So for anyone who missed the big news, there has been confirmation from Wal-Mart employees that the iPhone will be coming to Wal-Mart at the end of this month.
The rumors of this deal have been circulating for quite a while. On Nov. 19, popular and reputable technology blogger Zach Epstein confirmed the rumor on his blog. Yesterday, after doing interviews with Wal-Mart employees, the San Jose Mercury News broke the story among the mainstream press.
It took until today for Bloomberg News and the Associated Press to confirm it.
Both Apple and Wal-Mart continue to refuse to confirm the rumor.
Other rumors continue to float around about the exact date the iPhone will be available in Wal-Mart, as well as the price the smart phone will be sold at. Epstein’s Nov. 19 blog post says the phone will be available Dec. 28, although others are suggesting it may be available in time for Christmas.
Some say the phone will be sold for $99, while others claim to have debunked that rumor (Epstein’s blog has it up on his site, but has a disclaimer saying he’s not sure how reliable that tip is). Others say it will be sold for a $2 discount, for $197 instead of $199.
So what’s the big deal? Why the fuss?
Assuming all the news reports are true, Wal-Mart will be only the fourth retailer to sell the phone. At first, only Apple sold the much-sought-after phone. Then AT&T, on whose service the phone runs, began selling the phones.
(By the way, according to Dexter Johnson, a manager at the new AT&T Experience store in West Palm Beach, the iPhone continues to be a popular seller even though it’s been out for months and is competing with many other smart phones, some of which also have touch screens.)
It wasn’t until September that Best Buy was chosen to sell the phone. So Wal-Mart would be a big change in marketing for the little iPhone.
Does selling the phone at Wal-Mart make it seem less prestigious? What do you think of all the hubbub surrounding this announcement?