Wal-Mart to Sell 8GB iPhone for $197

Thanks top, that was a great answer. Makes kinda sense now.

I think it comes down to popularity. If Bestbuy or Walmart is selling the phone then more people will buy it who may not have made their way into an Apple or AT&T store. This means more phones in circulation, more people using and developing apps, more of the smartphone market for Apple.

For those of you in the US, maybe you can answer this. What is the big hype about potential iphones being sold in stores like BestBuy, WalMart, Costco anyway? What difference is that compared to Apple or AT&T stores? You're still paying a base price of around ~$199 on a 2/3 contract. I just don't understand why people everywhere are getting so excited.