Walmart

General
August 31, 2010
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Sprint expands 'Common Cents Mobile' to 500 additional Walmarts

By on August 31, 2010 at 9:00 PM.

Sprint expands 'Common Cents Mobile' to 500 additional Walmarts

Today, Sprint announced that it would expand its Common Cents Mobile offering to an additional 500 Walmart locations. As the press release explains, “Common Cents Mobile is the only pay-as-you-go service offering Round Down minutes, allowing budget-conscious consumers to pay for only what they use — or even less.” If you’re reading this article, this service is — in all likelihood — not aimed at you. ”Smartphones come with bells and whistles like Web browsing and music — features that for many, are simply unnecessary and can be seen as a waste of time and money,” said Common Cents Mobile’s chief marketing officer. The service, which originally launched in May of this year, is now available in just under 1,250 Walmart stores across the country. More →

15 Comments
Retail
June 22, 2010
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White iPhone 4 shows up on Walmart.com — will it be available Thursday?

By on June 22, 2010 at 2:21 PM.

White iPhone 4 shows up on Walmart.com — will it be available Thursday?

walmart-white-iphone-4

We can’t say for sure that it’s an indication that Walmart will be stocking the white iPhone 4 come Thursday, but we find it pretty interesting that all of a sudden the white 16GB model shows up on its retail store as “available in store.” Could this possibily mean that the white iPhone will be available for purchase — at least at Walmart — on D-Day?

Thanks, John! More →

35 Comments
Retail
June 11, 2010
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Walmart to sell iPhone 4 on June 24th too

By on June 11, 2010 at 2:56 PM.

Walmart to sell iPhone 4 on June 24th too

logo-walmart

If you are looking to pick up an iPhone 4 on its June 24th launch day it looks like you’re going to have options. CNET is reporting that big-box retailer Walmart will be selling the fourth generation iPhone on its respective launch day. Rumors have been circulating the web that indicate Best Buy and The Shack are also in-line to get some iPhone 4 launch day love, but neither company has been willing to go on the record and confirm.

Going to your local Apple Store on an iProduct launch day is always an interesting social experiment…and Walmart is always an adventure. We’ve put together a little iPhone 4 Launch Bingo for you if you’re planning on getting one retail…hit the break and let us know what you think. More →

51 Comments
Retail
May 24, 2010
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Walmart cuts iPhone 3GS down to $97

By on May 24, 2010 at 8:41 PM.

Walmart cuts iPhone 3GS down to $97

iPhone_3GS

Effective as of Tuesday, Walmart has announced that it will be cutting the 2-year contract price of the Apple iPhone 3GS to $97. Walmart would have you believe that the drop in price is nothing more than it making good on its “commitment to always lead on price”, but it’s not as if we don’t know exactly what’s going on. To us the question still remains: Will the iPhone 3GS pick up where the soon-to-be-discontinued iPhone 3G is going to leave off, or does Steve Jobs have “one more thing” up the sleeve of his St. Croix mock turtleneck? More →

57 Comments
Retail
May 13, 2010
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Walmart wants in on the iPad (and is confident it will get it)

By on May 13, 2010 at 9:30 PM.

Walmart wants in on the iPad (and is confident it will get it)

walmart-ipad

If Bentonville-based retail giant Walmart has its way, its stores could be jam-packed with iPads before the year ends. Speaking to BusinessWeek, Walmart’s senior VP of entertainment, Gary Severson, said that he believes Walmart and Apple can hammer out a deal to bring the popular tablet to stores “later this year.” Despite his confidence that a deal will be reached, Severson was reluctant to comment on pricing or speculate on a possible release time frame. One can assume Walmart would want the iPad on its shelves well before the Christmas shopping season — and perhaps more importantly Black Friday — begins. Currently only available from Apple Stores, select Best Buys and a limited number of resellers, over 1 million iPads have been sold to date. If Walmart were allowed to sell the device, it would undoubtedly accelerate sales of the tablet, especially in rural areas where authorized stores are hundreds of miles away. What say you, readers? Would you be willing to set foot in a Wally World to pick up an iPad, or do you find the notion of that repulsive? More →

48 Comments
General
May 13, 2010
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Sprint and Walmart introduce Common Cents Mobile

By on May 13, 2010 at 12:00 AM.

Sprint and Walmart introduce Common Cents Mobile

common-cents-mobile

Sprint and Walmart have announced they’ve banded together to launch a brand new, low-cost carrier…say hello to Common Cents Mobile. Service will be lit up on May 15th and the carrier will be featured –exclusively — in over 700 Walmarts across the country. Minutes are billed at 7¢ a pop, but thanks to “Round Down” billing, a “minute” can last up to 119 seconds. This allows the $20 refill to be good for up to 565 minutes and the $30 up to 848 minutes. Nifty. Also coming in at 7¢ each are text messages, although there is an option for a $20 unlimited messaging package. Data will be available for $1 per megabyte per day. Being a no-frills carrier, Common Cents doesn’t offer a lavish line-up of handsets, but what it does carry is very affordable. The cheapest most affordable of the pack is LG 101 which sells for $19.77, followed closely by the Samsung M340 at $39.77. The most expensive handset is the Kyocera S2300, which has a full-QWERTY keypad, and retails for $69.77. Minute refills can be purchased at select Walmart stores; alternatively, Common Cents subscribers can register their credit card, debit card, or PayPal information at CommonCentsMobile.com to get more minutes.

Catch the press spiel after the break. More →

33 Comments
Retail
February 22, 2010
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Walmart to buy VUDU online streaming movie service?

By on February 22, 2010 at 6:18 PM.

Walmart to buy VUDU online streaming movie service?

Vudu Logo

Walmart, one of the world’s largest retailer of DVDs, may be moving beyond physical media sales and jumping feet first into the online streaming business. According to the New York Times, Walmart is reportedly in the process of purchasing VUDU, an online movie streaming service that recently inked some sweet deals with big name TV and Blu-Ray drive manufacturers. Some of them include LG, Mitsubishi, Samsung, SANYO, Sharp, Toshiba and VIZIO. Walmart could possibly use its retail presence to sell the VUDU box and offer up VUDU’s 3,000 strong HD movie catalog at its famous discounted prices. With its name, its retail presence, and its influence on the DVD distribution channel, does Walmart wield enough power to be the game changer that forces the movie industry to let go of its precious DVD and embrace the online streaming model of distribution? We can’t say for sure but one thing is certain, Hollywood will be watching this deal and the resulting service very closely. More →

21 Comments
Rumor
January 13, 2010
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Sprint and Walmart to team up on WiMAX?

By on January 13, 2010 at 12:31 PM.

Sprint and Walmart to team up on WiMAX?

Walmart-store

An interesting rumor making the rounds suggests that Sprint may be leveraging the distribution of Walmart’s 4,200 retail stores to expand its WiMAX footprint. According to the unconfirmed rumor, Sprint would place a WiMAX tower at Walmart locations across the U.S. as a means of easily and inexpensively deploying new towers. No word on whether Walmart is merely giving permission for the towers of is actively investing in the venture. Interestingly enough, the Walmart idea is not new and harkens back to a similar proposal put forth by Bob Cringely six years ago. Is this just an old idea resurfacing as a new rumor or will you really be able to get some WiMAX at Wally World later this year? More →

35 Comments
Featured
December 31, 2009
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Top 10 posts of 2009

By on December 31, 2009 at 6:43 PM.

Top 10 posts of 2009

bgr-newyears-1

Another year, and even more devices, products, and services to look forward to. Things will be smaller, more advanced, faster, and some new markets might even be defined, but for now, check out the top 10 posts of 2009 (by traffic):

1. Motorola DROID hands on

2. BlackBerry vs. iPhone 3G: yeah, we definitely went there

3. Android 2.0 screenshot walkthrough

4. BlackBerry 9700 Review: Part 1

5. Nokia E71 Review

6. BlackBerry Curve 8900 hands on

7. Palm Pre Review: Part 1

8. T-Mobile’s Walmart roadmap: the wrap up

9. BlackBerry Tour hitting Verizon Wireless in July?

10. Motorola Calgary live photos: Verizon’s second Motorola Android device

Thanks to all our readers, connects, ninjas, and writers!

UPDATE: The above posts are listed by traffic, even if they weren’t published in 2009. Since most people expected just 2009-published articles, we’ve listed those after the break.> More →

28 Comments
Retail
November 15, 2009
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BlackBerry Bold 9700 just $99 at Walmart, sort of

By on November 15, 2009 at 11:10 AM.

BlackBerry Bold 9700 just $99 at Walmart, sort of

Picture 1

Many of you have been on the edge of your seats and sofas waiting for anxiously for the BlackBerry 9700 to drop. We already know it’s being released on November 16 on T-Mobile, but now you have a killer incentive to pick one up from Walmart. From November 14th to the 20th, Walmart is offering a $100 Walmart gift card with a new BlackBerry purchase — the only thing is it takes four to six weeks to get that card in the mail. It’s not exactly the same as getting a new BlackBerry 9700 for $99.99, but it’s as close as you’re going to get for now. And just imagine what you can get at good old Wally World with a $100 gift card just before the holidays. The usual bells and whistles apply with the two-year contract business, but that comes with the territory. Is it safe to assume that T-Mobile corporate stores will be hearing crickets on launch day? Who are we kidding… this is probably the most anticipated device for T-Mobile in years.

Thanks, Kara R.! More →

47 Comments
Hardware
November 5, 2009
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DROID being released into the wild a day early?

By on November 5, 2009 at 5:19 PM.

DROID being released into the wild a day early?

Droid-pile

Rumors are flying around the intertubes that Best Buy Mobile and Walmart are willing and ready to sell you your new Motorola DROID a day early. Grab your keys, hop in your mom’s 1986 Honda Civic, and go get em’ tiger. If you manage to commandeer a DROID today be sure to stop back here and let us know where you’ve had success, and you can always link to some pictures of your new toy in the comments. Otherwise, if you’re in the market for a DROID, are you going to be hitting a Verizon Wireless store tomorrow instead of DROID-chasing today?

Thanks, Brezy!

More →

215 Comments
Retail
September 27, 2009
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Palm Pre available for $79.99 at Walmart through tomorrow

By on September 27, 2009 at 11:00 AM.

Palm Pre available for $79.99 at Walmart through tomorrow

pre-walmart

Following news that Amazon chopped pricing on the Palm Pre to an attractive $99.99, Walmart has swooped in to undercut the massive online retailer — albeit just for the long weekend. Truth be told however, we’re not sure what an extra $20 is going to do if the jump from $200 to $100 wasn’t enough incentive for those debating whether or not to take the leap. What’s more, the deal involves a $100 mail-in rebate whereas Amazon’s $100 price is out the door. Whatever the case, if you’re okay with a smartphone that will cost you $80-$100+ per month, that extra $20 entry fee should hardly be keeping you from snagging a Pre. Walmart’s deal is good through tomorrow so if the hassle of a rebate is worth saving $20 to you, better act fast.

Read

28 Comments
General
August 3, 2009
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T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8520 sold early at Walmart, unboxed

By on August 3, 2009 at 9:01 AM.

T-Mobile BlackBerry Curve 8520 sold early at Walmart, unboxed

You know the deal… A big box retail store receives stock of the BlackBerry Curve 8520 a few days before it’s due to go on sale so an overzealous employee throws caution to the wind and sells one to someone. Obviously, the purchaser must then proceeded to go straight home and post an unboxing video on YouTube. The contents of the box provide no surprises either as the 8520 comes with nothing but the phone, microUSB cable, travel charger, stereo headset, installation CD and manuals. Hey, what can you expect from a smartphone that goes for $48.88 at Walmart? Hit the jump for the unboxing vid.

Thanks, Alex!

More →

42 Comments