The disruptive spectre of a $99 Wal-Mart iPhone
Posted December 4, 2008 at 01:30 PM by JG Mason
Section: Apple, Communications, Cellphones, Smartphones, Mobile
The boys at BGR announced they are hearing word that Wal-Mart will have a 4GB version of the iPhone and sell it at a Wal-Mart-y low low price of $99. A couple of commenters suggested they’d heard the same thing inside Wal-Mart. If this is true, we are about to see some major changes.
Certainly there are those that suggest the data is fee is too high for Jonny Consumer, and that may be for some, but not most. Here are the facts: the iPhone currently bests the Razr in volume; the iPhone is outselling Windows Mobile phones; 10,000 apps in the app store is a big draw all on its own. Now, drop the entry fee to play and this party gets rolling.
4GB is what my first iPod Mini sported for memory. It is still going, though handed down after purchasing 3 more iPods. 4GB is enough for those seeking a cheap iPhone. We suspect, the current iPhone costs $173 to manufacture. But it wouldn’t take much to strip out GPS or perhaps a 3G radio? And in the shady world of telecom phone deals, who knows what AT&T would be willing to cough back to get the lions share of new phone activations. And that is just the impact a $99 iPhone would have.
We all are forced to sit through (or at least fast forward through) iPhone advertising. The reach is there, all they need is a low dollar entry and away it goes. Forget AT&T’s line of texting phones like the Matrix. Forget silly little flip phones. Who won’t be drawn like moths to the flame to be able to swipe, pinch and tilt? If this happens, other makers have just been put into a corner they may not be able to come out of.
Jobs and the Apple marketing team don’t even need to hold a conference for this. Just put the products out on the shelf at Wal-Mart complete with the security cord (maybe two) and stick the $99 price above. The lines are going to be huge. Mark your calendar for December 28, Christmas may really be a few days late this year.
What do you say? $99 iPhone to take over the world? Let us know in the comments.
Source: [BoyGeniusReport]