Wal Mart Visit: iPhone? What iPhone?
Friday, January 2, 2009 at 1:50PM 
I'll tell you up front, what you already know: Walking into Wal Mart to buy an iPhone 3G is completely different from heading to your neighborhood Apple Store. Upscale pretentiousness is replaced by a third-world market feel. I made my way past the hoards of holiday returns, and heightened tensions near a $3 shirt sale, to get to the "Communications Center." Or, "this is where we sell phones" section. The first thing I noticed, I made it all the way back to electronics without any indication the iPhone was sold there. Only once I walked around to the back side of the communication island did I find the display you see above. You may notice something missing. Either it's already been stolen, or they haven't bothered to put the iPhone on display yet at this location.
I wanted to ask about it, but the only Communications Center employee was dealing with a line of DVD buyers at the time. Available accessories consisted of plastic screen covers, and the Apple earbuds you see on the right.
Funny how Apple spent all those years getting the Best Buy store-within-a-store concept just right, and now this is how they peddle arguably their most revolutionary product to date.
Apple, iPhone 3G, secret shop, wal mart Permalink
Reader Comments (2)
it's officially a commodity...how sad.
i walked into my local walmart to find the exact same thing. No iPhones on display, just the set up you took a photo off. The only lady who knew anything about it was busy doing phone calls so I never got to ask her anything. I do find it ironic that Apple pounds best buy to get them just right and now releases their greatest invention to a lame, third party, trashy company.