HTC ThunderBolt News: Verizon Tweets, ThunderBolt VZ NAV on Market & 3/10 Launch?

HTC ThunderBolt Verizon Twitter.JPGIt looks as if we are finally getting closer to an HTC ThunderBolt launch soon.  How can we tell?

Yesterday Verizon Wireless posted an announcement on Facebook and confirmed that it would be released in the near future.

VZ Navigator for the HTC ThunderBolt appeared in the Android Market.  Verizon just tweeted the following from its Twitter account:

"We
appreciate all the excitement about the anticipated launch of the
ThunderBolt by HTC.
  As soon as there's news, we'll issue it here!"

Because there was no official announcement from Verizon, we are sure the HTC ThunderBolt will not be launched this week.  One blogger who got a hold of a non-working dummy HTC ThunderBolt says it feels like an HTC EVO 4G.
Phone Dog tweeted that it should be called the RainStorm.  That's not a good idea because Verizon released the BlackBerry Storm when it still had problems and learned from the experience.  We're guessing that Verizon will "Announce no smartphone before its time."

Suspected release dates are March 10 (if you believe a leaked Best Buy screenshot) or March 17.  The price of the latest Best Buy ad shows The HTC ThunderBolt for $299 with a two-year contract or $749 without a contract.  Previous reports also suggested that the unlimited data plan will cost $29.99 a month.

The HTC ThunderBolt is a 4G LTE Android 2.2 smartphone with HTC
Sense,
a 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.  It was originally announced at CES in January.

Read all of Wireless and Mobile News' HTC ThunderBolt news.