Minneapolis - Best Buy changed its mind about raising the HTC ThunderBolt price to $299 on March 20 from $249.

The chain, which is the phone's exclusive national retailer, will maintain the $249 price beyond that time but didn't specify for how long.

The $299 price was the price listed in a Feb. 27 Sunday circular that prematurely advertised the device. The phone went on sale today, March 17.

 "This pricing change reflects Best Buy Mobile's ongoing commitment to provide the most smartphones under one roof with straightforward pricing, informed advice and someone to be there for the life of your phone," the company said.

Through its stores, Verizon Wireless is pricing the phone at $249 and hasn't mentioned plans to raise the price after any introductory period. Online retailer WireFly is pricing it at $199.