iPhone Coming to Wal-Mart…At What Price?

It seems Wal-Mart has made a deal to offer the Apple iPhone...but will it be just $2 cheaper than everywhere else, or a special 4 GB edition for $99?

Industry reports have discount megastore Wal-Mart lined up to become the second major brick-and-mortar retailer to offer the Apple iPhone 3G…and while wild rumor and speculation have had Wal-Mart angling for a special 4 GB edition of the iPhone it could offer for as low as $99, more credible sources have Wal-Mart putting the standard 8 GB edition on sale for $197—just $2 cheaper than everywhere else.

Reports also differ on Wal-Mart’s plans to introduce the device: some have it pushing to offer iPhones by December 15 to catch the Christmas rush; others have the retailer waiting until December 28.

Speculation about Wal-Mart jumping on the iPhone bandwagon have been circulating since last month. Various reports have both confirmed and denied a $99 4 GB iPhone: some sources say a 4GB version is set for a post-Christmas launch, some say the 4 GB version won’t happen at all.

Apple currently does not offer a 4 GB version of the iPhone 3G, so any 4GB model would likely have to be a special build for Wal-Mart—and the cost savings of shaving off 4 GB of flash memory would not really compensate for a $100 drop in retail price. When Apple launched the original (non-3G) iPhone in June 2007, the company briefly offered a 4 GB edition.

The Apple iPhone 3G was initially available in the U.S. only through Apple and AT&T; since then, electronics retailer Best Buy has inked a deal to carry the iPhone.