Radio Shack
Latest
Want the Radio Shack discount? You're probably out of luck
If you were waiting until today to take advantage of Radio Shack's deep, deep discount on an iPhone, you're most likely out of luck. The promotion caused a nationwide RS shortage of iPhone inventory, and AppleInsider contacted a number of the stores on Friday to find that all but one have run out of stock. This isn't the first time "The Shack's" promos caused a run on the iPhone. The company offered a similar kickback program when the iPhone 4 was first launched. But so many took advantage of the offer that after the initial pre-orders, no new phones came in for the remainder of the program's run. For those who missed out on Radio Shack's deal, maybe they had better luck at Best Buy's one-day sale.
DS Lites for $75 at Radio Shack stores
If you need an inexpensive but delightful gift, and if you don't mind going into a Radio Shack, you may be able to get a great deal on a DS Lite. The retailer has discounted the ubiquitous handheld to $74.97 in-store, in Metallic Rose, Metallic Silver, Crimson/Black, and Cobalt/Black. At that price, you can't expect every store to have a bunch of systems in stock, so be sure to check online using the "Find it in store" button on the website. Strangely, even the variants labeled "Not available in stores" on each product page did have units available in stores once we put our ZIP code in and checked.
Radio Shack offers iPhone at big discount
Just in time for your Christmas shopping, "The Shack" is offering the iPhone 4 at an incredibly nice discount. The deal is this -- you can buy a 16GB iPhone 4 for just $149, which is $50 off the price that you'll find at Apple or AT&T stores, and much better than even picking one up at your local Walmart. That price, of course, requires a minimum 2-year commitment to an AT&T plan. The 32GB iPhone 4 is similarly priced at $249, and an 8GB iPhone 3GS is an absolute steal at $49. In addition, if you have a working and non-damaged iPhone 3G, you can get a $75 trade-in credit. A 3GS will get you a whopping $125 trade-in. You can only get this deal by walking into a Radio Shack location, and this is only good through Saturday, December 11. Grab that old 3GS and get movin' to "The Shack" before it's too late.
Apple's iPhone 4 (legitimately) on sale for the first time: $50 off at Radio Shack
Missed out on Black Friday? Good on you. Now, still in the market for an iPhone 4? If so, you should probably point your vehicle to the nearest Radio Shack, STAT. For the first time since going on sale in June, Apple's iPhone 4 is legitimately on sale from a retailer that actually exists and won't sell your personal information to some goon in an offshore paradise you've never heard of. (No, Walmart's $2 savings doesn't count.) We're told that the $50-off sale is being done to ramp up awareness surrounding Radio Shack's (admittedly low-key) wireless business, and if we had to guess, we'd say it'll probably work to perfection. Ever since the handset began shipping this summer, the going rate was $199 (on contract) for the 16GB model or $299 (also on contract) for the 32GB flavor; this deal hacks $50 from each, and there's even an 8GB iPhone 3GS for $49 if you're looking to take things even lower. Better still, The Shack's offering a $75 trade-in credit on any functional / non-cracked iPhone 3G as well as $125 for a 3GS in like condition, meaning that you could walk in today, hand over your 3GS, and walk out with an iPhone 4 for $25 (plus activation fees). Naturally, the deal's only available in brick-and-mortar locations (read: not online), and the fun comes to a close on December 11th. So, who's in? [Thanks, Anonymous]
RadioShack to sell T-Mobile G2 'first' starting on October 3rd
If you were proactive enough to pre-order a T-Mobile G2, there's a better-than-average chance that your shiny new smartphone is already en route to your abode. For those who slept in, it looks as if RadioShack will be the go-to place if you're looking to snag one early from the retail universe. According to the badly formatted flyer pictured above, The Shack will be the first B&M location to stock the US version of the HTC Desire Z, and it'll be hawking 'em for $149.99 on a two-year postpaid contract starting October 3rd. Got that penciled into your little black book? Good. [Thanks, Anonymous]
T-Mobile G2 gets $150 price tag at Radio Shack
You didn't rush out and grab that Best Buy pre-order while it was still hot and steaming, did you? Radio Shack's decided to step up its charm offensive with any potential G2 owners in the best way possible: by chopping $50 off the upfront price for the handset via an instant rebate. So, Amazon et al, care to outbid this daring ploy for affection with your own discounts?
'The Shack' downsizes, opens Bullseye Mobile kiosks in many Target stores
Radio Shack is at it again, expanding your perceptions of the place that once actually sold radio components. A year after that ill-received 'The Shack' marketing campaign the company is now making a rather more substantial move, securing an arrangement with Target stores to see the creation of so-called Bullseye Mobile kiosks. This has started with a 100-store pilot program but, throughout this year and into summer next, the expectation is to prop them up in 1,750 big box locations. Something tells us they won't all be wired up for WiMAX, but we can hope. [Thanks, Breon]
Your Radio Shack iPhone 4 pre-order may be a late arrival
Add another mark up on the board tracking the major confusion going on regarding iPhone 4 pre-sales. On its official Facebook page, Radio Shack has posted a statement to customers who recently placed pre-orders for the iPhone 4. In short, Radio Shack says that the store you placed your pre-order through may not get the new phones on launch day (tomorrow, June 24). From the company's statement: "In some cases, stores that took requests will not receive the iPhone 4 on June 24. We are sorry for any confusion and disappointment regarding this and will share future availability as soon as we have more information. We are making every effort to contact all customers who placed requests to let them know the status of phone availability." They go on to say you should call the Radio Shack store where you placed your order to confirm it'll be there before you arrive, rather than having your hopes and dreams dashed when you get there. The question now is whether or not these late pre-order arrivals will be made available on the 29th of June. Since AT&T recently announced that it doesn't have enough iPhones to sell to walk-ins until then (reservations only at the company's retail outlets, so no point in lining up for a purchase if you didn't book ahead), it's looking like it may be a wait through the weekend for new purchases. Of course, even if you did reserve a phone with AT&T, you still might have issues if you're among the unlucky buyers who had their orders unexpectedly cancelled (see this rather daunting Apple support thread). Thanks Justin! Photo by DioMakr / Flickr CC
iPhone 4: First Best Buy preorder, Radio Shack kickback plan
If you've got a choice of stores where you can reserve your new phone, may we suggest you consider Radio Shack? Edible Apple reports that the fine folks at the Shack (as noted on the company's Twitter account) are accepting trade-ins for discounts on the iPhone 4. In fact, if you've got a 3GS in good working condition that you're willing to give up, you might get $200 off your purchase -- meaning that you could pick up a new 16GB iPhone 4 for a grand total of nothing, plus tax. Thanks Chris and John
EVO 4G launch day antics: Sprint's computers overwhelmed, Radio Shack listing CDMA iPhones?
You might imagine that we're getting a pretty wild variety of EVO 4G-related tips today, seeing how it's launch day and all -- but a couple really stood out for us: Sprint's activation system is apparently buckling under the pressure, an issue that's giving us nightmarish flashbacks to iPhone launches of days gone by. We've even heard reports of poor shoppers being "turned away" when reps are stymied by the situation. A wildly successful product is both a blessing and curse, is it not? One corporate store clerk says Sprint's system is now entirely down, and employees are being forced to write receipts by hand. "We have sold out (and pretty fast at that), but can't do anything at this point, not even a bill pay," he adds. We've gotten multiple tips saying that Radio Shack now lists a $400 early termination fee in its contract for the iPhone on Verizon and Sprint. Our guess is that this is just some generic verbiage, not a sign of an impending CDMA launch, but you never know. One tipster said his EVO came with a Samsung microSD card, rather than a SanDisk. We don't know what to make of that, as it was far too late for HTC to head off storage bugs at the pass. Keep us updated with your launch day travails, folks! [Thanks to everyone who sent these in]
HTC EVO 4Gs flooding into Best Buys, some Radio Shacks opening at 6AM on Friday
EVO fever -- have you caught it? Things are seriously starting to ramp up in preparation for Friday's festivities, the day that Sprint's EVO 4G hits shelves (though most will likely be sold before they even touch a shelf, truth be told). Radio Shack hit us up with the knowledge earlier today that it'll be opening some locations as early as 6AM -- and what's more, they claim to have "specifically set aside" some units for folks who didn't pre-order, so that might be your best chance. We're also getting a bunch of shots from tipsters who say their Best Buy locations have started taking delivery of the retail units, so at least you'll know they'll be in stock on Friday -- but for how long is another question altogether. [Thanks to everyone who sent these in!] %Gallery-94241%
Radio Shack stores getting WiMAX upgrades ahead of Evo launch?
While there's certainly plenty to love about HTC's EVO 4G, that 4G in the title is certainly one of the major draws. We're guessing it'll be a little easier to sell the things if customers can experience the wonders of WiMAX for themselves, so that's probably why RadioShack is (according to our tipster) installing these Clearwire WiMAX repeaters in at least some of its stores ahead of the May 30 June 4 launch of the phone there. This will effectively turn The Shack into 4G hotspots and, while we're not sure of the range of these bad boys, this is a good thing even if it extends the reach of WiMAX just a few feet further into our lives. Another picture after the break. Update: Oops, the phone is of course launching on June 4. It's 4G that's going live in this tipster's home city on May 30. [Thanks, Markus]
Radio Shack taking EVO 4G preorders for $50 deposit, will toss in $20 for accessories
Between Sprint and Best Buy locations, there shouldn't be any shortage of opportunities to score an EVO 4G next month -- assuming inventory holds up, of course -- but Radio Shack's getting in the game, too, and it's sweetening the deal just a little bit. If you reserve a phone prior to launch by purchasing a $50 gift card (which you'll presumably use in June to help pay for the purchase), they'll toss in a $20 credit toward accessories when you come back in. Of course, these days, that doesn't even get you all the way to affording a freaking wall charger, but it's better than a punch in the nose. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Radio Shack nixing sales of Sprint's Pre and Pixi, but what does it mean?
So it looks like Barron's and The Wall Street Journal have talked to enough store clerks and Sprint reps today to confirm that Radio Shack is definitely dropping the original Palm Pre and Pixi from its in-store lineup. For what it's worth, Sprint says that "this is in line with Radio Shack's normal product planning process -- there is a designated amount of space in stores for handsets and they work to keep the line up of devices as current as possible," and we actually tend to believe that story since the phones (the Pre in particular) are getting awfully long in the tooth and we wouldn't blame the retailer for trying to cycle in some fresh stuff. The bigger question is whether the move indicates that Palm has some hot new gear for Sprint around the corner; if not, this gives Palm one less avenue for sales at a time when it needs all the help it can get, especially since you won't find these guys hawking Verizon's versions. [Thanks, Brent]
myTouch Slide leaks from Radio Shack Direct2U system
What do we have here, then? According to an anonymous tipster, this is the first appearance of the rumored myTouch Slide -- the alleged and presumed successor to the G1 on T-Mobile -- in Radio Shack's (um, "The Shack's") Direct2U system. These things are always to be taken with a grain of salt, but really -- who would fake this? All we can say is that we sure hope that when the image does arrive ("soon") it looks a sight better than the pics we've already seen.
Android-based Archos 5 Internet Tablet surfaces in 8GB form for $250
The Archos 5 Internet Tablet hasn't had the smoothest ride into the commercial realm, but thanks to a few firmware updates, the Android-based player seems to finally be humming along just fine. That said, not everyone's interested in shelling out big bucks for a capacious version, which makes the latest edition perfect for those simply curious to see how Google's mobile OS fares on a portable media player. The 8GB model has surfaced over at Radio Shack, bringing with it all the goods on the larger siblings but with far less internal space. The best part? That $249.99 price tag (and that little "In Stock" icon beside it).
Black Friday deals roundup, starring SonyStyle, Sam's Club, and more
It's less than 24 hours before the US Consumer Conglomerate commences its attack on the brick-and-mortar retail battlefield. We've already seen a number of outlets show their Black Friday cards, but now some of the bigger guns are revealing their specials. SonyStyle is taking a couple hundred dollars off of VAIO laptops, and offering some even deeper discounts on BRAVIA TVs. Sam's Club? Sears? RadioShack? Yep, their fliers are now out in the open. Even Canada's getting in on the fun, at least as far as NCIX is concerned. Stuff yourself full of turkey tonight, there's a war coming -- we suggest you prepare properly. Bonus: Here's a list of our most recent other Black Friday round-ups. Black Friday deals roundup: Best Buy, Lenovo, Verizon and more Black Friday deals roundup: Walmart, Target and NewEgg Black Friday deals bonanza round up Black Friday ads leaking all over town, we've rounded them up Sears Black Friday ad revealed, we'll be sleeping off our tryptophan hangovers
LG X120 netbook comes to the US with 2-year AT&T contract
If you've been aching to get your hands on the 10.1-inch, matte white LG X120 netbook that's been thrilling the trendy Euro jet-set elite for the last 6 months or so, now is your chance! Available at RadioShack.com and select brick and mortar The Shack locations, it can be yours for $179.99 with a 2-year $60/month AT&T contract. We'll let you do the math -- but believe us, you're probably better off shelling out the cash for the Levis Special Edition. Available at some unspecified near future date. For more info, peep the PR after the break.
FLO TV Personal Television now on sale for $250, should be in cereal boxes soon
Look, we fully understand that someone, somewhere put a lot of time and effort into designing a $250 handheld that does nothing but watch pixelated mobile TV for a lofty per-month price, but seriously, there has to be better uses of one's time. The 3.5-inch FLO TV Personal Television is on sale today at Amazon, Best Buy and RadioShack, though we suspect that the $249.99 up front price will probably keep most potential buyers at bay. Six months of service are included, but afterwards you'll be paying at least $8.99 per month (and a rate that low requires a three-year contract) to keep the signals flowing. If we're being honest, this thing is still more useful than Celio's REDFLY, but that sure ain't sayin' much.
Shacking up: iPhone sales plan at RadioShack sparks rally
It's been in the rumor mix for well over a year now, first popping up in connection with the iPhones-at-Walmart & Best Buy deal, but now the cat is out of the bag and rummaging around in the shelves full of diodes, UHF antennas and talking robots: late last Friday, RadioShack announced that it would begin selling the iPhone in a few NYC and Dallas stores in time for the holiday shopping rush, with wider availability to begin in 2010. While the addition of another retail outlet to the mix of stores (including AT&T and Apple's own operations) that carry the iPhone may not do a whole lot for general availability of the device -- frankly, if you can't find an iPhone 3GS near where you are, you can get one online in a jiffy -- it certainly did a lot for RadioShack's investors. The stock was up over 14% on the first trading day since the announcement, with analysts suggesting that the presence of the iPhone may help to drive up in-store traffic for the Shack during the busy holiday season and year-round. Let's think about that for a second. Just having the iPhone in the shop for shoppers to fondle, nuzzle and take home as their very own is considered, in the eyes of the market, a material advantage for an electronics chain with nearly 5,000 US stores. You've come a long way, baby.
