That rumored US$99 4GB iPhone 3G bound for Wal-Mart is not mentioned in training materials and advertising that MacRumors has received.
The advertising shown only lists 8GB iPhones for sale at $197. According to the materials received by MacRumors, Apple’s iPhone will go on sale at Wal-Mart beginning on December 28th.
Full article here.
According to Bloomberg’s Connie Guglielmo, “Wal-Mart Stores Inc. will become the second mass-market retail chain [after Best Buy] to start selling Apple Inc.’s iPhone, with two store representatives saying the world’s largest retailer will carry two models of the Web-surfing handset this month.”
Guglielmo reports, “Employees in the cell-phone departments at five California stores, contacted by phone today, said Wal-Mart will offer iPhones by the end of December. Employees are currently being trained on how to sell the device, all five said… Apple currently sells two models at $199 and $299.”
Guglielmo reports, “A clerk at a Wal-Mart store in Vacaville, California, said the store will sell the 8- and 16-gigabyte models at the same prices as AT&T, or $199 and $299, respectively. The person, who declined to give his name, said the phones will be available Dec. 28.”
Full article here.
Troy Wolverton reports for The San Jose Mercury News, “Bay Area Wal-Mart Stores will have the iPhone in stock by the last week of December, and maybe before Christmas, said managers and employees at several stores.”
Wolverton reports, “Some Web news and rumor sites recently reported that Apple will offer a special 4GB version for $99 through Wal-Mart. Most Wal-Mart employees contacted Friday either didn’t know about such a model or said that Wal-Mart would not be carrying one.”
Full article here.
[Attribution: VentureBeat. Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Martin” for the heads up.]
Until the official press release(s), expect to see Apple’s iPhone 3G join it’s iPod brethren at Wal-Mart for $197 (8GB) and $297 (16GB) right around Christmas.
Let the bloodbath continue.
It was always a long shot that Apple would resurrect a superseded model. Plus 4GB just don’t cut it these days …
“You want annoying unnecessary tech support with that?”
I think early next year we’ll see the 8GB dropped to $99 and the 16GB model taking over the $199 slot with a new 32GB model at $299. This sub$100 8GB model would be reserved for places like Wal-Mart or Best Buy, but not the Apple Store.
This is outrageous. I just bought an iphone for $199 and now they lower the price to $197? I demand an immediate $2 rebate or I will never buy an Apple product again.
Score! $3 discount!
Does this really help all that much? Seriously, a distribution partner like Walmart is awesome, but what percentage of the cost of the iPhone is the hardware? The service fees over the life of the contract is the real cost and there may not be ton of Walmart shoppers who want to swallow that pill.
The trouble with Walmart is that it puts an end to all manner of local businesses and trades.
Just think of all those poor phone makers who are going to be dead or in very deep trouble quite soon … Rim, Motorola, Nokia, Samsung etc etc.
Anyone thinking of stepping foot into a Wal-mart should watch the documentary “Wal-Mart: The High Cost of Low Price”. More details at http://www.walmartmovie.com
Sad state of US schools, that is a $2 discount Bill. No wonder China will be kicking our butt.
The only people who would be going into Walmart for an iPhone are the ones who couldn’t find them anywhere else or its closer than and AT&T;store or Apple store….. otherwise… most shoppers go to walmart for a reason….. they dont have alot of money or alot of extra money to be tossing around especially for a phone. But hey they do sell xbox and PS3 and such items… just funny to think of how Walmart began and what it is now.
Didn’t BestBuy get their deal to sell iPhones beginning after Xmas last year? So, bringing WM on board, at the same time this year, must be due to contractual agreements they have with existing retailers.
Second, Troy Wolverton is a well-known Apple basher. He likes to put out nonsense rumors to hurt Apple sales. If the market thinks there’s a $99 iPhone coming, some consumers may wait. You know sort of like the Osborne effect. This hurts Apple’s Xmas sales. So, I call this rumor false, due to the source.
MacBill
Where are your answers?
-Buy Curious
towertone,
the answer is to not shop a walmart. simple enough..
ohteetee
What will that accomplish?
TT, for starters:
the wages they pay their workers and the hours they are sometimes forced to work,
equality,
discrimination,
the environment (walmart has been known to close down recycling facilities in-store, due to cost concerns)
If you want more details on any of these topics I would encourage you to watch the movie.
But back to your question:
WM is a misbehaving giant with no one keeping them accountable, not unlike MS a decade ago.
They don’t deserve our dollars.
OTT
So if the stores are closed down, the workers will make more money elsewhere?
Discrimination will stop in America?
And global warming will cease?
Also, no other corporation will step into their empty shoes to be the leading scapegoat of free enterprise?
Do you understand that this has been going on since the industrial revolution? Wal-Mart is not the first to be castigated this way.
And they will eventually become a behemoth that collapses on themselves as a newer system comes along to replace it.
It’s called economic evolution……
“It’s called economic evolution……”
OTT, Centrally planned economies work much better, just look at Russia, China and Cuba.
People living in those countries are much better off than Americans and Obama is going to prove that to you.
Share The Wealth!
The answer is quite simple, if you don’t like Wal-Mart’s policies, just stop buying from them. If you want to support Mom an Pop stores, buy from them instead. . If you think Wal-Mart pay you too little, stop working for them.