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No release date for the HTC Thunderbolt? No worries! Verizon’s started training their employees on the thing, and if past training treks are anything to go by, we could be seeing a device launch in a few weeks. We won’t hold our breath, though: that’d be detrimental to our health. But we’d be quite surprised if we go too far into February without so much as a word about pre-sale opportunities. [via AC]
WooHoo! Bring it on!
I am so excited. I want this cell.
Training for a phone?
Verizon must hire some real winners.
I have been debating back and forth over this and the DROID Bionic. I think i am going to go w/this little ditty. Based on the fact that i don’t expect much performance boost from this second-generation snapdragon and the T2 processor (atleast noticeable in normal use), I would really like to have the kickstand, the greater amount of memory available for processes and the fact that its coming out much sooner. I am just about to my max w/my OG DROID.
So, assuming its not all bogged down w/Bing and the initial previews are favorable, I believe I will be one of the first to own that bad boy!
Steve, don’t be a moron, the reason they train their staff, just a do all carriers, on a new phone is so they will be knowledgeable about a highly anticipated phone. Just because you are to much of am idiot to get a job at mcdonalds fours not mean that other are dumb for educating their employees.
Steve, your ignorant. They need to be knowledgeable about a product they are selling, not to mention a highly advertised first 4G phone. People ask questions before buying a new phone and think they before they speak…clearly you do not.
@ STEVE – Haha you are getting pwned. Not only do they need to know all the specs about the phone but they need to know how it stacks up to other phones to create hype.
Yeah, dont train your employees about anything and call yourself Walmart. Steve you chode. haha
@Steve.. Your right, what a waste of time to train employees about a phone.. after all, all they have to do is take the money for the sale.. right ?.. things like knowing how to operate the phone, and being able to quote specs and point out features are stupid, and would never make a sale.
Although steve went a little far with that comment it still holds true. Its sad when i could go in any verizon store and know more about the phones then anyone in there. But I would most likely never be able to get a job there. Same goes for other places like bestbuy. They hire ignorant people who know nothing about the phone, tv, or computer they are trying to sell
So i’m really torn between this phone and the iphone4.
there’s pros and cons to both. I’ll have to wait till i can really compare them a little more to make a more accurate decision! But i am way excited to see what happens
@Cooterbrown.. Your a phone enthusiast, I don’t doubt that you know a great deal about a great deal of different phones. You should, if you need a job, apply to those places.. I say go for it. However it is a bit much to generalize that all the people in these stores don’t know squat, because you may have known something they didn’t. At both Verizon and Best Buy there are quite a few products to keep up with, and there are more aspects to the job than knowing what HTC, or Motorola has coming down the pipe in a month..
Any word on if this phone will be capable of global roaming? I know that 4G may not be available but can the phone be used for data and voice overseas?
come to my store Cooterbrown i will make you feel so dumb about phones you will feel like you couldnt operate a star tac
@Cooterbrown..Come in my VZW store and see if you know more about android and its devices than i do :]
I have been waiting patiently for Verizon to get the iPhone. I’m a big Apple fan and have been for a long time. So I’m excited to finally have the chance to get the iPhone. And my Razr is totally on life support. But I have to say I’m also very tempted by the HTC Thunderbolt! I almost picked up a HTC Incredible a few months ago but I waited and now I have to make a decision soon. There are now rumors that the iPhone 5 will be launching over the summer, which, -while still just a rumor, is in keeping with what I’ve grown to expect from Apple. I don’t know if I even could wait until the rumored 3/17 release for the Thunderbolt. But it is an awesome looking phone and I’ve read so many great things about the HTC phones. And with Verizon dropping the “New Every 2” program it further complicates my decision.
I have to say that, most of the times I’ve gone into Verizon stores, the people who work there seem to know a lot less than I do about the upcoming phones and specs. As for me, I’m by no means an expert. But I learn a lot as I read this site and the Verizon site about the new phones and what they offer. So that just makes it worse that I know more then they do. I don’t want to say that every Verizon store is the same, but it has been my experience that I’ve run into the ones that are not up on facts. I was in one last week and they had no idea what the htc Thunderbolt was. My wife wanted to see the Droid 2 phone and I asked for one for her to look at and he gave me a completely different phone. But anytime I’ve called Verizon Wireless with questions they seem to be very knowledgeable, and if they don’t have an answer to a question to seem to go the extra mile to find out for me. Again, I’ve probably just been lucky.
What bout training for the Inspire 4G? I’m dying for a phone right now.
Keep in mind that company employees usually know a lot more than you think. Employees that care about their employment won’t discuss rumors or potential devices/features. Their job is to sell and/or support current products and features. No salesman worth their salt will entertain rumors, they want to sell you something now.
Make of that what you will. Now if you’re saying you know more about current products, then you have a valid issue.
Isaac: The ThunderBolt is not a rumor. It’s an officially announced device.
After extensive research, reading tons of articles and blogs, I’m definately opting for the Thunderbolt and leaving the iDon’t have a signal, iCan’t customize my phone without jailbreaking it days and being set free…. Soon is relative, does this new bit of info push up the release from March??? And don’t let guys like Steve get under your skin… for those who slammed him you did just what he wanted … However I do like the sarcastic approach from Dennis!
It’s all good, but if Verizon raise the date plan, I will say good bye HTC Thunderbolt and Hello Straight talk! I’m not willing to overpay..Verizon is expensive as it is..
Well February 10th date can be ruled out since the Holy Grail ov phones will be hitting the market. That was a jk. Me I heard the reviews about it but I will hold out since I want a more then what my Incredible can offee
@alex…you get what you pay for. VZW is expensive for one reason..its the best network in the US as well as their customer service and has been for about 12 years running. Look up something called Consumer Reports if you doubt it.
@Steve I understand what you’re saying, but as a tech support agent, I understand why they train. Not only do the store reps need to know the selling points, but Tech support needs to know how to fix any issues that might arise; and “The phone just launched today” is not an excuse for why you can’t troubleshoot the device.
So I’ve been reviewing obsessively over my purchase of my first 4g smart phone… the main contenders Thunderbolt vs Bionic. The bionic is a hell of a machine… dual core, better graphics, and HDMI output. But HTC has the human factors nailed with their Sense UI. To me (being an engineer.. and faster would usually means better)… I’m going with the HTC… The reason why.. The Sense UI (from what I’ve read) is light years ahead in usability over the Moto Blur. I’m buying this phone to make my life easier… and nothing would frustrate me more than a super fast phone that isn’t intuitive… HTC here I come!
There is a reason that a reader of sites like this one may appear to know more about the devices a carrier sells, or will sell in the future, than the employees there. They are bound by confidentiality agreements that prohibit them from talking about products not yet officially announced. It would be a bad idea for them to anyway, as plans can and do change. They will say what they can. Conjecture about upcoming devices is best left to the forums.
that’s just part of sales. Wheather they know or not about future devices or phones. They want to sell now! Personal Knowledge about devices is all to each individual. you’ll find some salesman that know everything and some that don’t know a dang thing.
So what’s the vote status on which one is going to be better? The Thunderbolt or the iphone4 ????
Is the thunderbolt going to support microsoft office? ex.Word?
Thunderbolt will be the way to go vs. iP4 on verizon considering you will not be able to talk & surf web plus as bad as AT&T service might be CDMA technology is still slower so I think Verizon customers are going to be greatly disappointed especially those jumping ship from AT&T ….TB hands down!!!
Don’t forget the other leaks that have been out there in the last two days. http://www.91mobiles.com/mobile/HTC+Mobiles/Thunderbolt+4G/8776.html has the release date as Jan. 31 though I don’t know the accuracy of the website. But it does fit in with the tendency to launch a phone 2 weeks after training starts. and http://htcpedia.com/news/htc-thunderbolt-getting-map-designation-launch-super-close.html is another hint at a soon launch date.
the bionic will crush them all. as far as vzw training for a phone goes its wasted time and money. i have an og droid that vzw wouldnt have a clue how to work on.
Too late !
Apple will it this rotten Plum.
What’s your thoughts on requirement of a 4G data plan? I really want this phone, but don’t want to spend the extra money for 4G.
I am also starting to see a lot of online ads for the Thunderbolt, so I think its getting really close.
The training is certainly revolving around the proceeds of ACTIVATING the first LTE handset that is to be sold by the carrier. The proceeds of preorder. (New to VZW) and key features to sel to average consumers. Not to the go toe to toe with die hard Android users. Anyone inside the industry reading these comments is rolling the eyes at this. If VZW is teaching people to process the transactions. All that means is that the wait is nearly over.
cant wait for the HTC Thunderbolt
@Ryan. As far as Alex’s point is concerned, don’t think the Verizon network is really at question-Straight Talk runs off either AT&T or Verizon, so you still have the best networks, only at a fraction of the price (think my mom is paying around $45 for unlimited everything). What’s of more relevance is the phone choice. Yes ST has some nice phones, including smartphones, but if the lure of an iphone, Thunderbolt or blackberry is greater than the need to save money (my weak point) then Straight Talk’s savings, network choice and contract-free service will mean little to you.
will it have hdmi output
will it be slow because of no dual core
this or the bionic or the incredible
just my opinion, but I think the “kickstand” looks pretty gay (no offense). I just think after a while it will become loose, flip open when I slide it in/out of my back pocket, etc.
thoughts?
I played with the TB kickstand at CES, the spring on that thing is impressive. It isn’t going to get loose overtime without some serious abuse or something. I think my comment to the HTC rep at the time was you could jack up a small car with that thing. Has a very firm snap in and out and much more substantial feeling than the EVO kickstand. All around a gorgeous device up close.
Even though the Bionic, Atrix and LG Optimus 2x were all early builds I was really disappointed at the UI performance on all the Tegra 2 devices. I was really expecting them to be as smooth or smoother than the Thunderbolt and I was very disappointed. The TB was by far the more mature feeling and usable of the devices there. By release the Bionic and Atrix could be better, but right now the TB is a better experience in my opinion.
fartbubbler- I DID take offense. If you know that you’re saying something offensive then DON’T say it, so an apology to all would be in order.
As for the Thunderbolt, I am eagerly awaiting it’s release, since I’m now on my third Droid X, and living in “freeze-up and dropped call hell”. Motorola continues to turn out bad software,and Verizon continues to push their products, even though both companies are well aware of the problems. I’m sick of it and going back to HTC.
Although I hate to say it, I am in agreement with those who have had problems with the lack of knowledge/training given to employees at Verizon stores and also at Best Buy. Of course, that doesn’t mean that all employees are stumbling around, but it’s hard to be cheerful when you go into a store, wait up to an hour for someone to get to you, and then be met with a blank stare, or worse, incorrect information. I am all for specialized training and would be thrilled if stores took the time to invest in hands-on training that improved knowledge and customer service.
To you guys talking about you knowing more about upcoming phones done the road….here’s a secret that most people with common sense have…”Ignorance is bliss” Of course they aren’t going to be ethusiastic about the Iphone 4 and other phones coming out. How are the odds…that if you were to buy a phone today it would be from the guy you are speaking to? 100%….and if he “sells” you into a phone thats not out…how likely are you to go back to that same person (going back to the same store isn’t the same thing) and buy that phone later when it comes out? idk….5%?
Ok just found out about this phone around a week ago. I mentioned the appeal of Sprint’s Evo and she said well just so happens were getting that same device. Its gonna be called the thunderbolt. So long story short here I am . So she went to traing on it this Monday. I spoke to her this afternoon and she said it would be dual core. No hdmi out but would have dlna and sense 2.0. Skype will be post launch. She said it may be ship with 3.0 gingerbread ,but would probably be running 2.2 though. Oh and mostimportant she said it would ship on Feb. 14. I do know that accessories for the phone will ship to Best Buy on Feb.20. So to the people that said work for Verizon can you let us know the accuracy of this information. Oh, I almost forgot. For the people talking bad to the other posters at least next time check your spelling. There isn’t anything worse than a compelling argument with terrible spelling!
The training of their staff does go a little way to explaining why verizon is more expensive than say tracfone. especially with regards to customer service. Maybe it’s because my expectations of verizon are so much higher, but it doesn’t explain why I’m perpetually disappointed. Be that as it may, you invariably get what you payed for.