.

    “Hey Ma, now that the thunderstorm is over,lets get over to ATT and get us a real phone.”

    ATT could pull some customers from VZN to sell their 4G phones that are in stores now.

    • n00b_destroyer

      03/04/2011 at 9:26 pm

      You do realize that ATT’s 4G network isnt even running right? They have not launched a 4G tower. Anywhere. Because Verizon has already turned on 4G in over 38 cities, ATT felt the need to make it seem like they were doing it faster. Can’t use a 4G phone w/o the network…just saying.

  11. Glennswatson

    02/26/2011 at 7:29 pm

    Why people so impatient? The phone will be out when it comes out. Id rather have them take a bit longer. I can upgrade to an Iphone if I want to right now but held off for the Thunderbolt and frankly after reading the bad reviews on the Iphone. I’m really glad I held off. Verizon rushed the Iphone and people are complaining about the functionality of it. What ever the issues I am sure verizon has a reason for not immediatley releasing the phone. Be patient, it’s always worth the wait,

  12. Dave

    02/26/2011 at 7:48 pm

    I dont believe this battery issues deal, they had the evo, the new hardware will be optimized for better power usage, the new processor is 45nm vs old 65nm so it is more power efficient, they have made a 4.3 in screen before, nothing on this phone speaks in volumes that they cant make decent battery life. Sources inside HTC have confirmed the TB is ready to ship. Evo has 1500mha vs TB 1400, they should be able to make it properly. I just find it hard to believe no one notice this alleged “battery” issue for the 4 months of testing done on it, you think they would notice at CES when they are walking around with it and showing it off. Its a strategically placed “flaw” that they can “fix” to look good in the public eye for putting the phone out there and then running into political problems with all the companies involved.

  13. coba

    03/04/2011 at 8:05 am

    The reason why verizon keeps delaying the HTC Thunderbolt because the iPhone. I asked at verizon premium retail store said that the phone was actually released on 24th of February. In my analysis, verizon has signed the contract with iPhone to delay the release of HTC Thunderbolt. Why? iPhone is still not match with HTC Thunderbolt which is run over 4G network. Therefore, this ‘politic’ is the best way to keep selling the iPhone.

  14. someDude

    03/08/2011 at 6:58 pm

    The commercial is back up and running. Should we take this as a good sign?

  15. Eagle34

    03/09/2011 at 10:56 pm

    Doesn’t anyone know what soon means?
    Soon
    Or
    Otherwise
    Never!

    LOL just be patient.

  16. Nomorerumors

    03/10/2011 at 1:10 pm

    Navigate to the Best Buy Web Site. Set your locale as 75070. Then navigate to products–> Verizon Wireless. Next look for the weekly ad and the Buyers Guide. Next click any image of the thunderbolt. Note the date for pricing is set to be effective between the following dates. 02/20/2011 – 03/26/2011.

    Please stop the rumors and verify the phone is now available between the following dates 02/20/2011 – 03/26/2011..

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.