ZOMG MUST GET IPHONE.

But no, seriously. I don't give a care how cheap the thing is, who in their right mind can pay $100 a month for a cell phone?

I wish I could.

I totally agree. The only Verizon phones I like are the Blackberry's but there is no way I am paying 100 bux a month for the plan. I love how people are short on money yet they will do something like this because it is a "necessity".

Shit son, 4 whole GIGS? What could I possibly do with those wide open, savanna-like swaths of space?

Keep in mind that the OS and support files (listed as 'Other' in iTunes) tend to take up ~100MB+ worth of space as it is.

@TheodoraPirate: I say the same thing about cable TV, but everyone seems to have a different threshhold for their entertainment and connectivity "needs"

I hope the DTV transition weans more people off cable, but I doubt it will.

CNBC has been all over this today -- it will definitely not be $99, but no word on what the price *will* be according to CNBC/Apple.

Great. Another excuse for people to tear down the doors and trample innocent people.

1 - A 4GB iPhone, at this point in the game (with the App Store and whatnot), is kind of pointless. You'd suck up 4GB very quickly unless you're absolutely not putting hardly anything on there - to which I ask, "What's the point, then?"

2 - I've had my 8GB 1st gen iPhone since the day it came out and have never paid $100/mo. 450 min + unlimited data + 1500 text messages comes out to about 80/mo. for me.

@shorty63136: and that's after taxes.

@The Name's Ash78, Housewares: What? Their major marketing ploy is that you *don't have to worry* if you're connected to cable.

Unfortunately for me, there AREN'T any digital over the air stations worth it here. I only got 6 channels before, and I'm fairly certain that none of them offer over the air HD (not that I have an HDTV or plan on buying one any time soon)

@The Name's Ash78, Housewares:

More likely to push more people _to_ cable/satellite, since there are a lot of people who won't be able to get the digital signals without a new rooftop antenna, and they won't want to go there.

@Oranges w/ Cheese: Yeah, I have to agree. Do they sell cell phones at WalMart, complete with credit checks? I know a lot of people were upset about the Apple store running credit checks on iPhone buyers, but now that they're selling a phone/iPod for $100, I'm worried people who would buy a cheap/"free" phone with cheap service and a $230 iPod will now go for the iPhone instead to save a little money in the moment, and then end up paying more than they bargained for, losing any savings in about 2-3 months. Right now, my house has a $60ish family plan for 2 phones, plus a $5 a monthish prepaid plan for an emergency phone for my younger sister.

We have 3 phones, and we only pay $65, and we're not even sure that's a good enough deal. Sure, we don't have wireless internet, but my college has ethernet ports everywhere and pockets of Wifi where it helps.

@Oranges w/ Cheese: I was on my way to work on Friday morning and I saw a kid walking to the nearby elementary school... probably about 9-10 years old... talking on a cell phone.

To make things even worse, I recently saw a 12-13 year old girl at the nearby Safeway on a Blackberry.

Whether or not people CAN pay $100/month doesn't really matter. Some people will pay it and go into debt because their children want the latest gadget. Then again, these people aren't exactly in "their right mind" so I suppose it doesn't answer your question.

@concordia: I still have a 4 gig iPod Mini that I use regularly. If you want a device for listening to audiobooks and podcasts, you don't need a lot of space -- once you finish listening to something, it comes off the drive and is replaced by something new.

@Oranges w/ Cheese: I have a family plan with 4 phones, 700 mins + rollover. The bill is easily anywhere from 100-130. (Base is 69.99 + 3 lines at 9.99 each + my usual 50-100 texts at .15 (I'll say 75)) So its about $111.21 on average. I'd be glad to have a 4GB iPhone and make it $135 (With 200 texts.)

Walmart + iPhone = another catastrophe waiting to happen. You saw what people did to get a few bucks off a crappy movie, imagine what they'll do if they think they could get a cheap iPhone? Or imagine their anger when they find the iPhone isn't any cheaper than it is anywhere else?

Walmart has really downplayed this whole trampled to death thing - as they do everything that is wrong about themselves - and for the most part the media and the government seems happy to do the same. It seems that if you sell lots of stuff at cheap prices (even if most of it is crap), and you hire lots of people (even if you pay them crap) then no one will stand up to you.

Hey anyone remember that South Park Walmart episode?

@SabreDC: actually, i think alot of parents are getting their kids blackberris these days to save on text messaging. they can email back and forth instead of generating enormous SMS bills.

I agree though, still ridiculous to see kids with these gadgets.

So does this mean the iPhone has jumped the shark? I mean talk about cheapening the brand. But at the same time Wal-Mart does sell iPods...

Honey, I'm headed down to the Wal-Mart Supercenter to get green peppers, some steak, cereal, TP, a t-shirt and an iPhone!!!

@princess_peach: Is a Blackberry actually that much cheaper than a stock Verizon or AT&T phone with unlimited texting?

This has already been debunked. While Wal-Mart WILL sell the iPhone, it will be an amazing $2 off the $199 price and offered at the 'ground breaking' $197 price point.

So yea, this is not even real news.

The whole rumor came from an unfounded source, and all the little media blogs just went out repeating it like it was fact.

@SeanOHara: This device is meant to do a lot more then just listen to audio books and podcasts though. While an ipod mini is designed to be small and portable, the iPhone is supposed to be a media center style device, with video and such. So while 4 gb might be fine for a miniature mp3 player, it is nothing in the world of video/music/gps/whatever all-in-ones.

@The Name's Ash78, Housewares: why do you care if people order cable? My house is wired to the teeth because thats the way I like it. Your house can be powered by kerosene and hamster wheels if thats the way you like it. You won't hear me walking around spouting off crap like, "I hope bluray players push more people into upgrading to HD". Why the hell would I care if people have HD or cable or anything else in their homes. Why don't you stop worrying about what everyone else is doing.

@TheodoraPirate: And who are all these mystical people with no money that run around with iPhones that you speak of? Sure, there are some people who live beyond there means, but you make it sound like the entire population does. There are just as many people who are misers and never spend a dime. As I just commented to Housewares, why do you care what people spend their money on?