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Tech Check
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Wal-Mart |
The iPhone/Wal-Mart rumors have been circulating for months. Honestly, the move by Apple [AAPL
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] to reach the broader consumer is nothing new. Those plans seemed to be right on track when Apple announced its plans to add Best Buy [BBY
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] to a very short list of retail outlets selling the iPhone (Apple stores and AT&T [T
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] stores were the only other options.)
But that $99 price point is a pipe dream. It would be seismic enough for Apple to get its products into the Wal-Mart [WMT
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] eco-system, which up until this deep recession, was the retail stop of choice for a decidedly un-Apple crowd. No more. Everyone shops at Wal-Mart. And that means the potential of a massive new audience for Apple's iPhones, and any other Apple product that may find its way onto Wal-Mart store shelves. In other words, it would be a big enough story without the erroneous price point.
Which is too bad because today the focus is on that $99 price. And while Apple will not comment on rumors and speculation—no matter how hard I tried—sources tell me the $99 price is just not true. Still, when Apple announces its Wal-Mart news, without that new $99 cost, the media, and the shorts, will be "disappointed" by the news.
And that's unfortunate. Apple's bid to reach a mass-market consumer while maintaining the Apple premium that it enjoys on its products has been the hallmark of its sales strategy, and the envy of just about every other gadget and gizmo company. Apple's move to sell iPhone at Wal-Mart should be lauded. If it can get away with selling the device at existing pricing, that should be lauded too.
Consumers looking for an iPhone price break might be disappointed. Apple investors looking for what could be a huge new revenue stream won't be.
UPDATE: Wal-Mart has not officially confirmed any offering of iPhone at any price.
UPDATE 2: Reuters reports that there is a deal between Apple and Wal-Mart to sell the iPhone later this month but no price yet has been set.
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