08/12/2008, 8:10pm, EDT
Tuesday, August 12th
Confirmed: Best Buy to sell iPhones starting Sept 7th
MacNN has confirmed that Best Buy is expected begin selling the iPhone 3G in early September, making it the first independent US retailer to offer the device. Best Buy has reportedly struck a deal with Apple to carry new iPhones in 970 stores and 16 Best Buy Mobile outlets starting September 7th. An announcement could come as soon as early Wednesday morning, according to report first noted by AppleInsider. Best Buy is no stranger to Apple products, having a long-standing on-and-off relationship with the company over the years. The company has been selling iPods for several years and recently expanded Mac sales at more than 600 of its larger stores.
The latest move comes a week after Best Buy announce it had completed upgrades to its mobile phone departments at each of its US stores and the upgrades may have helped persuade Apple to sign the deal. The upgraded mobile departments will be staffed with workers who have received 80 hours of training, so theoretically they would have the kind of product knowledge Apple prefers.
Best Buy has been after the iPhone for some time, but the report indicates Apple was reluctant to do business with the retailer over concerns about the potential for creating a market for unlocked iPhones; however, with the iPhone 3G causing lines at Apple and ATT stores creating long lines, Apple needs additional retail outlets to meet the brisk demand, AppleInsider notes.
Previous reports suggest that Apple has also been talking with electronics retailer Radio Shack about a potential deal. The retailer has already been experimenting with stores that will closely mimic the designer look of Apple's locations in at least three locations that would mirror the "look and feel" of Apple's stores and would focus more closely on cellphones as well as carrying touchscreen devices from AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, and Verizon.
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Isn't there other news ..
Can we please cut down on the iPhone news? It seems that Apple Computers has forgotten about their computers and iPods and are now just a mobile companay, one that doesn't supply its own service...but that may not be too far off it seems. /sigh
You got that right...
Apple computers seem to have been forgotten. Still, the iPhone seems to becoming a replacement for the iPod, so in some ways the iPhone is relevant. The iPod brought in a fair amount of revenue for Apple. It's just that there seems to be more excitement over Apple becoming an mobile handset company because of the higher growth potential and the fact that it can be sold everywhere on the planet. iMacs and MacPros almost seem to be an afterthought for the media nowadays.
No Apple Computers
Precisely..... there is no "Apple Computers". The company is now called Apple Inc. And for a very good reason, Apple does not want to be known JUST for its computers anymore. So it seems their goal has been acheived.
There is no daily or interesting recent news about any of Apple's computers right now.... but the iPhone news about Best Buy is fresh and is INDEED news.
First noted by AI?
If by "first noted" you mean noted 2 months after it was posted on BGR then yes, I agree.
Best Buys web site for 3G
here's an interesting piece, check out the fine print talking about requires 2 year contract. lol