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Wal-Mart Nabs The iPhone?

Have you ever been shopping at Wal-Mart and just had to have a touch-screen smartphone? Well, you may be in luck, as the Boy Genius is reporting that the retail giant will be selling the iPhone 3G this holiday season.

Now, this is just a rumor at the moment, as neither Apple nor Wal-Mart has confirmed it. But, the Genius got his hands on an internal Wal-Mart e-mail that reads:

We are pleased to announce that Wal-Mart has reached agreement with Apple to offer iPhone 3G in Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart-managed Sam's Club Connection Centers nationwide beginning December 28, 2008. AT&T will support Wal-Mart and Sam's Club with the activation process for iPhone 3G, and we need all National Retail employees engaged to ensure a successful launch.

Customers will still have to sign up for a new two-year contract with a data plan, and there's no word on what the pricing will be. I have a feeling it may be a tad bit cheaper, as Wal-Mart did announce it was going to offer the T-Mobile G1 at a cheaper price (although that may have been a dubious claim).

Despite the claims that Wal-Mart isn't "hip" enough for the iPhone crowd, this is a major score for Apple if it's true. Apple already had an incredible third quarter, selling nearly 7 million iPhones. But that may be next to impossible to replicate for the next quarter, as very few people need multiple iPhones. Getting a massive retailer like Wal-Mart onboard opens the door for thousands of new customers.

Of course, some may wonder why the reported rollout will take place three days after Christmas, and I honestly don't know. The major ideas being floated out are: more people will have gift cards by then, the Best Buy agreement may not let the iPhone in other retailers until after Xmas, and that rollout day would be best for Apple's next fiscal quarter. I personally think it is because it will take a lot of time to have enough inventory to fill that many Wal-Mart superstores.

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