Comments on: Why Wal-Mart is key to iPhone domination

Move will make Apple's popular mobile phone available to millions of more customers and ensure that RIM and every other company trying desperately to compete with Apple simply can't.

[timster799]

Article said, "it means that Apple will see its popular mobile phone be made available to millions of more customers." What kept them from getting an iPhone before? No ATT stores in some areas (okay, maybe.) No internet orders? What, someone sees the iPhone at Walmart and they're overwhelmed to buy it? These phones are not hard to get. Essentially Walmart knoced 2 bucks off the price. Good luck to anyone that must take an iphone back to a Walmart. If its the same customer service up at the front refund counter, you're are screwed.

[Mergatroid Mania]

They just plain and simple shouldn't let fan boys write articles.

Ever since Walmart has been in our city they have had all sorts of cell phones for sale. Quite frankly, I can't remember our local Walmart ever not having a fair selection, and that includes Rim products.
Does this guy not shop in Walmart? Has he never taken a look at what they have for sale, or does he do all his shopping at his local Apple store?
One last question: with such a stupid article, why doesn't CNET remove it? Does CNET not know that Walmart also sells Rim products? Then why wouldn't they remove an article that is simply wrong?

[helroth]

Because they've gotten 70 replies so far - a lot more than an accurate article would get.

[stigmattaman]

Don, Wal Mart has sold multiple other smartphones for years. You're ridiculous, and a link baiter. The fact that Cnet has to resort to authors of your caliber is very discouraging.

[sting7k]

Selling the iPhone 3G for $2 cheaper at walmart won't open up many more wallets to shell out that much for a phone. And may of the walmart shoppers will most likely be put off when they are told how much the service plan will cost them every month. Just being at walmart isn't enough, there is reason they sell so much; they actually have lower prices on most everything. But $2 on a $200/300 iPhone is no discount nor is a minimum $70 a month plan.

[the_redistributor]

Absolutely clueless! To think that folks who are extremely price sensitive are going to purchase at mobile that starts at $197 (not counting the monthly subscriptions to operate the thing) are going to jump on the iPhone bandwagon is ludicrous.

[MSSlayer]

It seems counter-intuitive to me.

Wal-mart was created by trailer trash, for trailer trash. Apple markets to a slightly more informed audience then your average truck driving, nascar watching, pabst drinking, knuckle-dragging moron.

Walmart- for the non-thinking consumer who doesn't realize they are helping to destroy their own community and who enjoys directly supporting slave-like factory conditions in China.

[terminalblue]

i'm not an apple fan, but right on.

[KPHFan]

Just so you know, MSSlayuer...people with far more money and class that you could ever dream of having shop at Walmart. The mere fact that you actually think that only trash shops there pretty much proves your lack of intelligence and common sense. It doesn't take trash to want to pay up to 50% less for the SAME EXACT ITEM.

Your comments about destroying the community proves that you can do nothing but regurgitate the same old BS that you read on anti-everything website,s no matter how debunked the BS is.

[stigmattaman]

I know Apple gets off on "Think different" and "be unique" but umm, every ****** and his mom has an iPod. Even the average truck driving, nascar watching, pabst drinking, knuckle-dragging moron. And Apple is more than happy to sell to more than just the tight-pants wearing, Twitter-ized, ironic T-shirt wearing hipster who somehow thinks Starbucks is loads better than Wal-Mart.

[stigmattaman]

Oh yeah, the iFart application for the iPhone made the developer $40,000 in 2 days. So, umm, I think you've overestimating the sophistication of iPhone users.
http://digg.com/apple/iFart_app_for_the_iPhone_nets_developer_40_000_in_2_days

re: "when you consider Wal-Mart's size and importance, along with its decision to ignore devices from every Apple competitor..."

Doesn't your local WalMart sell phones from RIM, LG, Samsung and others among three or four different carriers? Mine does.

Are you saying that iPhones via AT&T will be the only cell phones available from WalMart?

[Perry_Clease]

"Are you saying that iPhones via AT&T will be the only cell phones available from WalMart?"

No different than iPhone available at AT&T, Best Buy, or directly from Apple itself.

[hd4u2001]

would never own anything apple even if w/mart sells it for a buck 99! apple is for neophytes! besides ATT' service totally blows here in AZ. Give me a RIMM and Verizon period!

I have a Verizon Treo and feel your pain. AT&T will probably never do business in South Dakota, so we may have to wait for Verizon-Alltel's next iPhone killer or simply get a reliable phone and an iPod Touch, or, for the money, that small, colorful laptop from WalMart;-)

[Perry_Clease]

"AT&T will probably never do business in South Dakota"

Sidebar: I remember hearing about a plan to use balloons to hoist cell antennas over South Dakota. Being way up there the line of sight would cover a lot of area and be cheaper than building more numerous towers. Is that plan still in the works?

[professionaladventurer]

Ok: do any of you posters think, REALLY think, you know better then the Wal-Mart buyers? REALLY? Not-a-chance-in-hell. Sorry, I have done business with Wal-Mart (not as a shopper smart-ass, as a retail mfg). They kinda have a handle on things.

[MSSlayer]

They have a handle on ass raping America

[kgb199]

Then why isn't their HQ anywhere near a &^%%$# airport?

[geofbrewer]

Does the word "insular" mean anything to you? I' not knocking negotiation skills, but I do question ability when Walmart has to redeploy product to unload it, because it didn't sell real well in Podunk.

[kgb199]

This is a horribly researched article! You realize that the G1 has been available at WalMart for several months? It's also been available at BestBuy since launch (I think WalMart came 2 weeks later). In fact, aside from the Apple shop, the G1 is available at every place you listed (so are blackberrys - but everyone already mentioned those) . And I should add that the G1 and all versions of the blackberry are available at Amazon.com - but the iPhone isn't.

Hopefully you didn't get paid for this!

[runswithscissorsXX]

seriously, that's enough. news.com has been a staple website of mine for over 10 years. and this is the final straw. reading the comments of others, i finally realize the fact i've been trying so hard to ignore : news.com has completely, utterly sold out. this will mark the last time i visit your website. among other qualms : first you publish the absolutely ludicrous "article" by elinor mills, "knol and void," in which she describes her first published knol which is absolutely *riddled* with factual errors and avoidances. then you publish this absolute tripe of an article.

you have proven that you have absolutely no journalistic integrity whatsoever. goodbye, news.com.

[ggore]

Wal Mart is known for being the major retailer in smaller towns, any place above 12,000 population usually has one. Looking at the latest 3G coverage maps, there are still vast areas of the US and many whole states that have no coverage at all, especially between the Mississippi River and the west coast (and yet they call this "nationwide coverage"). KS, NE, SD, ND, MT, ID, NM, IA, and OR have very little or no 3G coverage. And yet these states don't have Apple Stores either, so I guess in the end this will get Apple's products out in front of more potential customers, so that's a good thing.

[robpaulg]

G1 has been available at Wal-Mart since introduction. Something being offered at Wal-Mart is really not a big deal. Considering there is no savings to be had, this will amount to almost nothing.

[henrystamp]

But its Apple doing something, therefore it must be groundbreaking and game changing! Get with the program.

[lemieuxd]

I suspect the author implies that there are many people who ONLY shop at Walmart. They just hate shopping, period! You get everything you want (food, tires, MP3 players, drapes) without being hassled every two minutes by a salesman... of course, that also means you can't find one when you need one as well... consider this, you can get MP3 players for 10$ (on sale, no-name) at Walmart... and that's here in Canada! Yet, this Christmas season I witnessed a salesman crouching down, where they keep the iPod stock, constantly pulling out Nanos for clients... at a formidable rate! These people, you would think, should find this thing way too expensive. Since all MP3 players are said to be basically the same, iPods should simply not work at Walmart and yet they appear to be Apple's biggest retailer of iPods. Therefore, I think we might see the same effect with the iPhone. I refuse to buy one because of the 3-year contract at exorbitant rates here through Rogers. However I am hearing of more and more people simply putting "dumber" plans than your typical all-you-eat plans on their phones thus making it more affordable. They only use internet with WIFI.

[JLBer]

I'm still not going to buy one. It's over hyped; it's only for people who want others to think they're cool; and it's through AT&T. But it comes free with AT&T's cooperation with the NSA -- or have people somehow managed to forget that?

[Scryer_360]

My only problem with the idea that Wal-Mart is going to make the iPhone the premier Smart Phone, and lead to Apple domination of the business, is that the iPhone is still not a viable platform for business customers. Businesses still run on the BlackBerry. Of course that can change, but for most business customers their needs for apps and data cannot be found at the AppStore. I saw the day the iPhone would take away RIM's customers who were not business users the moment it was announced, especially with the touch-screen features so many of us desired for so long.

But I don't expect to walk down Wall Street any time soon see a white Apple on the back of any device.

And then there are the customers (however small a percentage they are) who just will not buy electronics at Wal Mart. Think of it this way: of this years top LCD and Plasma TV's as rated by CNET, how many of them were available at Wal-Mart when the articles were written? Nada, although as usual those models are now going out of date and will be re-designed for Wal-Mart use (happens every year). If you want the very BEST Home Theater, you have to walk into a Best Buy or Circuit City (yes, I know its going down the tubes) or buy online. And what about computers? Most Wal-Mart computers I've ever opened up use refurbished parts, and very few ever have any real cutting edge components. The good stuff is still not at Wal-Mart.

That can all change. Wal Mart has been trying to perk up its image now for years, failing miserably all the same, but trying. Maybe they could begin stocking higher quality items across the board. Maybe. But I highly doubt the iPhone will see much more success because its at Wal-Mart now. From the myriad of reasons up above to the fact that Best Buy and the AT&T store are usually right across the street, the iPhone won't be a massively more successful because it now appears in stores most Apple customers would never be caught dead in.

[geofbrewer]

Be careful about the "refurbished" tag. One of the ploys used by "authorized" dealer employees against Walmart has been to accuse Walmart of selling "refurbished" cell phones. The problem with this ploy is it would involve breaking numerous federal and state laws. Very bad for business. Now when it comes to computers, Walmart has purchased systems originally produced for other markets and been given discounts by the OEMs. For example, the Compaq computer I'm using at this moment was originally produced for sale in Germany. I got a good deal because I bought it at Walmart and researched the system. My only dissappointment was Compaq crippled the memory addressing from 2GB to 1GB. That may have to do with export law at the time. I also own an Acer Aspire bought at Walmart. It was origianally made for the Phillipine market. I bought it because of the price and it had XP installed.

[sartor1]

Apple may sell a few more iPhones via Walmart, but I don't think
this is a game changing move... The long term cost per iphone is
still $1600 over two years or so. hardly the price an average
walmart customer can afford!

[bob1xxxx]

This is another one of cnet's horrible blog articals. Look I do shop at Walmart but I never buy a contract cell phone there, (att , verizon, tmobile etc....). I'd never ask a walmart assoicate on sales advise ethier because they are there to stock shelves and run the regestiers and thats it. Im sorry but sales figures do prove out that the majority of walmart customers are credit history poor so a product like the Iphone that requires a credit check is a looser, its a image move for walmart not much else. Also if apple was a normal pubilc traded company the thrid and fourth quater sale figures would be out showing apple sales are crashing and the mask of steve handjobs myth (people will pay stupid money in a recession for computers when any xp pc solutions costs 33% to 50% ;less) is ending fast personal I think 2009 is the year apple goes bankrupt, unless the can quickly launch more cost effective products. Reduced cost to boost sales is why M$ is still keeping xp alive and speeding up the release of windows 7. Apple isnt going to rule the world with there over price pcs and phones especially in a recession.

[KPHFan]

REgardless of hte percetnages of curstomers with bad credit histories,(and I'd love for some SOURCES for your statement, by the way), the hseer number of customers means that in terms of actual numbers, Walmart has more customers with good enough credit histories than pretty much every other retailer. (for example, 50% of 1 million is still much higher than 90% of 250,000)

[WallyChamp]

I agree with you bob. I don't even respect the opinions/thoughts of Circuit City/Best Buy representatives about LCD televisions.

[geofbrewer]

Remember the commercial taking a jab at Walmart with a couple of guys dressed like auto mechanics working in a produce section of a Walmart standin? You obviously have not shopped at all the Walmart outlets in the US. Granted not all Walmart employees are knowledgable of the particular areas in which they work. Having said that, you would also be surprised at the level of expertise hidden at Walmart. Sometimes people make bad decisions and Walmart is a place to work to put food on the table and keep a roof over ones head.

[van77d]

That makes two reasons I would never buy an iPhone. AT&T's wireless service sucks, and I despise Wal-mart.

[Xtoo]

Good!
1 more iPhone for someoene else!! yeepeee!

[WallyChamp]

"Domination" is a far stretch. The consumer base that wal-mart thrives on is composed of low income families who do not have disposable income to spend on luxury goods as 3G iPhone.