Best Buy to sell iPhone 3G starting next month

And now for the irony: it'll be no better a buy than what you can find at ye olde Apple or AT&T store. Best Buy officially becomes the first third-party retailer in the US to sell the iPhone in an official capacity -- 3G or otherwise -- when it launches the iPhone 3G in some 970 stores plus an additional 18 dedicated Mobile locations on September 7 for the same $199 and $299 price points found elsewhere. Quoth Best Buy Mobile's CEO, "We had a lot of work to do, obviously, to get in a position where Apple and AT&T would feel good about Best Buy Mobile carrying it, and that's what we've done in the last 18 months." In other words, this has been a pretty persistent effort to score the third-party exclusive essentially since the original model was announced, and it's just now paying off. There's no indication on how the addition of Best Buy to the US sales mix will affect production or distribution, but at least there'll be one more place to try to find some frickin' stock.

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in]

[Wolfticket @ Aug 12th 2008 11:26PM]

I wonder how much Best Buy would have to pay for that advertising space if this wasn't news.

[nerdtalker @ Aug 13th 2008 3:02AM]

I wonder how much _apple_ would have paid for that marketing space if it werent'... oh wait...

Nevermind.

[engadgetier @ Aug 12th 2008 11:27PM]

i dont get it. apple has a hard enough time trying to stock its own stores with iphones, and yet they are releasing it in like 20 more countries this month. and now best buy is going to sell it.

[Colin Potter @ Aug 12th 2008 11:33PM]

I'd bet they have plenty in stock and are just holding out, likely so they can stock these new locations.

[CraigJ @ Aug 13th 2008 1:02AM]

@Colin. That's lame. Apple may be about marketing Buzz, but Peter Oppenheimer is not stupid. He would never allow marketing, or Steve for that matter, to reduce revenues by artificially withholding stock.

By all accounts they are making 700K to 800K a week and selling them as fast as they can build and ship them.

[pete @ Aug 13th 2008 2:09AM]

I agree with you Craig, why give up the big bucks now for potential later. Gadgets aren't like stocks. Where they are similar is that the hype can run out fast.

[ajfarson @ Aug 13th 2008 3:39AM]

its all about generating demand. Apple stores get fresh trucks every morning. They could totally overstock, but if supply is low, and the "elites" have them, then all the schmoes will want them even more. Thus keeping the iphone 3g as the highest selling hotcake on the mobile market longer, locking in stats for the next sermon from steveo... marketing 101.

[pete @ Aug 13th 2008 4:24AM]

@ajf
You're assuming the iphone can be resold at a higher price and drive up demand. Apple has itghten the purchase with the contract ageements although it not full proof.

Apple has a target number of sales in a short time frame, restricting the quantity of product to meet the expectation of sales in the time frame doesn't make sense. Marketing 101 failed.

Gadgets go out of style fast. Apple would probably want to sell as many as possible before other competitors release something good like the HTC Touch Diamond.

[Steffen Jobbs @ Aug 13th 2008 8:01AM]

With that supposed 800,000 manufactured iPhone units a month they should be able to keep stores stocked. Besides, so many people keep saying that the iPhone isn't really in demand, just fake demand due to short supplies. By the end of the year, Apple should only sell about 6 or 7 million iPhone 3gs so it won't be all that difficult to keep up with demand.

[nschively @ Aug 13th 2008 9:45AM]

Oh, right, sure. Willing to bet that some of you who are arguing that it doesn't make sense for Apple to hold down production on the iPhone are the same people saying that Bezos is holding down production of the Kindle to inflate demand.... If I'm all wet, then expand your argument to say, in general economic terms, that it makes little sense for a company - any company - to hold down production and generate demand and thus buzz. If you can't do that, then STFU, please; because if Amazon would do it, so would Apple.

[macserv @ Aug 13th 2008 10:08AM]

They've sold 3 million in one month. That's hardly limiting supply to create false demand, it's just insane demand. Apple is gonna sell way more than 6 or 7 million before the end of the year. You haters really make me laugh.

[Jon Doe. @ Aug 12th 2008 11:29PM]

Cool. Another chance to ignore the iCrap.

[LordFarkward @ Aug 13th 2008 2:07AM]

If you want to ignore it, then why are you here?

I don't think you really understand the concept of "ignoring"...

[xValentine @ Aug 13th 2008 5:52AM]

Balls ? Does he look like he has one ?

:)

[High Ranks make you sterile @ Aug 13th 2008 8:50AM]

@Jon:

This is me ignoring your comment.

Wait... damn.

[Colin Potter @ Aug 12th 2008 11:31PM]

So you can buy a phone that ATT and Apple store employees had difficulty setting up, at the world's least competent electronics store? Sounds good to me.

[David @ Aug 13th 2008 12:28AM]

What store have you been to where the employees are better trained? Just wondering

[W.D.W @ Aug 13th 2008 12:31AM]

What store have you been to with better trained employees? I mean yea, obviously they don't know everything. But they are a HELL of a lot better then most other retailers out there

[Colin Potter @ Aug 13th 2008 12:34AM]

any privately owned electronics store and a few of the smaller chains

[W.D.W @ Aug 13th 2008 12:47AM]

I mean we only know as much as we're taught. Plus it really depends on the store you go to. The store I work at for instance most of the employees are really well informed.

Also...there's no way we're worse than circuit city...lol

(no offense to those who work at circuit city and know what they're talking about, lol)

[Colin Potter @ Aug 13th 2008 12:51AM]

I like to go to Best Buy and Circuit City and Futureshop and ask the employees questions I know the answers to, to see if they're honest with me if they don't know, or if they try to bullshit me. 90% of the time they don't know and they lie.

[jupiterthunder @ Aug 13th 2008 12:51AM]

BB is a retail outlet. Your comparison is essentially like expecting a fry cook to has as much culinary talent as a trained chef.

[Colin Potter @ Aug 13th 2008 1:03AM]

I work in retail, and I know a hell of a lot... but if someone asks me a question I don't have the answer to, I tell them I don't know but I can find out for them... other places they just make stuff up.

[CraigJ @ Aug 13th 2008 1:05AM]

Actually, Best Buy is an authorized AT&T partner, and I bought my last 2 phones there, before the iPhone. It was a better experience than the AT&T store. They had better prices on the Samsung phones too.

I'm not a big fan of Best Buy, but this is something they actually do pretty well. Just don't ask them to detail the features of the phone...

[neofolklore @ Aug 13th 2008 7:33AM]

I can has culinary talent?

[Jason @ Aug 13th 2008 1:32PM]

"So you can buy a phone that ATT and Apple store employees had difficulty setting up, at the world's least competent electronics store?"

Well, it's a little unfair to say that the employees had difficulty setting the phone up. When iTunes crashes, what is one to do?

[Dillon @ Aug 12th 2008 11:32PM]

Thank you for making this giant picture of my two worst enemies.

[Fatima @ Aug 13th 2008 12:24AM]

Who aren't your enemies then? Microsoft? Linux? Circuit city? Amazon.com?

[Mobius_1 @ Aug 13th 2008 12:38AM]

Bet Dillon likes CompUSA and Palm

[The Dude @ Aug 13th 2008 1:26AM]

I think Dillon's a Circuit City Blood (company color red), so he hates Best Buy Crips (company color blue). The Firedog and Geek Squad employees bust drive-bys at each other's shopping centers in their Mini Coopers. "Brace yoselfs. Fiyadawg, mutha fuckas!" *Pop, pop, pop*


That's all I can muster as possible scenarios/reasoning for actually personifying a retailer an enemy. As for the iPhone being an enemy, I really have no fucking idea. Maybe an iPhone killed his baby's momma.

[Bleck @ Aug 12th 2008 11:32PM]

Is it really a "best buy" if its just normal retail price?

[JR @ Aug 13th 2008 12:11AM]

How original of you.

[John @ Aug 13th 2008 12:23AM]

yes, because if no one sells it below retail, retail price IS the best buy.

[scott @ Aug 13th 2008 12:23AM]

rofl

[egloskerry @ Aug 12th 2008 11:32PM]

This is awesome! While I really dislike apple, this will really help drive sales to the store.

[puhsitch @ Aug 13th 2008 12:09AM]

Yeah, it's always good to see the little guys get a boost.

[Dan Halen @ Aug 13th 2008 12:30AM]

Hahaha... yeah, honestly man, what the fuck are you talking about?!

[egloskerry @ Aug 13th 2008 12:55AM]

Uh, it'll help drive sales to my store?

[Dan Halen @ Aug 13th 2008 3:04AM]

"my" and "the"

The use of one of those and not the other can really change the context of your sentence.

NOW I get it.

[icepop4who @ Aug 12th 2008 11:36PM]

I'm glad.
Personally, I hate cell phone stores, but I really like Best Buy and Circuit City in store cell phone services. It's just more convienient to find accessories a little beyond cell phones like headphones, memory cards, screen protectors, etc. Also, i find cell phone stores a little intimidating as the salespersons jumps right on top of you as soon as you walk through the door. sheesh.

[kal326 @ Aug 13th 2008 9:35AM]

@icepop4who
What cell phone stores have you been going into? Where I am from you almost have to go in there with a bear trap to get a hold of an associate long enough to get a basic question answered. That or you have to put your name down on a wait list at the door.

[Marq @ Aug 13th 2008 12:54PM]

Well when that big intimidating sales person comes up to you at the AT&T store and says the scary "May I help you" line...stand strong and say "No. Just looking."

I know. I used to have the same fear, then I learned how to say that...been smooth sailing ever since then.

[Danny F. @ Aug 12th 2008 11:39PM]

Didn't BoyGenius call this one happening a good while back like a month and a half ago. Looks like it ended up being true.

[Jason @ Aug 12th 2008 11:40PM]

Attempting to care.....






Care not found.

[Kspraydad @ Aug 12th 2008 11:41PM]

Do they cross sell MONSTER iPod cables for better data transfer quality?

[danisnotstan @ Aug 12th 2008 11:45PM]

good...maybe all of the sales people will be so busy "helping" people w/ the iphone then they'll leave me the hell alone! I sometimes go to best buy once or twice a week....these people HAVE to recognize me by now! I NEVER need their opinion yet they always have to ask....I sometimes leave w/out buying the product I intended to buy just because I get so annoyed! You cant round a corner w/out a blue shirt bothering you...sometimes they step right in front of you to ask if you need anything while youre clearly moving from one dept to another....its sad when they ask if they can help and I have to say that they can help by getting out of my way!

[patriotsn1 @ Aug 12th 2008 11:56PM]

DAMN THEM AND THEIR CUSTOMER SERVICE!!! DAMN THEM TO HELL!!!!!!

[rTwelve [xbl:chilblane] @ Aug 13th 2008 12:11AM]

We have to. Trust me, we have to. At some point it is ridiculous. Do they bother you about credit cards?

I recommend you complain to a manager. If you were coming to my store, THAT would make my day.

[BarryBee @ Aug 13th 2008 12:15AM]

This is one of the dumbest comments I've read in quite a while. Lets guess you're also the person who gets annoyed when a waiter asks you what you'd like to order at a restaurant. If you are so "annoyed" by people doing what their paid to do, maybe you shouldn't frequent their establishment so much, and do some online shopping.

[dBs @ Aug 13th 2008 12:25AM]

Heres the secret: headphones. If I ever go shopping I listen to music. They dont waste their time "helping" you when you have headphones on and if they try, you just act like you cant hear them.