Thanks to a leaked document from a Best Buy source, we have discovered that Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores are anticipating taking preorders for the iPhone 5 starting in the first week of October. What’s a tad bit more interesting, however, is the mention (and further anticipation) that Sprint will be carrying the iPhone 5 at launch. Best Buy makes sure to note that Apple product introduction and launch dates are subject to change, but a preorder date changing is pretty different from a new carrier getting a phone for the first time.

UPDATE: Our source clarified that it’s actually possible presales will be starting this week with the phone arriving in the first week of October, not preorders starting in October.

Thanks, Tee!

Best Buy announced a one day sale on Monday during which it is offering Apple’s 8GB iPhone 3GS for free with a new or upgraded two-year AT&T contract. The device is available in Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores. The iPhone 3GS, which is listed for $49 on Apple’s website, lacks the Retina Display of the iPhone 4, has a slower processor and also doesn’t have a forward-facing camera for Facetime video calls. It offers a 3-megapixel camera, a 3.5-inch 480 x 320-pixel display, support for AT&T’s 3G network, GPS, 802.11b/g Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR and up to 5 hours of talk time on 3G networks. Read on for the announcement from Best Buy.

Best Buy Mobile Offers Free AT&T 8GB iPhone 3GS on Aug. 22

MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 21, 2011 — On Monday, Aug. 22, customers will be able to get a free AT&T 8GB iPhone 3GS at Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores. This exclusive one-day offer is available in-store only on Monday, Aug. 22 either as new or upgrade with two-year activation.

Best Buy Mobile offers an array of services aimed at improving customers’ experience, including Walk Out Working, Upgrade Checker, Happy 24 and a full array of accessories for customers to protect and personalize their device.

Best Buy has announced a special one-day sale that will put any of the three versions of Google’s latest own-branded smartphone in your pocket for free. The T-Mobile Nexus S, Sprint’s Nexus S 4G and the new AT&T version of the Google Nexus S can all be had for zero dollars from now through midnight tonight, Central Time. Of course a two-year contract will need to be signed in order to take advantage of Best Buy’s 100% subsidy, and with new Nexus phones looming on the horizon, that could be a tricky proposition. Those willing to roll the dice for sexy pure Google handset likely won’t be disappointed, however. Google’s Nexus S smartphone features Android 2.3 Gingerbread, a 1GHz Hummingbird processor, 16GB of internal storage, dual cameras, a 4-inch WVGA display and an integrated NFC chip. In the case of Sprint’s version, the sleek handset also features a 4G WiMAX radio. Best Buy’s full press release follows below.

One-Day Exclusive Offer: Best Buy Mobile Offers All Versions of Nexus S from Google for Free on Aug. 3

Available on AT&T, Sprint and T Mobile at Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile specialty stores and online. Offer runs from Aug. 2 at 11 p.m. CST to Aug. 3 at 11:59 p.m. CST

MINNEAPOLIS, August 2, 2011 – Best Buy Mobile today revealed an exclusive one-day sale on Nexus S from Google phones valid on all carriers who support the device - AT&T, Sprint and T-Mobile. Customers can receive a free Nexus S phone, either as a new phone or an upgrade purchase, with two-year activation at all Best Buy, Best Buy Mobile specialty stores, and online at BestBuy.com/Mobile.

Nexus S is a pure Google experience phone and runs Android 2.3, Gingerbread, the fastest version of Android available, and will be offered free starting tonight at 11:00 p.m. CST, through  Aug. 3, at 11:59 p.m. CT.

In addition to the most smartphones under one roof, including all three versions of Nexus S, Best Buy Mobile offers an array of services aimed at improving customers’ experience, including Walk Out Working, Upgrade Checker, Happy 24 and a full array of accessories for customers to protect and personalize their device.

Best Buy Mobile announced a new, free smartphone promotion that will run over the next few days. From Friday, April 29th through Saturday, April 30th, the big box retailer will offer the Samsung Fascinate from Verizon, the Samsung Captivate from AT&T, and the BlackBerry Curve 3G from Sprint for free with a new contract. Best Buy also said that it will carry the white iPhone 4 online and in stores starting on the 30th. Similarly, it will offer the Google Nexus S 4G for Sprint beginning on May 8th. Hit the jump for the full release.

Best Buy® To Offer Free Smart Phones This Friday (and Saturday)

Promotion offers customers the choice of free smart phones across three major carriers with a two-year activation

MINNEAPOLIS, April 28, 2011 – Best Buy Mobile, the mobile specialty retail unit of Best Buy Co. Inc. (NYSE: BBY), today announced it is bringing back ‘Free Phone Friday’ and extending it an extra day. This Friday and Saturday only, Best Buy Mobile will feature three free mobile phones across three major carriers, including Android and BlackBerry options, in all Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores, as well as online at BestBuy.com/Mobile.

Best Buy will feature the following phones for free on Friday, April 29 through Saturday, April 30:

• Samsung Fascinate (Verizon)
• BlackBerry Curve 3G (Sprint)
• Samsung Captivate (AT&T)

“We’ve had tremendous success with the ‘Free Phone Friday’ campaigns we ran last October and December, and we’ve been waiting for the opportunity to do it again with a great lineup of in-demand phones,” said Scott Moore, vice president of Marketing for Best Buy Mobile. “We’ve worked hard to make it as easy as possible for people to find the smart phone that’s right for them with the most smart phones under one roof, exclusives and expert advice, and this is just one more reason to visit Best Buy Mobile.”

The free phones require new or upgrade activation with two-year agreement and minimum quantities will vary by store. There are no price matches and the offer is not valid on prior purchases.

Best Buy Mobile has rapidly become a leading destination for mobile technology purchases with the most smart phones under one roof, and one of the largest selections of carriers, handsets and accessories available anywhere. In addition, Best Buy Mobile offers an array of services aimed at improving the mobile phone buying experience, including:

• Upgrade Checker: A quick and easy service that gives customers the ability to see when they are eligible for their next phone upgrade. When the upgrade time is nearing, customers receive a complimentary reminder call, e-mail or text message.

Walk Out Working™: Free in-store smart phone setup by a Best Buy Mobile Phone Specialist who will sync personal email accounts, set up Bluetooth headsets, transfer contacts and activate other services to allow the customer to leave the store with a fully functional new smart phone.

Rumors that the HTC Trophy will land on Verizon Wireless have been swirling since last year,  but the carrier has yet to make an official announcement. That may change soon, as the Trophy has been spotted on Best Buy’s website, suggesting that an imminent launch is possible. The page is no longer live, although Pocketnow managed to grab a screen shot before it was pulled. The device was listed for $599.99 before any Verizon Wireless subsidies, but it’s possible that that figure is a placeholder until an official price is revealed. The tale of the Trophy landing on Verizon is as old as time itself: A Verizon branded HTC Trophy was leaked in early March, and despite reports that the phone would launch in “early 2011″ or “late March,” the phone has yet to surface in any official capacity.

[Via WPCentral]

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The HP Veer might not be the webOS smartphone we’re most anxious to see launch, but there’s no question this petite phone packs a punch — and according to an event invitation revealed by webOS enthusiast blog PreCentral, the Veer will finally touch down in early May. HP is sending out invitations to a launch party for the Veer on May 2nd in California, and launch parties are typically accompanied by… launches. What’s more, those those who sent in an affirmative RSVP supposedly received instructions via email to bring an ID badge or a business card from AT&T or Best Buy in order to gain entry to the event. As such, an AT&T launch is likely a pretty safe bet. We took a hands-on look at the Veer back in February and the solid build of this tiny smartphone definitely impressed us, but we weren’t sure the tiny 2.6-inch touchscreen display had a place in the age of supersized smartphones. As an aside, it looks like that narrowed gap HP CEO Leo Apotheker claimed we would see between HP’s product announcements and launches isn’t so narrow after all. Apotheker said we should expect webOS devices to launch “within weeks” of HP’s February event, however — though we suppose the 12-weeks between HP’s Veer announcement and launch is, technically, within weeks.

[Via PreCentral]

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Best Buy on Thursday intends to reveal several aspects of its long-term strategy to drive its business forward. A key part of that strategy, according to the company, is to continue its all out assault on the mobile market. Best Buy revealed its intentions to open between 600 and 800 Best Buy Mobile stand-alone store locations in the U.S. over the next five years. The company also said it intends to double its $2 billion online business within three to five years, and it will open 400 to 500 new Five Star retail locations in China with the goal of doubling its $4 billion business over the next five years. Hit the break for the full press release.

BEST BUY OUTLINES ITS STRATEGY AND ACTIONS TO DRIVE SHAREHOLDER VALUE

MINNEAPOLIS – April 14, 2011 – Today, at a company-held meeting for the financial community, Best Buy Co., Inc. (NYSE: BBY) intends to outline its strategic growth plans for its domestic and international businesses.

Senior executives are expected to review the initiatives that will support the company’s strategic priorities, which focus on accessing a larger market, profitable new growth opportunities, and structural opportunities.

Strategic Priorities

The company will share information about its strategic priorities aimed to capture new growth opportunities in key categories and channels; fund growth efforts through structural opportunities and improve returns:

- Access to a larger market.

• Best Buy foresees significant incremental opportunity in accessories, content, connections and services.  The total current industry opportunity, estimated today at $420 billion, is more than 2.5x the traditional consumer electronics hardware marke

- Capturing new growth opportunities in key categories and channels.

• Significantly expanding Best Buy’s online presence in the United States, with a goal of doubling the current $2 billion online business within 3 to 5 years.
• Scaling Best Buy Mobile as part of the company’s multi-channel strategy with an estimated total of 600 to 800 Best Buy Mobile stand-alone stores in the United States within five years.
• Investing in proven international businesses such as Five Star, our profitable Chinese brand in the Best Buy family. Best Buy expects to grow to 400 to 500 Five Star stores in the next five years.  The company believes it can more than double its revenues in China to $4 billion within five years.

- Funding growth efforts through structural opportunities.

• Maximizing the pricing and assortment across Best Buy’s U.S. channels to drive higher conversion and overall price impression for the brand.
• Driving returns in Best Buy’s U.S. stores through specific actions to improve store productivity while increasing points of presence, including an anticipated 10 percent reduction in US “big box” store square footage over the next three to five years, resulting in expected annual savings of $70 million to $80 million, when fully realized.

Fiscal 2012 Outlook

The company will reiterate its fiscal 2012 guidance as announced on March 24, 2011.  The company will further discuss the following additional elements of its fiscal 2012 financial outlook:

• Projected 10 million U.S. Connections sold in fiscal 2012, driven primarily by Best Buy Mobile. (“Connections” defined as mobile phone, home broadband, mobile broadband and video service units)
• Anticipated free cash flow of $2 billion to $2.5 billion for fiscal 2012.
• Confirmation of current share repurchase activity and a goal of fully utilizing its existing share repurchase authorization of $1.3 billion in fiscal 2012, subject to market conditions and other factors.

Fiscal 2011 Results

In addition to the results previously announced on March 24, 2011, the company will discuss the following additional details regarding its fiscal 2011 performance (unaudited):

The Best Buy Investor and Analyst Day will be held today, Thursday, April 14, 2011, at the company’s corporate campus in Richfield, Minn. The conference will begin at 10:00 am CT and will be available in its entirety through a live webcast and replay on www.bby.com. Presentation materials also will be publicly available on the Investor Relations page of www.bby.com.

Best Buy announced on Monday that it will begin accepting pre-orders for Sprint’s Nexus S 4G immediately. Best Buy will sell the device in its Best Buy Mobile stores and online. While pricing hasn’t yet been announced, one store confirmed to BGR that customers can pre-order Nexus S 4G with a $50 deposit, which will be applied to the final purchase price. The Nexus S 4G is nearly identical to the original Nexus S on T-Mobile, but it’s a bit thicker and heavier due to the new radios for CDMA and 4G WiMAX. Hit the jump for the full release.

Best Buy Launches Presale of Nexus S 4G from Google, available on the Sprint Network

Presale begins today at Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores nationwide

MINNEAPOLIS, March 21, 2011 – Best Buy today announced the presale of Nexus S 4G from Google, available on the Sprint Network, which will be available in Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile standalone stores nationwide, as well as online at Best Buy.com/Mobile, later this spring. As a national retail exclusive, Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile stores will be the only physical retail locations, other than Sprint stores, where consumers can demo, compare and purchase this handset.

“The exclusive launch of Nexus S from Google was a landmark for us and it continues to be one of our best-selling devices,” said Scott Anderson,head of merchandising for Best Buy Mobile. “Bringing Nexus S 4G to our stores is one more way we’re making it as easy as possible for people to find the phone that’s right for them.”

Nexus S 4G is the world’s first 4G smart phone to feature a 4” Contour Display and Android™ 2.3, Gingerbread. It also delivers a pure Google experience: unfiltered access to Google mobile services and the latest and greatest Android releases and updates.

Best Buy Mobile has rapidly become a leading destination for mobile technology purchases with the most smart phones under one roof, and an array of services aimed at improving customers’ experience, including Walk Out Working, Happy 24 and Buy Back. Offerings also include a full array of accessories for customers to protect and personalize their devices.

About Best Buy Mobile

Best Buy Mobile was founded in 2006 with a goal of changing the way consumers shop for and purchase mobile phones in America. Today, Best Buy Mobile is in every Best Buy store and also has 178 Best Buy Mobile specialty stores around the country. Best Mobile features one of the largest selections of carriers, handsets and accessories available anywhere. Employees undergo at least 80 hours of intensive training, as well as continuing education on mobile phone technology and trends to help customers get the most of their mobile phones. For more information about Best Buy Mobile, visit www.bestbuy.com/mobileor www.bestbuymobile.com.

About Best Buy Co., Inc.

With operations in the United States, Canada, Europe, China, Mexico and Turkey, Best Buy is a multinational retailer of technology and entertainment products and services with a commitment to growth and innovation. The Best Buy family of brands and partnerships collectively generates more than $49 billion in annual revenue and includes brands such as Best Buy; Best Buy Mobile; Audiovisions; The Carphone Warehouse; Future Shop; Geek Squad, Jiangsu Five Star; Magnolia Audio Video; Napster; Pacific Sales; and The Phone House. Approximately 180,000 employees apply their talents to help bring the benefits of these brands to life for customers through retail locations, multiple call centers and Web sites, in-home solutions, product delivery and activities in our communities. Community partnership is central to the way Best Buy does business. In fiscal 2010, Best Buy donated a combined $25.2 million to improve the vitality of the communities where their employees and customers live and work. For more information about Best Buy, visit www.bestbuy.com.

Android, Google, and Nexus S are trademarks of Google, Inc.

Following our report from Thursday morning suggesting Verizon Wireless is preparing to launch the HTC ThunderBolt next week, an earlier tweet from a California Best Buy store may confirm the device’s launch timing. A Roseville California store tweeted on Wednesday that the “HTC Thunderbolt launch has been delayed :( It looks like it may launch on Thursday, March 4th. Stay tuned for more info.” In line with our earlier report, there is still confusion as to the exact date of the supposed launch, since the tweet mentions March 4th but it incorrectly calls it a Thursday. As such, it looks like the highly anticipated Android phone could launch on Thursday March 3rd, or Friday March 4th. The Roseville Best Buy location has since deleted the aforementioned post from its Twitter account.

[Via Android Police]

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In a forthcoming Best Buy mobile buying guide for the month of March, the popular nationwide retailer has revealed the price of Verizon Wireless’ upcoming HTC ThunderBolt smartphone to be a lofty $299.99. Interestingly, Best Buy has also revealed the ThunderBolt’s price to be a slightly less lofty $249.99 in a separate flyer dated Sunday, February 20th. The latter price point jibes with earlier reports suggesting that the upcoming smartphone would launch later this week for $249.99. Verizon Wireless has not yet confirmed either price point, but unless there was a complete breakdown within Best Buy’s marketing team, we can likely expect at least one of the aforementioned price tags to be accurate. The HTC ThunderBolt features a 4.3-inch touchscreen, a 1GHz Snapdragon processor, an 8-megapixel camera and 4G LTE connectivity. Hit the break for shots of both Best Buy flyers.

Thanks, Don

Yesterday, we told you about a tasty little rumor we’ve been hearing about a February 24th launch date for the HTC Thunderbolt. Now, it looks like the LTE handset has made a cameo in a weekly Best Buy circular — complete with pre-order instructions and the tagline “coming soon.” For a $50 deposit, BB will allow you to reserve one of the latest and greatest Android offerings from VZW. No word on when, specifically, “soon” is, but if the February 24th release date proves to be accurate… you can expect pre-orders to begin in the next week or so.

Thanks, BestBuyBoy!

If images that reportedly reveal an internal Best Buy training document end up being real, it looks like the giant nationwide retailer will not be carrying Verizon Wireless’ new iPhone 4 at launch. The images supposedly show a section of Best Buy’s playbook intended to help guide sales reps’ interactions with shoppers. In this particular section, employees are given some fodder for customers inquiring about Verizon Wireless’ iPhone 4. The first leaked page covers data speeds and the Verizon iPhone’s potential lack thereof:

Verizon’s entire presence at CES last week was focused on one thing and one thing alone: 4G. Its LTE network is now live in 38 markets and a flurry of 4G phones will launch in the coming months. But the iPhone… the smartphone millions of Verizon Wireless subscribers have been dying for… is a 3G device.

We knew Verizon’s iPhone 4 would be a CDMA phone for a number of reasons, but 3G is so 2010. Sprint launched its first 4G phone with minimal WiMAX coverage and it ended up being the fastest-selling phone in the carrier’s history. Now, we won’t see a 4G iPhone from Verizon until 2012. That means while millions of Android phones are surfing Verizon’s 4G airwaves later this year, iPhones will still be puttering along at EVDO speeds.

Sound familiar? That might be because Best Buy pulled this passage directly from our piece entitled Here’s where the Verizon iPhone falls short. It’s not the first time we’ve seen Best Buy use excerpts from BGR content though, so it actually lends a bit of credibility to the images. The next shot shows a passage that delves into Verizon Wireless’ recent policy changes, and we’re sure the document goes on to cover a few more key points. Hit the break for the pair of purported pics, and if you plan on visiting a Best Buy store to inquire about Verizon’s iPhone 4 in the coming weeks, get ready for a fight.

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Following news that two white iPhone models have appeared in Vodafone Germany’s inventory system, Mac Rumors reports that Best Buy is showing the highly anticipated Apple smartphone in its system as well. An alleged screen shot of Best Buy’s inventory system shows the white iPhone 4 in two sizes, both due to launch some time after Sunday, February 27th. While the authenticity of the screen shot has not been verified, the SKU numbers shown in the image match SKUs initially used by Best Buy when it took, and subsequently cancelled, pre-orders for the white iPhone 4. If the February 27th date pans out, the white iPhone 4 will end up launching less than four months before Apple announces its successor, the fifth-generation iPhone.

UPDATE: A BGR reader points out that the screen shot above is actually from Best Buy’s Employee Toolkit and not its inventory system. As such, we can’t speculate on a release date at this time, as in-stock dates and release dates typically do not correspond.

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One of our trusted Best Buy sources has come through with several documents that provide additional details on the retailer’s new Buy Back program. The new protection plan, which allows consumers to sell back their devices for a percentage of the its original MSRP, will launch covering phones, laptops, netbooks, tablets, and TVs priced under $5,000 on January 5th; the service will be expanded to “other product categories” sometime during fiscal year 2012. To heighten awareness, commercials and advertisements will begin hitting the airwaves and print media beginning on February 6th.

The pricing structure for television “buy backs” will vary from that of computers, tablets, and smartphones. TVs under 6 months old can be turned in for 50% of the original full-retail price; 6 to 12 months, 40%; 12 to 18 months, 30%; 18 to 24 months, 20%; and 10% during the third and fourth years of ownership.

All “buy backs” will be issued in the form of Best Buy gift cards and the company is positioning the program to its sales staff as “protection against obsolescence.” Hit the jump to see a few more images and be sure to let us know what you think.

We just got a report that Best Buy’s new line activation system for T-Mobile is down, and apparently has been for almost a week. One of our readers wrote in to let us know he has been trying to purchase a Google Nexus S with a new T-Mobile line of service, but has been unable to due to Best Buy’s activation issue. After repeated calls to store representatives, one admitted that they are not able to activate his Nexus S with a contract, and that he’d have to pay full retail for the device. We’ve pinged Best Buy for comment, but has anyone else had trouble out there trying to buy a Nexus S with new line of service?

Thanks, Nevan!