Well, the rumor mill was partly right. For weeks, there was speculation that Wal-Mart Stores would sell a $99 Apple iPhone.
There really is a $99 iPhone, but it’s not at Wal-Mart. And Wal-Mart really is selling an iPhone, but it’s not $99.
The $99 iPhone is available only from AT&T, and the phone is — as car dealers delicately put it — pre-owned.
As long as the supply lasts, or until December 31, AT&T is offering refurbished 8 GB iPhone 3Gs for $99 with a two-year contract (or to people who qualify for an upgrade). The 8 GB G3 usually sells new for $200. Don’t rush to a stores though — the refurbished phones can only be ordered online or by phone.
By refurbished, AT&T means someone else owned it first and returned it. The phone may show some wear, but it carries a 90-day warranty. New iPhones have a one-year warranty, according to an AT&T salesman I spoke to at the phone order center. AT&T spokespeople approached by phone and e-mail had not responded by the time this was posted.
Meanwhile, new iPhones are available at Wal-Mart, at a whopping discount of — wait for it — $2 off.
As I’ve said before, getting the iPhone into Wal-Mart doesn’t seem like such big a deal. It may put it in front of some buyers who have only seen them on TV before, but I’m not sure that translates into tremendous sales.
Putting the iPhone in Wal-Mart is culturally significant, though. It shows how fast general acceptance of mobile computing is moving. In little more than a year, the elite smartphone with the most advanced technology has become conventional enough for the most mass-market of all retailers.
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