I've been lurking for a couple of months now - here's the first official post:
Finally couldn't take it anymore after several visits to local stores where I, like many of you, have been unable to get any concrete information. So (why didn't I think of this earlier), I had someone in our IT group send an email to our Verizon sales rep about this phone that is making us all crazy. He stated that he doesn't have a release date, that it is "in testing" and he would put us on the list so that when he can take orders, we'll be first in line.
For various reasons, that does me no good, because corporately we're ditching our Blackberry Server and are requiring everyone to go to their own mobile device - this month! So I called the man, explained my situation and let him know that I needed something more concrete - that if Verizon wasn't in a position to provide worthy competitors to the EVO and iPhone, that I simply had to tell my employees to explore other options. I told him that I understand he probably doesn't have specific dates, but should have an idea, and if this phone is coming soon, he should tell me to "take a deep breath."
His response? "Take a deep breath." But then - and this is where it makes me crazy - he tells me that he knows they have the phones in the warehouse! Where do you think he got that bit of April Fool's goodness? Exactly...hold on, it gets better...
He said that he talked to a QA tester yesterday that has had the phone in his hands for TWO MONTHS!?!? Based on that conversation, he suggests that the rumors circulating for 3rd to 4th week of April release fall in line with what QA is saying.
So what did I learn? Well, I am more hopeful about an April reality now...maybe foolishly so. I also feel like I'm in the middle of this crazy information time-warp where the rumors (and April Fool's jokes) are actually being quoted by Verizon employees as fact - off the record of course.
I'm not sure I can make it another three weeks...
