Rumor: Apple to Shake up US iPhone 3G Distribution
It’s Friday afternoon, it’s Summer and you’re itching to get home. We know, we know; it can be hard to keep focused. Since you’re spending your time this afternoon on BGR instead of working - as well you should - we figured we’d give you a nice little tidbit to take home with you this weekend. As if a sweet Nokia N78 NAM giveaway isn’t enough! How about a little something from one of our Apple ninjas? Would that do the trick? We just received unconfirmed word that Apple is going to be shaking things up a bit when it comes to iPhone 3G distribution here in the US. By shake up, we mean that Apple has supposedly secured deals with both Best Buy and Radio Shack to sell the iPhone 3G in their stores. Best Buy already offers other Apple products so this would hardly be a stretch. Again, this is definitely still tagged with “rumor status” but it comes from a ninja who has definitely done well for us in the past. No word if this will start from the July 11th launch date, or possible be a couple weeks / months out. Unlike you, our ninja can now go home and start enjoying his weekend a bit early.
Wow, does anyone doubt they will sell 10 milion by years end?
Permalink | Reply
This, if true - would be a HUGE BOON to Radio Shack! I just don’t see them making the deal to sell an iPhone in stores. The phones in the stores for Radio Shack are so limited.
Best Buy - I can see it. I bet the price won’t be any different though, like it is with some AT&T phones!
Permalink | Reply
10 million iphones by 12/31/08. i seriously doubt it. maybe 2-7 million
Permalink | Reply
Radio Shack also sells the touch & ipods but Apple will only let them sell it if they believe the AT&T stores will not be able to keep up with the sales volume. Mark this post as highly doubtful.
Permalink | Reply
I wouldnt doubt this too much, Best Buy would be a great site to offer the iPhone since its implementation of little Apple sections in the stores. I kinda hope they do allow BB to sell the new iPhone as they are more Best Buys in my area then there are AT&T stores.
Permalink | Reply
heres an ideal apple go with tmo also nobodys gonna pay att’s rates if they don’t have to they would rather spend it on gas and go indirects too ther are only so many corperate stores
Permalink | Reply
I wonder if that includes the new Best Buy Mobile stores.
Permalink | Reply
Outside really goes out on a limb above with his guess of
2 - 7 million iphones sold.
Permalink | Reply
So I guess my fiance is getting one on the day of launch!
Permalink | Reply
Start weekend a bit early? It sounds like youre paying to get information…hahaha
Permalink | Reply
To bad Microsoft owns a big chunk of Radio Shack.
Nice try though.
How that N78?
Permalink | Reply
“To bad Microsoft owns a big chunk of Radio Shack.
Nice try though.”
Really? Where is that info?
Not here:
http://finance.yahoo.com/q/mh?s=RSH
Flamer.
10 million from July to December? I believe it. Big time. Everyone wants this thing and I am buying my second one (like many, many others).
Permalink | Reply
Cool. This means I’ll be able to get some Reward Zone points from this.
Permalink | Reply
Y’all know Tandy owns both RS & BB, right?
Permalink | Reply
@Sam K If it comes to Best Buy it will come to the best buy mobile stores if anything it will only go to the best buy mobiles. best buy will prolly try and work a deal with apple and get em cheaper than ATT stores but i doubt that would happen.
I work at a Best Buy mobile store and we get alot of people wanting the iphone and we have to turn them away so this would be awesome. although i have gotten a few people to buy the instinct
Permalink | Reply
every BBY will have a BBY Mobile by year’s end so yes it includes BBY Mobile. Part of the deal to get it in BBY Mobile was Apple wanted one of our beuldings in NY that BBY Mobile used to use for phone repair, if you have been around BBY Mobile you know this is the Madison Ave spot. Apple will open up a new repair center there in part exchange for BBY Mobile to carry the 3G Iphone
Permalink | Reply
An Apple employee working detail (had shirt with Apple on it) at a Best Buy store in the central Orange County area also indicated to me that this was in the works to occur shortly after June 09, 2008, but did not indicate if this would be from day one.
Permalink | Reply
I am skeptical ’cause I know for a fact that BB in the great white north will not be carrying them
Permalink | Reply
Interesting, that would so alleviate the masses that will either camp out or rush on July 11th to Apple and At&T stores.
Permalink | Reply
never gonna happen.
Permalink | Reply
I’m VERY skeptical of this. I work at Best Buy, and the Best Buy Mobile manager said already we’d not be carrying the iPhone 3G. So unless a new deal was released in the last few days, I’m calling BS on this.
On the other hand, I’m hoping it’s is true, because then I could get inside my work before it opens to the public since I’m an employee, purchase it, and stand at the door, making the masses stare whilst I hold it up to the door. =D
Permalink | Reply
Since the iphone 3g its so tightly wrapped to a att contract, this post was a waste of time. And so was what Im typing, so im going to stop right about……….now.
Permalink | Reply
“This, if true - would be a HUGE BOON to Radio Shack! I just don’t see them making the deal to sell an iPhone in stores. The phones in the stores for Radio Shack are so limited.
Best Buy - I can see it. I bet the price won’t be any different though, like it is with some AT&T phones!”
Hate to break it to you.. but Radioshack sells more cellphones than ANY retailer.
The other thing I see from this is that good RS employee’s will be able to convert a lot of ‘non-beleivers’ over to an iPhone since we’ll probably have a real one out to demo… or ones the employee themselves will own and demo.
And when it comes to radioshacks being owned by microsoft… if that was true, I wouldnt be selling 1 Zune to every 100 iPods at my store.
Permalink | Reply
Well this will really help Radio shack. Dude there’s about 3 stores in my area all within 5 miles & all dead as hell, the iphone could really bring some traffic to them, i mean you can’t find shiet there anymore, back in the day radio shack was the place to go but not anymore
Permalink | Reply
bestbuy mobile will get the 3g iphone within 30 days from today.. mark my word..
to all you people who laugh and post replys saying whatever you say.. ill be laughing at you when im reading you bashing what i said when we have it in our stores..
have a good one
Permalink | Reply