Best Buy to sell iPhones in September

Best Buy will begin selling the iPhone 3G in September.

(Credit: CNET)

Best Buy stores will begin selling Apple's iPhone 3G next month, becoming the first national retail chain outside of Apple and carrier AT&T to offer the wildly popular device.

Starting September 7, the 8GB and 16GB iPhone 3Gs will go on sale at 970 Best Buy stores and 16 smaller Best Buy Mobile stores, the retailer said. The deal is a coup for the Richfield, Minn.-based chain, which has been expanding its wireless offerings and introducing cell phone departments to its U.S. stores.

"It solidifies us as the place to go for the cool stuff," Best Buy Mobile President Shawn Score told Reuters in an interview. "Our customers are looking for this product."

The new distribution channel could help Apple could help achieve its goal of selling 10 million iPhones by the end of 2008. Apple announced in July that it had sold 1 million iPhone 3Gs through Apple and AT&T stores during its first weekend on the market.

The move could also help more people get their hands on the device. An AT&T representative confirmed last month that most of the company's stores ran out of iPhones the first day the devices were for sale. The current waiting period for iPhones at AT&T stores is about 7 to 10 days for customers, the company has said.

In keeping with Apple's long-standing retail pricing policy, Best Buy's iPhone prices will mirror those at Apple and AT&T: $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model. Best Buy customers will also still have to sign a two-year contract with AT&T.

The distribution deal is an expansion of an existing relationship Apple has with Best Buy, which now sells Macs and iPods.

[xZero2007x]

rofl I remember my co-worker, a senior-equivalent from Best Buy mobile, telling me this in the break room when I asked and joked about it before I left. He told me to keep it down since it was supposed to be a huge secret and a huge "MAYBE," but I guess the cat's out of the bag now lol. That's actually pretty interesting, simply because a cell phone is one thing I'd definitely consider a service plan for (the in-store warranty-coverage thingy), simply because the battery will decay itself to death by going through its limited charge cycles pretty quickly, and I can definitely see something happening to my phone, mainly wear and tear... Fine print says I can get my original purchase price back on a gift card to get something new if something happens (if it meets the no-lemon policy), but at the very least, a new body and battery replacement would satisfy me. Good news I suppose lol.

[Vegaman_Dan]

I'm not sure if this really changes things when the phone is still locked to AT&T. They can sell them at every street corner and still be shackled to the liability anchor that is AT&T's service.

Now if this had been an announcement of a new iPhone for T-Mobile through Best Buy, THAT would have been interesting news indeed. All this news really means is a different store front. BestBuy does actually have a service department and better customer service than Apple or AT&T, so that is a plus.

[purcell429]

I swear to god, if I hear people say they should get the iPhone for T-Mobile one more time i'm going to scream....

T-MOBILE DOES NOT HAVE A 3G NETWORK!!!! HENCE, WHY IN GOD'S NAME WOULD YOU WANT TO BUY AN IPHONE 3G?!?!?! (Oh, that's right, they have a 3G network now, in Manhattan, and.... Manhattan..... and......... Manhattan.... and..... oh right, NO WHERE ELSE!

[Prince2k3]

T-Mobile has the worst service ever. I don't know why people are saying its better give me a break. Wireless services is wireless service both are trying to take your money get over it.

[Vegaman_Dan]

T-Mobile's 3G network frequency is used by many carriers so any phone using their 3G network can then be taken to any other 3G network for the most part (there are some exceptions). The AT&T 3G network is on its own dedicated radio frequency and that is the reason why it won't work anywhere else. The hardware simply cannot talk to anything other than AT&T's system. I believe people would just like to have the freedom of choice of T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizone, or whomever best serves their needs in their market.

[SMB-IL]

Most people are saying it's better because they've had the service for years and know that it's better. On the other hand, "wireless service is wireless service" -- whatever, stop posting high.

[mikeburek]

So the great Apple experience gets hammered by AT&T. Now it's going start kicking customers where the sun doesn't shine by Best Buy. I stopped going there years ago.

My experience with Best Buy warranties on their phones - first you go to Best Buy to say you have a problem. They can't test it there, so they tell you to go to the provider and have them test it and prove that there is a manufacture's problem and provide a written detail of it. Then you go back to Best Buy to get your phone mailed to their service center.

For computers, they also do very little service in the store. Lots of things have to be done at a service center, which usually means a week without your device.

And remember which computer repair service has employees that video taped customers in the shower and search through customer computers for porno that they then save. Now if you take your phone to Geek Squad at Best Buy, you're whole call history might get looked at for interesting details. Yes, that could happen to anyone anywhere, but who has been caught several times already?

[DnetMHZ]

Last nail in the coffin for Circuit City?

[HeloCaptain]

May be the first nail in Best Buy's coffin! Best Buy's Mobile President Shawn Score better take a look at the net, especially Apple's own discussion groups re the failure of the iPhone 3G to communicate via 3G (worldwide, multiple providers, not just AT&T). I hate the phone, I love the gadget.

[DnetMHZ]

Last nail in the coffin for Circuit City?

[benjaminstraight]

Finally a US chain store gets them.

[HardwareGeeks]

Why is this a big secret, there is a Best Buy Mobile on 14th street here in NYC that has been selling iphones for more than a month.

[BBYMGuy]

I work for Best Buy Mobile and have heard about this a long time coming from my manager. I personally have an iPhone that I went to the At&t store to get, I was going to return it just to be able to get the service plan Best Buy offers since it is actually quite good. But I have been informed that due to the contract stipulations to allow us to carry the iPhone we will not be allowed to offer a service plan with it, you will only be able to buy the same Apple protection plan you can buy through At&t or Apple.

[IowaNinersFan]

They finally got more defective units to go around town?

[FeelGoodInc7]

lol at mikeburek

[xZero2007x]

@ BBYMGuy: You serious? A service plan won't be available for the iPhone? Hm =/. Well, guess it's up in the air now lol. I was so looking forward to getting a PSP for a cell phone since mine always end up all crapped up a year or so later... And the battery--ASDF.

@mikeburek: Sorry to hear that you didn't have good experiences with the service plans. Generally, if you hit the no-lemon policy hard enough, you're eligible for an equivalent price exchange or a gift card. If they hassle you, which is a possibility if the store's managers/teams are stingy, then just hassle them and mention how you gave them money ahead of time for their bonuses. Being a recent ex-employee there, that's how I'd do it. And the service plans aren't for everyone/everything. Keep that in mind lol.

HardwareGeeks: Wow. 14th street. Wow. lol.

[BBYMGuy]

xZero2007x-We will not be selling the apple protection plan either. So you will have to go to the apple or AT&T store to get that.

[FeelGoodInc7]

SolveCare + iPhone 3G = yummy

[dude7895]

Yay! Now you can buy a crappy iphone somewhere other than at&t or apple store! You don't have to wait in lines at those stores to get a glitchy phone that can barely hold a signal! I'm so happy!