Here is a first that we've ever seen in a release of new smartphone presales, with the first LTE capable smartphone from Verizon. Best Buy is taking preorders for the HTC ThunderBolt even though no price or release date has been set. There have also been no full reviews of the HTC ThunderBolt published yet.
Rumors have circulated with HTC ThunderBolt release dates being either February or March. A Verizon tweet said it would be available "sooner than expected," which we put in the same class as "the near future" that Samsung used for the update to Samsung Galaxy S phone. The price has been estimated to be $249.99.
So if you really want the HTC ThunderBolt without ever seeing it in person, not knowing the price for the phone or data plans or the release date, you can go to any Best Buy store and give them a $50 deposit.
We called our local Best Buy store to get the "official" word on the HTC ThunderBolt.
You can reserve the HTC ThunderBolt at 
any Best Buy store by buying a $50 gift card as a deposit. When we asked how much it would cost, the Best Buy associated said, "We don't know yet, but most likely between $199 and $299." When we asked her when it would be available, she said, "They haven't told us. It could be mid February, but they may push it back until later."
Update 02/24/11 5:56 pm- At a Verizon VIP event a launch date of 3/3 or 3/4 was
mentioned as well as an unlimited 4G LTE data plan for $29.99. A tweet
from Roseville Best Buy store suggests a March 4th launch date.
The Best Buy weekly flyer this week shows an ad for the in-store presales.
Previously, we confirmed from an HTC spokesman that the HTC ThunderBolt would be capable of 4G data and voice at the same time.
HTC claims that the HTC ThunderBolt is the first phone with integrated video Skype
mobile - to any device, from anywhere - no Wi-Fi required via its
front-facing camera.
HTC ThunderBolt is a 4G LTE Android 2.2 smartphone with HTC
Sense,
4.3-inch touchscreen, 1GHz Snapdragon processor, Skype video calling,
mobile hotspots, GPS, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other features include a
built-in kickstand, Dolby/SRS surround sound, and DLNA support.
Read more HTC ThunderBolt news.
- Verizon's online exclusive deals.