Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Mobile
  3. News

Wal-Mart to Offer iPhones December 28

Geoff Duncan
By
Wal-Mart to Offer iPhones December 28

Mega-retailer Wal-Mart has confirmed the rumors: as of Sunday, December 28, the company will be selling Apple’s iPhone 3G…although the retailer hasn’t been able to finagle a substantially discounted price on the handsets. Wal-Mart plans to offer the black 8 GB edition of the iPhone 3G for $197 and the 16 GB edition (in black or white) for $297, with each price representing a mere $2 discount over retail prices from Apple, AT&T, and (the only other retailer currently offering the iPhone) Best Buy. Best Buy is currently discounting the iPhone; Wal-Mart says it will match any local competitor’s advertised price on the same item within the same promotional period.

“We are delighted to bring customers this ground-breaking mobile technology,” said Wal-marts senior VP for entertainment Gary Severson, in a statement. “Our electronics associates have been preparing for many weeks for the arrival of iPhone 3G. We are excited to now help new customers learn more about the features and services that make the iPhone unique.”

Recommended Videos

iPhones sold through Wal-Mart will required a new two-year service agreement from AT&T or a qualified upgrade from an existing service plan.

Related

Wal-Mart is the world’s largest retailer, and has earned its position by offering goods at a substantial discount, increasing its appeal to budget-conscious and lower-income consumers. Apple merchandize may not be a good fit with Wal-Mart’s demographic—Apple computers and iPods have traditionally occupied the upper pricing echelons of their categories, and Apple has repeatedly asserted it would rather produce hig-quality products than cheap products. Nonetheless, offering the iPhone through Wal-Mart gives the Cupertino company a powerful way to reach new customers…and the wildly popular iPhone has certainly sparked consumer interest.

For the moment, the announcement puts an end to rumors that Apple would offer a special 4 GB edition of the iPhone available only through Wal-Mart at a price significantly lower than the existing 8 GB iPhone.

Editors' Recommendations

Geoff Duncan
Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Why you should buy the iPhone 15 Pro instead of the iPhone 15 Pro Max
Natural Titanium iPhone 15 Pro with Chopper and BD-1 droids around it.

Apple releases multiple iPhones every year, offering folks choice in terms of size and features. In 2024, the iPhone 15 lineup includes four distinct models.

The regular iPhone 15 and iPhone 15 Plus are great for those who don’t need a telephoto lens and don’t care about the Action button or the 1TB of storage. But anyone who wants a more “pro” experience has the iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max.

Read more
The camera on this Android phone is confusing, but I love it
The back of the Tecno Camon 30 Premier.

I’m all for a lot of detail, and love to hear about the new technology that’s inside a smartphone I’m about to test, but when I have to search for an explanation of what something means, it’s not a good start. The Tecno Camon 30 Premier suffers from this problem, as it has a lot of cool camera tech that is explained in a mystifying way.

So, I thought the best thing to do was to just ignore the tech speak and find out if it takes great photos the old-fashioned way.
What's the problem?

Read more
iPhone SE 4: news, rumored price, release date, and more
The Apple iPhone SE (2022) and Apple iPhone SE (2020) together.

While the spotlight always seems to be on Apple’s mainline iPhones, the iPhone SE is a great pick for those who are on a budget. If you want an iPhone that doesn't break the bank, the SE is the way to go.

The original iPhone SE came out in 2016, and then Apple revamped it in 2020 and 2022 by giving it some more modern hardware. The iPhone SE tends to get updated every two or so years rather than annually like the traditional iPhone. This means  that we should see a new iPhone SE 4 this year, but it’s not so cut-and-dried with this particular model.

Read more