Wal-Mart to sell iPhone starting Sunday
Wal-Mart confirmed Friday what everyone who follows Apple already knew: that it will begin selling Apple's iPhone 3G at nearly 2,500 Wal-Mart stores starting Sunday Dec. 28 — three days after Christmas.
Wal-Mart will sell the red-hot mobile device for $197 for the 8GB model and $297 for the 16GB model, or $2 off their current prices. There had been rumors that Wal-Mart would sell a $99 iPhone. (See Anatomy of a rumor: Wal-Mart's $99 iPhone.)
Wal-Mart, however, appears to be giving individual store managers some wiggle room on prices. According to the press release, the company's price match policy will allow stores to "match the price of any local competitor's advertised store price on the same item within the same promotional period." Best Buy is offering the iPhone for $190 for the 8GB and $290 for the 16GB models.
Getting the iPhone into Wal-Mart (WMT) is something of a coup for Apple (AAPL). Wal-Mart is the world’s largest retail chain — by far — with more than 7,000 mega-stores around the world and some 2.1 million employees. It finished its last fiscal year with nearly $380 billion in sales — earning it the No. 1 slot in the Fortune 500.
The move represents the fourth major expansion of the iPhone’s retail presence outside Apple’s own 200-plus stores. The phone was sold first at AT&T’s (T) 2,000 retail outlets, then at nearly 1,000 Best Buy (BBY) outlets (see here), and then at the tens of thousands of points of sale (many of them no more than mom-and-pop kiosks) that carry iPhones for Apple’s overseas partners.
Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster has estimated that Apple could easily sell as many iPhones through Wal-Mart stores in 2009 as it sells through its own Apple Stores — by his calculation, about 4.5 million units. See here.
HELOOOOOOOOOO CAN ANY1 TEL ME WTZ D PRICE OF IPHONE 8GB INCHICAGO
ex ped: $199 at the Apple store. $197 at Wal-Mart.
How about posters stop bashing each other about Wal-Mart. If you choose to buy the iPhone, then that's your choice. Personally I believe that the plan is extremely expensive. I am 16 yrs. old and can't imagine paying that much for a phone and then more money just to use the features on it. As Kyle stated, Wal-Mart is not the manufacturer if the iPhone, so you're not getting a different product then someone who buys their iPhone at Apple or at&t. The economy is bad right now. Make your choice- an iPhone to look cool, or more important things that you actually need.
As for Wal-Mart, not all of them are trashy or dirty. I live in VA in a small town and we recently got one built not 10 miles from us. The previous one is now overrun with foreigners. Mostly mexicans. It's nice to have a nice one. If the American people would treat their things better and not take them for granted i.e. Wal-Mart, then they would be much nicer. As for the customer service, Wal-Mart hires many different types of people. Some aren't very proud of themselves and that's their choice. You shouldn't judge the company for that.
By the way, if Apple was a great an electronic service provider as you Wal-Mart haters have previously stated, then why have they decided to sell there? Obviousl they know they will get money out of it either way. That's all any company is after.
While wall mart will sell some Iphone, it will still not have that many accessories for its limited Electronics gadget. I will still prefer buying my tech gadget in the Best online Electronics store, http://www.Elidepot.com. I bought my Phones and accessories there and I satisfied.
Those who don't understand why the iPhone is allowed to sold in Walmart don't understand that it's the children that marketers are after, not you old high school and college people, you already think you know everything. The children are most likely to see an iPhone in Walmart. I guess that means you don't know everything huh?
That's swell …. a Wal-phone. That will make us the envy of every Zune owner on the planet …. both of them.
$54,000,000 in wages Walmart stole from their employees in Minnesota alone. Yet your savings on the iPhone is only 2 bucks. I'll buy elsewhere.
Hope Kyle learns to spell words properly whilst attending college because it didn't sink in during high school.
Oh Rudy A: "how do you know their dropouts?"
Well, if you weren't a dropout, you'd know that "they're" is the word you were looking for.
Enjoy your Monday.
You are missing the real point. A cutting edge device that might normally only be sold at tech gadget stores like the Sharper Image is being sold at Walmart. High Technology is becomming a commodity and the impact that will have on societies ability to acquire information and communicate efficicently across global and cultural barriers is mind-blowing.
After reading a few of these comments… I had to stop laughing and crying before my head exploded!
As an ex-vendor, supplier and buyer of products and services… People seem to forget that 80% of mass produced goods are manfactured by the LOWEST COST BIDDER!
If your complaint is about Walmart get over yourself!
If it is regarding service? I have seen the same or worse at Lowes, Home Depot, Sears, Best Buy, Circuit City, Target… Kmart is a joke and so is Meijers. Retail sales is a tough business, if you don't like Walmart don't shop there. However, if I can buy the SAME plasma TV at walmart made by Panasonic and sold at elsewhere and save a cash? Here I come Walmart!
If your complaint is about the Apple Phone? First check your facts…
Software and design: (Apple-USA)
Assembly: (Foxconn?, Quanta, Unknown-Taiwan)
TFT-LCD Screen: (Sanyo Epson, Sharp, TMD-Japan)
Video processor chip: (Samsung-Korea)
Touch screen overlay: (Balda-Germany)
Bluetooth chip: (Cambridge Silicon Radio-UK)
Chip manufacture: (TSMC, UMC-Taiwan)
Baseband IC: (Infineon Technology-Germany)
WIFI Chip: (Marvell-USA)
Touch screen control chip: (Broadcom-USA)
CMOS chip: (Micron-USA)
NOR Flash ICs:(Intel,SST-USA)
Display Driver chip: (National Semi, Novatek-US,Taiwn)
Case, Mechanical parts: (Catcher, Foxconn Tech-Taiwan)
Camera lens: (Largan Precision-Taiwan)
Camera module: (Altus-Tech, Primax, Lite On-Taiwan)
Battery Charger: (Delta Electronics-Taiwan)
Timing Crystal: (TXC-Taiwan)
Passive components: (Cyntec-Taiwan)
Connector and cables: (Cheng Uei, Entery-Taiwan)
Globalization is a bitch… remember the lowest cost bidder usually, always wins!
I have worked at a Wal-mart for just over a year now, AND own an iPhone. I graduated high school and am almost through college.
I've done almost every job at the store including unloading trucks. For most of you ignorant snobs, I'll have you know that 90% of the "electronics" are vendor items. That means they are shipped in via fedex directly from Apple themselves. It has nothing to do with Wal-mart the quality of their items, they are shipped and put on shelves. The same iPhones are avalible at your local Wal-mart and the local AT&T or apple store. They're all shipped from the same distribution center. It is the same with milk, Great Value brand and Mayfield milk are both made in the same cows, both treated and cared for in the exact same way, the Mayfield company even packages both. The only difference is quota, after say, 2 million gallons are bottled for mayfield, the rest is bottled for Great Value, same milk from the same mayfield trucks, pumped from the same tanks, from the same cows, just the priority of who gets their quotas of gallons met, and who buys the left over milk. People will argue one over the other but its the same thing.
As for the people off topic i.e. Walmart bashing… Wal-mart does not pay high wages, but they're competitive. There is not one person in the 2 million workers of walmart that makes minimum wage, not even close. Even when minimum was 5.15/hr, a 'pay grade 1' job at wal-mart with no experiance whatso ever and no formal education starts at 6.25-6.50 depending on locale.
Also, Wal-mart is doing record sales in this economy, on black friday alone, my store did close to 1.5 million dollars, which is only 50% more than the same day the week before.
Like I said, I own an iPhone and have for about 6 months now. In the last 3 days my store has carried it, I've answered every question about it from personal experiance, can show actual examples on iPhone qualities rather the the downgraded demo avalible, but, I've also personally sold 12.
Its just rediculous. I am not on hundred percent sure but, i think walmart is the largest private employer in the US, atleast one of the top 5. Out of the 200 associates that work with me, only 10-15 are retirees, zero are drop outs, for a few its a second (or third) job. Out of the 200, about 150 are full-time, family-supporting, functioning members of society. Few use food stamps or other govermental aid (as a cashier, I would know) and every single one gets treated bad by hundreds of customers every day. Yet the keep working, they're not lazy welfare moms, they are not prison parole'es, they are not aliens (legal or not), its people who are doing jobs most of you wont do.
I just dont understand your reasoning behind the downright hatred of wal-mart. 1 bad experiance with a company's products or employees does not mean that every product or employee is just as worthless as the bad one. Not one of you bashers can make an honest, legible, productive argument that could justify your reasoning for avoiding or complete hatred of Wal-Mart. And i invite you too try: kylecoder@yahoo.com
I was thinking of switching to the iPhone until I calculated the TCO (Total Cost of Ownership). AT&T hits you with extra charges because you have an iPhone that adds hundreds of dollars a year to the cost of ownership. Its a nice phone but not that nice.
Why oh why would I buy an iPhone at Walmart when I could easily get it at AT&T or Bestbuy? Sure, I might save a whole two bucks at Walmart but I’d also have to deal with the throngs of trailer-trash customers and high school dropout sales people. The only way you could get me into a Walmart to buy an iPhone is if they offered it for $99 plus an affordable monthly service contract. According to the article that is not going to happen, so I don’t see the point.
Posted By Alan W., Sacramento California : December 26, 2008 2:54 pm
trailer trash!!where do you shop?
Re: Alan W.
You dont know what you talking about.I am a customer at walmart,and im not a trailer trash and how do you know their dropouts?even if their dropouts atleast their working!!!I think youre the trailer trash because the way you talked!!!Only dropout people use those words!!Wal-mart dont need youre business anyway!!Wal-mart been helping trailer trash people like you!!!cheap dropout looking for $99 phone?YOURE CHEAP AND DUMB!!!!!Watch your language next time!!!
This news is about Apple deciding to sell iPhone through Wal-Mart in addition to other channels. I fail to understand what has this got to do with Wal-Mart's business practices or the fact that iPhone is nowhere as good as the cheapest WM/Symbian phone or that AT&T will have you sign a 2-year contract and make you pay for a data plan?
No store can sell iPhone for a substantially lower price than what Apple allows them. This is typically a case of "if you don't like it, don't buy it" be it Wal-Mart store, Apple products or AT&T services.
There are other wireless carriers, other phones and other places to buy from.
I do find it kind of strange that Apple has chosen Wal-Mart since Apple is typically known for a certain class of products and Wal-Mart certainly doesn't fall into that class. Maybe the economy is taking its toll of Apple's sales.
Sometimes, when you live in rural America, WalMart is the only store available within a 40 miles radius. I will agree, they do NOT save you money on groceries, or toilet paper. But some of the other stuff, they do save you money. I have worked for WalMart on two different occasions, they are not the perfect employer, but who is??
Guess that means you better ditch your clothes, all the appliances in your house, 50% of the parts of your car, and all your kids' toys!
>So I guess that means the IPhone is >made in China ??
>
>No thanks !!
>Posted By Dan,Coral Springs,Florida : >December 28, 2008 4:30 pm
AT&T's coverage here in Northeast Arkansas is a full 5 bars. The only places with no coverage are miles upon miles away from my area. I actually live 20-30 miles out of the way of any large city. My small town's population is less than 2,000 (Now that everyone is moving to a bigger city, I'd say that would almost include dogs and cats…). 5 bars.
Now, about the iPhone. The iPhone's Bluetooth is only capable of using a mono headset. WM and Symbian can both do full A2DP. The iPhone's GPS is only allowed to be used to find the current location. No turn-by-turn or anything else more useful is allowed. WM and Symbian both can use TomTom and Garmin software and give you turn-by-turn directions while allowing you to check the traffic in another window (multitasking – also something WM & Symbian do that the iDevices aren't allowed to) while playing music in the background and checking your stocks and email in yet another process. The iPhone is monotasking, so only one thing at a time (actually, most of that the iPhone devs are contractually obligated not to do). The iPhone can only use iTunes to sync, while WM and Symbian can use anything that should allow for it. WM and Symbian allow you to install any app, signed or not. The iDevices don't.
The main reason the iPhone is so popular is because it looks cool (The chrome is kinda tacky, IMO, and I wish the edges were shiny black instead) and because of Apple's advertising. If Microsquish were to show off PointUI Home, Skyfire, and some of the other nice apps like TCPMP (usually free, not $0.99) like I do, 90% of potential iDevice customers would forget about anything Apple. I compare Safari with Skyfire in BestBuy (They have WiFi. I can't afford $70/mo, so I just get a $15/mo plan on my 8125 and use WiFi.), and while Hulu crashes the iPhone's Safari, Skyfire plays Hulu without a hitch. Then I go over to the HTC Touch and install Skyfire on it, and nobody will touch the iPhone for quite a while. 
That's usually when an iPhone user comes along, I show it to them, and some will say "Bluetooth me that!", and when I tell them they can't have it and their BT is crippled anyway, I dare them to BT me anything. They never can.
The only way I will ever want an iPhone is if Apple stops being so paranoid and actually adds useful features, such as copy/paste, Word .doc support, more open app development, and other things like sending files via BT. WM and Symbian do all this stuff already, and run collectively on nearly 60-70% of the market. HTC, one of the nearly 5 or 6 WM-producing brands, makes almost twenty different devices with nearly 6 or 7 form factors alone.
There used to be this thing called 'choice'. Now it's apparently deprecated and has been replaced with 'simplicity'…
I find it curious that a lot of the posters say they will shop at Walmart to save a couple dollars and yet spend $200 on an iPhone. If saving money was so important, don't you think a cheap plan with a free phone that ALL carriers offer is a better idea? Not rocket science here folks- or is it? In my experience, the only thing cheaper at Walmart are the toys. They lower the prices to cost (or below) to bring in the cost-sensitive families; then they screw those trying to find cheaper toys by raising the general grocery prices. Do your homework and compare prices with Target, Meijer, or any other general grocery store. Not only is Target cheaper (in most cases, not all), you don't have to disinfect yourself when you leave the store.
I love the idea that you'll have to wait an hour for help at Walmart but not at an Apple Store. I had a defective pair of ear buds, took them to my Apple Store on a Sunday afternoon only to find out that I'd need an appointment (next one available: Tuesday) to exchange them. It's a shame I didn't have advance notice that my earbuds would be breaking… ah well, I will take the odds of grabbing a Walmart person.
Hey guys…i have a blackberry storm. so i might not be eligible to participate here. But i would really want to remind everyone that " a dollar saved is a dollar earned". And in this economy, underline what i just said.
Cheers!!
Ok…so here is what i feel…donot go to walmart if u are looking 4 clothes/apparel shoes. They are'nt just the type. We shop at costco usually where thhings are'nt any better. But, for expensive stuff like phones and electronic gadgets, i would not take a risk unless i really have a superb experience with these enormous chain retailers.
"APPLE STORE…THE PLACE TO GO "
lol…well seems this anonymous guy is not looking for an iphone but help(customer service) wherever he/she goes regardless of what he/she wants. You think at&t, best buy guys will "help" u out the way you want. Ask me !!!
Dont worry dude, next time you step out of your house to buy the phone, you'll find steve jobs at your door step waiting to convince you to buy it from him. Hope you'll love his service..lol. How very lame. Grow up Guys !!
Wal-Mart sucks. Why would you want to buy an iPhone at Wal-Mart? I bought mine at the apple store, they can actually tell you something about the phone when you buy it there. Saving $7 on the phone at Wal-Mart makes no sense to me at all. You will have to wait an hour to find someone to help you. They will be rude to you, have no knowledge of the product. If you lie down with the dogs, you will get fleas.
I am reminded, yet again, that one silver lining in this current cloud of economic woes is that many folks who have always had it relatively easy will learn that real gut-wrenching hardship can be around the corner for anyone. Don't judge others; you don't know the lives they have led, from where they have arrived. That clerk at Wal-Mart could be a retired college professor; he or she could be anyone. I have lived in some of the wealthiest communities in the U.S. and I have been a broke single mom…we are all the same. I don't buy my clothes at Wal-Mart, I shop in thrift shops and at flea markets and yard sales, and I pay less than pennies on the dollar for quality items. I drive a 15 yo truck but I have money in the bank, should my publisher clients hit hard times and stop sending me books to edit. The house I bought is rented out so that I can save money by renting a less expensive home. My husband is an accountant and our family of four is piled into a small rental house so we can pay off debt. We rent movies for a dollar and make our own popcorn–am I cheap, no, just frugal. I would rather take that extra money and donate it to folks who truly need it than waste it on frivolities and unnecessary purchases. Oh, and I shop at Wal-Mart regularly, fully aware that many items I am buying are manufactured by an underpaid global inhabitant. I suggest some of you disembark from your high horses; one day you may fall as many have–we are all just people, but some of us are luckier than others, so feel blessed, not entitled.
1. Customer service costs money – much more than phone service
2. Americans say they want customer service, but actually want the cheapest cell phone plan
3. The result is, most people have a cell phone plan with bad customer service.
What an interesting discussion with some valid points all around. Everyone has their own opinion of Walmart, iPhones and "trailer trash" and what is said here is not going to change that. I do wish people would think twice before using the term "trailer trash". My husband and I are retired with a six figure salary, both have iPhones, shop exclusively at Walmart for our groceries and other items and choose to be "trailer trash" if your definition is a person who lives in a trailer–well, for us an RV. We have traveled the US and seen sites I never thought I would get to see–in all that, I have run across people who aren't "trailer trash" by choice and my heart goes out to them. Instead of bashing them and all those people you think are so uneducated working at Walmart, why not try spending some time being thankful for what you have as obviously you are better off than many in our country. Where you buy an iPhone will have nothing to do with the service you get–we picked ours up at the Apple Store and it took about 5 minutes as all of the connecting was done from home. Anyone who owns an iPhone can make an appointment at an Apple Store and receive tutoring on its use regardless of where you purchased it. I find sales people at AT&T don't know as much as I know about the phone and that drives me crazy. Since they provide the service, they should know the phone. Some people need to think before they speak, IMHO!
dont buy it from walmart you guys and gals. stop whinning.no wonder we're in deep shit.lets move on.walmart doesn't need you.
Rather curious…Wal-Mart sells cheaper, knockoff versions of items that are sold under the same brand name, but are substantially poorer in quality as well as cheaper than price. We found this twice (twice burned,we're learned)when we went back to the original manufacturer for replacement parts and were told, "That's the Wal-Mart version; we don't make parts for that." All you folks who claim you can get the same stuff cheaper elsewhere– well you don't have women's 2E feet– Wally world has cheap wide women's shoes (no structure, no arch supports) and no shoe stores around here carry ANY women's wide shoes because folks went to buy shoddy goods there. I'll buy cheap consumable stuff there (paper towels, school supplies) but I'd never never buy any consumer electronics there more complex than $20 earbuds.
To those who say they'd rather save a few bucks shopping at Wal-Mart: you need to realize that you are actually paying for your "savings" elsewhere. Tax dollars go to support Wal-Mart employees when they do not make enough to make ends meet for their families, or must rely on the system for health care because they lack insurance. Wal-Mart, the gigantic company, is actually subsidized courtesy of American taxpayers. Brilliant business structure, I guess.
Nothing is free in life…we all pay for that cheap stuff somehow!
I really don't understand what this has to do with Walmart personally. All this is telling you is that this product is going to be available for you to purchase at Walmart. No one is telling you to purchase it there, that is entirely your decision. I personally work for Walmart have worked for 2 different Walmarts. One in New York and one in Nebraska. One store yet two different experiences. I work now in Nebraska with many wonderful employees. If you have had a good experience or a bad experience they are yours. But to bash an entire company because of a negative is a little narrow minded. I am sorry your experience was not a great one. But there are many Walmarts that have many great associates who work in them. They are still supporting the American economy. If you don't have anything nice to say than don't say anything.
I find it hard to believe that Wal-Mart would do a stellar job selling these phones. It's rare they have more than one person in the entire electronics department not to mention only 3 registers open at the front. You can get it but you can't get out…
I think I will take my chances at the Apple store.
Personally I would rather just got to an Apple Store where I get service when I need it and pay the extra few dollars. At Walmart no one will be able to tell you anything about the product and at best buy no one will be available to help you period.
I love how everyone seems to be so cheap that they are concerned about saving 3 dollars, it just ties into the fact that the vast majority of americans are uninformed and lazy.
GROW UP AMERICA. QUIT BEING SO FAT AND LAZY!
If you're going to correct people on their grammar, at least spell grammar correctly. Note the correct use of you're and their?
Trailer trash is generally empty Milwaukee's Best cans from my perspective.
And Wal-Mart does suck, at least some of them, and some rock. Where I live, they stink, are dirty, and the people are rude. Heck, we don't even get a greeter and I avoid these stores at all costs. Other towns like Jamestown Virginia and LaVale Maryland, and Martinsburg W. Virginia have Wal-Mart stores I would have no issue shopping at.
All companies will require a New 2 Year contract. Its not that they dont see our loyalty… its just how it is. So quit complaining and hold on till your contract is up.
Very sweet (broad array of consumers can be reached) but risky (isn't apples to-of-the-line image an opposite to wal-mart's other, cheaper products? i'm not sure…) move by Apple.
Let's see how it turns out.
To the person saying that Sprint has great customer service… Tell that to my credit report for 7 years that carried an erroronious charge.
Everytime a customer picked up their phone to make a call they would hit me with a per minute charge. Ended up being sent a $1000.00 bill. Their customer service swore they saw the problem but were so dumb it was never fixed. Swore I wouldn't pay it and finally my credit report and I won. It dropped off this year.
Hope those bastards go under. Great customer service.
Hey Mark from Boston-I'm a "douche" because I want to give Att MORE money by buying a phone, extending my contract another 2 years and giving them a higher monthly fee? All this after I've already given them over 8 grand in fees over the years? Wow-glad I don't live in Boston. You must be on edge this year. All I was saying is that it would be nice to reward your current customer base. I know the cell companies are all this way, but it would be nice to be in a world where the customer comes first wouldn't it?
Wow, you people seem to be pro-walmart…Remember what they did to Rubbermaid?
Your right about walmart's employment policy…thats why I do not work their.
Walmart is pretty evil. :/ And i know a bunch of you will talk smack about me tho….Its probably a good move for Apple, make more money but not with an 'ethical' historic company heh.
Walmart & Apple are American elites in business world. Love them, love America, and getting our wheels moving forward.
Why do people dump on Walmart. If you don't like their employment policy don't work there. If you are angry at them for putting Mom and Pop out of business don't shop there.Many times you can find what you want cheaper elsewhere and you buy it there without putting that store business practices under the microscope. You have many sources for the same item. Sometimes E-Bay can blow Walmart out of the water. Sometimes an E-Bay vendor overcharges so much for shipping your glad there is a Walmart. If you get a bad product, maybe the next time you'll go on the internet and do some research on what you plan to purchase. If you went on the internet you would for example see that one cell phone carrier coverage map looks like a outline of the major highways in this country and goes nowhere else. Or you can find out the hard way when you need it most. A store is just a place filled with boxes and containers of items for you to buy, not a place where the world is perfect or the way you want it to be. They never sold that and never will.
Hey Sally from Harrisburg, Unfortunatly thats how all those cell phone companies work. How about we start our own wireless network we can call it Customers First Wireless..R U in Sally
stop complaining!!! leave att they dont want u! they already have 64 million customers and more to come they dont want a douche like u as a customer
All wireless providers do that – not just AT&T. Every time you see an ad for cheaper/free cell phones, if you read the fine print, it'll include that the price is only valid with a contract. There may be some exceptions out there, but they're probably few and far-between.
Everyone needs to quit listening to the lies of the unionsthat keep trying to get into Walmart. Since Walmart said no to the unions, they have done nothing but trash Walmart. Quit listening to the lies and visit a Walmart annd see for yourself.
Sally, ALL of the big 3 cell providers are that way. Any provider that has you sign a two year contract will have that. In fact, if you have less than good credit, most will require you to pay an additional deposit to activate a new account. Verizon has the highest deposit fees, the worst customer service, and the best reception and call quality. AT&T has the iPhone. Sprint has stellar customer service, but terrible signal.
Remember, when you are buying a phone from a retailer like Best Buy or Walmart, they are just the middle man. All they can do is activate and sell you the phone and service plan. Possibly a service plan that covers the physical phone, too.
I would gladly pay $2 more and buy one at Best Buy then deal with the poor service and environment at Walmart. Its worth more then $2 of my time to deal with the people at Walmart!
Plus, I'm sure Best Buy would easily match prices, especially being Walmart!
what everyone else must remember is the phone is $197 at Walmart, $199 at ATT but ONLY if you are a NEW client or currently have an old iphone. If your existing contract with ATT is not ready to renew, you must pay full price for the phone ($399 for the 8G) at all the places that sell it. So much for ATT loyalty. They are treating their current contract holders like s**t. It just happened to me today. Been an ATT customer for over 10 yrs but I am not eligible to buy the phone at the subsidized price of 199 until my contract expires in March. Makes no sense to treat your existing customers this way. Verizon, here I come!!
Seeing as wal-mart screws up peoples accounts when they open lines of service there or process an upgrade this will be a nightmare for people like me who work in customer care. Thanks alot Steve.
I was fairly wealthy until this past year. My husband became ill, we lost our real estate investments and basically became homeless. Fortunatly we had a nice camper. We travelled the country for 6 months looking for a new home and Walmart became a nescessity for whatever we needed. Sometimes we even needed to use their parking lot to sleep in. I used to swear I would never step into a Walmart. Who would ever think that I have now come to depend on them. As far as the I-Pod, I would buy one at Walmart to save the two dollars. I have a new respect for saving two dollars.
What will it take for people to learn the difference between "your" and "you're?" This is basic elementary school grammar, people. Please learn English. Maybe if Walmart offered basic grammar lessons in their stores more of the posters here would have better English skills.
Ok so you walmart haters…if it was such a sick place….why wud 85%of US population shop there. Why will it be the worlds no.1 retailer and still hold up its heads high in this "struck" economy with moderate shares and still be hiring and opening new stores while many others are bankcrupt and closing down!!! I'll tell you why.
How does it matter where you buy chocolate and candy from. Does'nt price become the only factor. Similarly, ipods, mp3players, printer cartriges, sporting goods, etc also offer d best prices ever. Although unlike costco and sam's clubs walmart does not offer combo/bundle pack deals and reduction in bulk buying(wholesale) but i think the amount you save on a one time big purchase is considerable.
Customer service, background of employees, you gotta be kidding me. Are all of us americans here??? I doubt seriously…
So you really want Bill Gates and Steve Jobs coming at your door to sell their PCs and ipods the next time !!
It aint happening…
I think lots of people think that Wal-Mart saves us money. How do you figure in the higher crime rates caused by Wal-marts? What about the lost jobs since they rarely use American made products? Plus, how do you factor in how they treat their employees? Do you figure all that in when you save a little on that shirt?
Walmart simply is a immoral company. Plus, I always feel depressed when ever I go into one. People there are ruder, the stuff their is cheap, and I just feel dirty when I leave there. The staff in the ones I've been in have been pretty decent. They haven't been stellar, but decent.
I just ask you to really think about the cost of what your doing is when you spend your dollars. If you spend a dollar and it brings the value of that dollar down, are you really saving money in the long run?
Selling the iphone at walmart is definitely a smart move no doubt as far as the "sales-factor" is concerned, for both apple and at&t. Walmart has been carrying at&t, t-mobile, verizon and many other carrier phones for a long time now. Although this is where each person should be extra careful when it comes to extra high value gadgets like the iphone, blaackberry storm or even the G1. Walmart being the biggest retailer in the world and them carrying the iphone should make the man work out the best deals among all d guys who are ready to bring it out to you. Check where you get it cheapest. And if it is just a matter of $5-10, then might as well settle for the best service and guarantee. If walmart is/was ready to sell a 4GB iphone for $99/mon, i think tht is awesome.
And yes guys, please grow up.I mean how do we care about the customer service at walmart. If we get what we want at d price we want, just get outta there with it.
"It’s true that their wage and benefit policies aren’t the greatest, but unlike other industries around here and across the country, we haven’t heard of Wal-Mart laying off anyone over the holidays!"
your right but you have heard of them getting killed because of wal-mart not giving a crap about them.
Did you miss the story on CNN about the temp work getting killed once he open the doors and while people where walking on him they didnt even try to help him and kept handing out ad's?
"Lots of Wal=Mart bashers here…lots of them must either have more disposable income than the average family, or weren’t taught about the difference in value and vanity."
Disposable income? wal-mart is at most just a few cents cheaper if that, alot of the time after a wal-mart moves into a small town the prices are only cheap until they drive the rest of the stores to close shop then the prices go up.
But your right if you dont care about your kids playing with lead painted toys and are fine with shopping at a store that fights to keep wages low for its employes and takes life insurance on its elderly employes and keeps 100% of the payout when they die then yeah wal-mart is a great place to shop.
Lots of Wal=Mart bashers here…lots of them must either have more disposable income than the average family, or weren't taught about the difference in value and vanity.
I make a higher-than average salary, and I frequently shop at Wal-Mart. Why? Because they have a wider selection of items that I need for my family, all in one place, than in many of the other shops in my area. I can go to other stores here and get the same things – same name brands in most cases – but it would take more time, several more stops, and ultimately cost me more money in the long run. Sometimes the savings isn't so great, but these days every penny counts.
Regarding the stores themselves and the people who work in them: Yes, it's true that sometimes the aisles can be a bit crowded with pallets of merchandise (usually in the evenings when they're restocking) and the shelves in disarray, but that tells me they're selling so many items people want that they can't keep up with the demand…sounds to me like that's doing something right! The people who work in our local stores aren't all high-school dropouts or retirees either; I know some of them, and they're doing well enough to support their own families. It's true that their wage and benefit policies aren't the greatest, but unlike other industries around here and across the country, we haven't heard of Wal-Mart laying off anyone over the holidays!
On the subject of them selling iPhones, that's a non-starter for me anyway – I have a quad-band GSM phone and I'm as tech-savvy as most folks, but I choose not to be wired into the rest of the world wherever I go, and I can think of a lot more worthwhile things I can do with the money I'm not spending each month on such an expensive voice/data plan…like buying groceries…
anyone who thinks ATT sucks, should try Sprint. It will make a grown man cry. it;s likely cheaper than ATT, but in return you don't get much
I don't need to shop at Walmart either but it's silly to spend a lot more money elsewhere on items I need. The Walmart I go to is clean, well-staffed and generally a pleasant experience even at check-out. I make a lot of money at my job but I am not about to spend extra money on good stuff when I can get the same thing a lot cheaper at Walmart.
WOW! Such snobs! I am NOT trailer trash- but I would rather be seen as trailer trash than have to deal with snobs like some of you.
Don't you realize that some people just don't have the money to spend at the high end department stores and that is has nothing to do with education.
Personally I refuse to pay hundreds of dollars for something I can spend a few dollars on at Walmart. Most people I meet are outright shocked when I tell them most of my clothes come from Walmart, a person does not have to spend a lot to look good!
GOOD FOR WALMART!
About buying these phones, or anything else, at Walmart: I am the mom in a 2-income, upper middle class family. I don't "need" to shop at Walmart, but our local Walmart stores are clean and staffed with courteous and helpful sales associates. I don't know what their level of education is, and frankly I don't care. They are some younger kids, some older senior citizen types, and lots of very average-looking people who may be working there full time or it may just be their weekend job to earn some extra Christmas money or make ends meet. They do a great job. All of that said… even though I could shop somewhere else, I don't think it's practical use of my money to pay up to 50% more for some items when I can make a weekly trip to Walmart for the basic food items and essential home supplies that I need. I'll take that extra $30 or $50 that I saved and take the family out to a movie, while you're sitting at home being all snobby and complaining about rising prices elsewhere. 
)
About iPhones: I've had an iTunes Razor phone and other mp3 player phones… and honestly I'd rather have my mp3 player or iPod separate from my phone. There are places I can listen to music that it would not be polite or allowable to have my phone out, like in. My daughter says the same thing, she can listen to music at school during free time in some classes, but they cannot have their phones out. Phone + music in one device is not that practical. Sorry, Apple… no iPhones for us.
Re: Alan W.
Elitists in Sacramento make up a minuscule proportion of the population, Mr. W. Here in the real world, Wal-Mart is almost always the cheaper alternative. It saves Americans millions of dollars a year over more expensive retailers. Trailer trash? Only an ignorant person would use such an expression. Sure, people who use Wal-Mart are sometimes down on their luck, but using crude generalizations is not going to help at all.
And, frankly, you don't need a high-school education to work at Wal-Mart–but not all of them are ignorant people. I know a published author who worked in our local store for 15 years.
I haven't been to a Wal-Mart in over 5 years. Why?
Because I went to a fairly new Wal-Mart for the first time and was confronted with:
1. Surly, unhelpful employees
2. Completely dirty conditions. Stock messed up on the shelves, aisles blocked with merhandise, dirty floors and general disarray everywhere I turned
3. Extremely long lines at the checkout.
4. Only marginally cheaper prices on just one or two items I needed (I had a list of several other items I wanted that I had to go to another store to get cheaper. Many things were actually out of stock).
I went to a few different Wal-Marts around this same time figuring it was a fluke but each time ended with the exact same results. So I simply stopped going there.
Bad service, bad stores, bad prices. Why go back?
Why are all you yuppy liars — who have never obviously been in Walmart — have this fantasy of a high school dropout slacker ALWAYS working the counter at Walmart? I have been to 2 or 3 different Walmarts in my life and its always an old lady ringing up my stuff. I'd say 9 out of 10 times it's an old lady. Never can I remember of seeing anyone under 25 working at Walmart. I am talking about one of the busiest Walmarts in Florida by the way. They do over $1 million+ in sales Christmas Eve.
I did have my gameboy stolen there while getting an oil change (she got fired and my stuff was replaced)
Why oh why would I buy an iPhone at Walmart when I could easily get it at AT&T or Bestbuy? Sure, I might save a whole two bucks at Walmart but I'd also have to deal with the throngs of trailer-trash customers and high school dropout sales people. The only way you could get me into a Walmart to buy an iPhone is if they offered it for $99 plus an affordable monthly service contract. According to the article that is not going to happen, so I don't see the point.
I can't believe all the Wal-Mart bashing on this Web site. Wal-mart is one of the biggest success stories in America and if it weren't for Wal-mart, we'd all still be paying $20 for standard antibiotics – no one ever mentions Wal-mart's work to lower the cost of prescription drugs in this country (not to mention lower the cost of standard health care) – that company succeeded where our federal government failed. And to Pam, Boston, MA – Wal-Mart is one of the few companies that does NOT outsource – all of its employees ARE in America – it's the companies it buys retail products from does the outsourcing and those companies sell their items in other retail stores too, not just WalMart.
I'm actually rather proud of the fact that I've owned Wal-mart stock for years. These days, it's one of the few stocks doing well despite the constant bashing by elitists who feel they are somehow superior because they chose pay more money for a gallon of milk (or anything else) rather than shop at Wal-Mart.
"We’re better trained that you’re average joe drop out, but golly gosh got his GED that wal-mart employs, yet those morons get to sell it. "
Nice try. My wife is a ten year (and counting) wal-mart veteran. She is an "associate", not a supervisor. She not only graduated from high school, but has a couple years of colledge under her belt too. Unfortunately for her, I joined the Army (no, I graduated too) and drug her off to Panama for 6 years.
I would think by the grammer and hatred of your comment that perhaps you did not graduate high school (or the 3rd grade).
On top of that, 4 billion comments like the one you made won't change anything. This is a silly internet comment section, not an office at Apple or Wal-Mart. To make a real difference you need to go make your case in the real world. People put too much of themselves into the internet and not enough into real life.
to all those who out of stupidity are trashing Wal-Mart employees. 2 years ago when my super elite tech company sold out and put me on the street, WalMart took me in and gave me a job. Thanks Wal-mart.
A fool and his money are soon parted.
A bigger fool says, "Fools and their money are soon departed."
Walmart hires people with GED? Well at least they have a GED, however having a green card or teeth is another story.. Another great image upgrade for Apple yeah! Can't wait for the next Apple commercial.
What strikes me about this article has nothing to do with Apple. It's the fact that Walmart is the #1 retail giant with $380 billion in sales & yet they still feel the need to outsource internationally instead of keeping Americans employed, not to mention how shabbily they treat their current employees. It's despicable & Sam Walton must be ashamed of his offspring. The Walton clan is a national disgrace.
@Jay
Apple products being mass produced and made in China is not a recent phenomenon. While I agree that there can be a stigma from items being sold at Wal-Mart, this doesn't signal any change in product quality or standards. It's actually a product that Wal-Mar is selling without undercutting everyone else, which is good. It keeps the playing field level and let's people choose the better customer service they could get at an Apple Store if they want to. I'd have a real issue if they sold a dumbed down version, or sold the current versions for $50 off or something.
The real slap in the face of this is that Apple is letting Wal-Mart employees sell this, BUT AT&T autohorized retailers (stores NOT owned by AT&T corporately) still cannot sell this device.
We're better trained that you're average joe drop out, but golly gosh got his GED that wal-mart employs, yet those morons get to sell it.
Yet another eff you to the agents of AT&T.
Andy,
Comparing the iPhone a Porsche is a bit of a misnomer don't you think? It's not really triple the cost of most phones on the market and not exactly at home on the autobahn. It's a $400 phone subsidized down and rapidly reaching commodity status. Beyond that, there are tons of sketchy used car dealers than deal exclusively in high cars and questionable financing tactics…you ever seen a 10yr/14%APR loan for a 2yr old Escalade? If people weren't so image driven, none of those dealers would exist. Who cares if the store isn't a sterile all white minimalist design? From what I've seen Apple store workers are usually overwhelmed with window shoppers and broken macs…not exactly a personalized experience. A solid chunk of each ipod and Macbook sale goes to maintaining that Apple Store image which you will spend very little time inside unless you truly have no life(or a very unreliable macbook). If you think buying an iPhone somehow gives you an air of exclusivity, I've met people making less than 15k/yr getting in line for their iPhones and being perfectly capable of paying the bill. It's Hardly joining the local Ferrari club.
There's a large chunk of fairly high income people who frequent Walmart. Many frequent Walmart a lot more than their local Best Buy or Apple store. Apple is being smart in getting their phones into Walmart. Every person looking for cheap DVD's becomes a potential buyer. It gets the product in front of so many more people than just bored husbands at the mall, or Apple geeks who already have the phone.
If you're AAPL shareholder, you should hop off your elitist perch and embrace Walmart's ability to move product like no one else.
JUST BUY A PREPAID VIRGIN MOBILE AND SAVE THE REST …DONT GIVE INTO CORPORATE GREED TECHNOLOGICAL ADVANCES 
U.S.S. lIBERTY…we will never forget!
Jesus you all are dumb if you think wal-mart takes care of your contract or phone. Also when hasn't apple been mass produced crap made in China?
A fried of mine who is an "early adopter" bought an iPhone when it came out. To make him feel better, I ooohed and aaahhed over its features and told him how cool it was.
But in reality, I was thinking, "Gee, another expensive electronic gadget attached to an expensive monthly service plan. Gee, no thanks"
Americans complain they are "broke" but at the same time, many spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars per month on subscription services such as Cable TV, cellphones with texting and data plans, internet access, and the like. They claim they "cannot do without" these electronic services.
And yet at the same time, many don't even fund their 401(k) plan.
I like NOT being "connected" all the time. The ultimate luxury is being inaccessable and having time to yourself to think. Folks who are constantly on the phone or texting and are 100% accessable are not the important people in our society – they are the peons.
Think about it….. and unplug.
It is sad what has happened to Apple. It's went from a quality hip brand, to a mass produced, Made in China , sold at Wal- Mart disgrace.
This is a smart move by both Wal-Mart and Apple – I'm sure sales will soon skyrocket. To those who worry about Wal-Mart's customer service, I'd like to say, Wal-Mart has never disappointed me and I've saved a lot of money over the years getting prescriptions, eyeglasses and high-ticket items at Wal-Mart. It is what it is. Sometimes you get well-trained, helpful clerks, sometimes you get the ones who just don't care. But then again, I've had both good and bad service at most other stores too, including some of the smaller, mom-and-pop shops.
At Jack Riley, the voice plans are no different than voice plans on other phones, and the data plan is $30. I would say that's a fair price considering how much you use the online features of the iPhone.
going to walmart to buy the iphone is like buying your new porsche at your local beat up small use car lot.
You got no service and feel no satisfaction after spending the $297
and then hook yourself to a future
$2000+ phone bill..
I doubt most of the walmart crowd can afford the phone bill anyway that's why they had not been selling smart phones and sell tons of pay as you go phones.
Do apple really need the extra walmarts? there are tons more ATT stores everywhere. IF you want one, you already got an iphone already.
this is not a $200 xbox… you have to pay 80$+tax each month on top of the phone.
I just think this is more like a ads to keep the phone on the news.
I like the Iphone BUT, I will never own one as long as I have to use AT&T. Their network is horrible if you are not in a major city.
Robert…why would you go to WalMart for customer service when you're going to have a contract with AT&T? They are the ones who support it, not Walmart.
You've got to be kidding me. Buy anything other than trash bags or soap at Wal-Mart? That's just asking for it! They have ZERO customer service so basically when (not if) you buy the iPhone that doesn't work be prepared for them to tell you so sad, too bad and it isn't their problem.
Fools and their money are soon departed; so are those who buy anything high-end at Wal-Mart.
Best Buy has it cheaper, no?
http://tinycomb.com/2008/12/20/cheapest-iphone-price-bestbuy/
Looking @ best buy website has the same prices quoted in the article.
ex ped: Thanks.
I bought my iphone at Walmart last year. I'm wondering if Walmart will be selling the new iphone Apple will be releasing, but I'm looking at the new Blackberry also. What ever happened to the Android by Google? I don't hear about it at all.