Secret is out: Wal-Mart to start selling iPhone

Mon Dec 8, 2008 12:05 PM EST

technology, iphone, wal-mart, mart, apple-inc

NEW YORK — Apple Inc.'s famous veil of secrecy appears to have stretched thin in trying to cover thousands and thousands of Wal-Mart stores.

A Wal-Mart employee in Uniondale, N.Y., told The Associated Press on Monday that the store will start selling Apple's iPhone, confirming media reports over the weekend.

The employee, who would not give his name, did not know when the phones would go on sale, and said the store had no merchandise yet. The San Jose Mercury News reported late Friday that store employees in California said the phone would be on sale by the last week of December, and maybe before Christmas.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. would be the second independent retail chain after Best Buy Inc. to sell the phone. The phone is also sold at Apple and AT&T Inc. stores.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Anna Taylor said the Bentonville, Ark.-based company had no announcement about iPhone sales. Apple spokesman Steve Dowling had no comment.

From the launch of the second-generation iPhone on July 11 to the end of September, Apple sold 6.9 million units, making it one of the world's most popular phones. The iPhone 3G is sold in two versions, with 8 or 16 gigabytes of memory. In the U.S., the price is $199 or $299, respectively.

Shares of Cupertino, Calif.-based Apple jumped $5.72, or 6.1 percent, to close at $99.72 as U.S. market indexes also rose. Wal-Mart shares fell 65 cents, 1.1 percent, to $57.56.

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Public Discussion (5)

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{"commentId":4343797,"authorDomain":"jdmiller82"}

Jonathan D. Miller

I still don't believe it. I call fake!

{"commentId":4343797,"threadId":"438187","contentId":"2191409","authorDomain":"jdmiller82"}

2 votes

#1 - Mon Dec 8, 2008 12:27 PM EST

{"commentId":4347581,"authorDomain":"micah94"}

m94

It will probably be sold at Walmart in the near future, but there's some crazy speculation going on about the when and the cost.

{"commentId":4347581,"threadId":"438187","contentId":"2191409","authorDomain":"micah94"}

#1.1 - Mon Dec 8, 2008 4:15 PM EST

{"commentId":4347629,"authorDomain":"brianford"}

Brian Ford

I can believe that they'll *sell it* but I can't believe that they'll have an exclusive deal to sell a $99 4GB version.

I think that version would undercut sales on other versions and the "exclusive" part doesn't make much sense. Why wouldn't AT&T and Apple also offer it?

{"commentId":4347629,"threadId":"438187","contentId":"2191409","authorDomain":"brianford"}

4 votes

#2 - Mon Dec 8, 2008 4:19 PM EST

{"commentId":4349574,"authorDomain":"sarain"}

Kuromi

I don't know what others think, but doesn't iphone now sound "cheap" now that it has "wall-mart" associated with it's brand? Not saying wall-mart cheapens everything, well they do but... iphone at wall-mart?!!!!!!! I don't buy my electronics there, actually, i don't shop there, Target is closer so i shop there instead. But still, my electronics come from electronic stores. I don't know, I just find it fishy..

{"commentId":4349574,"threadId":"438187","contentId":"2191409","authorDomain":"sarain"}

1 vote

#3 - Mon Dec 8, 2008 6:45 PM EST

{"commentId":4366988,"authorDomain":"bluecollarbytes"}

bluecollarbytes

Selling ipods 'everywhere' hasn't hurt its image.

{"commentId":4366988,"threadId":"438187","contentId":"2191409","authorDomain":"bluecollarbytes"}

1 vote

#4 - Tue Dec 9, 2008 11:33 PM EST

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	Apple to Sell IPhones in Wal-Mart Stores This Month	Bloomberg.com	Mon Dec 8	0
	iPhone sold through Wal-Mart this month? \| Apple - CNET News	CNET.com	Mon Dec 8	8

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