Amazon’s website has a product page for the HTC Thunderbolt that points to a February 14th release date. The placeholder page lets you sign up to be notified when this handset become available. Underneath this notification is a blurb that states “The HTC ThunderBolt 4G will be available for purchase starting 2/14.” This is not the only rumored launch date; earlier leaks suggests a February 24th debut.
The Thunderbolt was announced by Peter Chou of HTC during a Verizon Wireless press event at CES. The press event focused on Verizon’s LTE network and was used to announced several new LTE devices including the LG Revolution and a 4G version of the Samsung Galaxy Tab. The 4G handset includes a 4.3-inch touchscreen display, 1GHz Qualcomm processor, 8GB onboard storage, 32GB microSD card, Android 2.2 and a kickstand for multimedia playback. The Thunderbolt also features a version of Skype that is integrated into Sense UI and includes 4G video calling.
The one piece of information missing in this puzzle is the pricing for Verizon’s LTE plans. The carrier now offers an unlimited 3G data plan for $30 per month, but this plan is rumored to be disappearing soon, at least for the Verizon iPhone. Verizon has not detailed its plan for LTE but has hinted that it may offered tiered plans that let customers chose between allotments of data which may include 2Gb, 5Gb, or 10GB per month.
For those that are interested in the HTC THunderbolt, Best Buy is offering the 4G Android handset in an exclusive pre-sale that started on Monday at Best Buy stores nationwide. According to the press release, the Thunderbolt will debut in mid-February.
[Via BGR and Amazon]