iPhones at Wal-Mart Confirmed; $99 Version, Not

I wrote about Wal-Mart joining Best Buy as the only non-Apple / AT&T retailer to sell iPhones about two weeks ago. Much of the blogosphere wrote about it then, but only now has mainstream media pick up, and confirm, the story.

Both Bloomberg and the San Jose Mercury-News as saying the retail giant will start shipping iPhones this month, likely between Christmas and New Year's (the Dec. 28th date I wrote about has been mentioned, but another date of Dec. 15th has been noted as well).

What is unconfirmed is the rumored $99 4 GB model. Store employees asked by the above sites didn't seem to know anything about the model, and mentioned only two versions of the iPhone, which would be the $199 / $299 8 GB / 16 GB models.

However, according to the Merc, Kim Nguyen, manager of the cell phone department at the Milpitas Wal-Mart told them an AT&T representative had said that her store would be getting a 4 GB version --- and that the store was going to get iPhones two days before Christmas (which would be still another date, Dec. 23rd).

Both MacRumors and MacBlogz say the 4 GB information is just a rumor, and MacRumors backs it up with a screenshot of training materials they've received that seem to indicate the only price cut Wal-Mart will be making is a $2 cut (above).

Seems like the only way to find out for sure is to wait for Dec. 15th, 23rd, or 28th.