14 DAY TRIAL // iPhone 3G, the famous touchscreen handset said to be sold in more than 3 million units until now (worldwide, since its July 11 release), will soon no longer be offered exclusively by Apple and AT&T in the US. This is because Best Buy, the giant consumer electronics retailer, has just announced that it would begin selling Apple's touchscreen handset starting September 7, after the signing of an agreement with the Cupertino-based company.
The bad news is that, although users might expect Best Buy to sell the new iPhone for a bit less than its already existing price, the retailer will, in fact, offer the handset for the same amount of money it can be found at Apple's and AT&T's locations: $199 for the 8GB version and $299 for the 16 GB one. Obviously, these prices also require you to sign a two-year contract agreement with AT&T and to get an expensive monthly data plan.
It seems that the iPhone 3G will be available in all of Best Buy's Mobile stores across the US (about 970 of them), this allowing users to find the device with ease.
Talking about the upcoming availability of Apple's handset, Brian J. Dunn, President and Chief Operating Officer at Best Buy, declared, "The iPhone has changed the way people think about their mobile phones, and we are delighted to help more customers get their hands on this revolutionary product. Our Best Buy Mobile employees have the training and expertise to deliver the best experience possible for our customers - from the initial purchase through the life of their iPhones".
The bottom line is that, besides offering more locations where users can buy Apple's new iPhone, its availability via Best Buy doesn't actually bring anything new. Or maybe Best Buy's "Walk Out Working" program (which should make sure customers get out of the store with their devices both functional and personalized) will attract more users than AT&T and Apple can. I doubt it, but we should better wait for September to come and see how things are going.