Retailers Cutting iPhone Prices Ahead Of iPhone 5 Debut
Retailers are cutting iPhone prices and the Apple Store is allowing price matching ahead of the highly anticipated iPhone 5 release, which is expected early next month.
Target and Best Buy have both slashed their iPhone prices, with Target offering 16GB versions of AT&T and Verizon’s iPhone 4S for $179.99 with a contract. Best Buy, in turn, has slashed $50 off the price of an 8GB iPhone 4 for both carriers as well, making the price with contract just $49.99, reports PCMag.
Sprint started the charge earlier this month when they took $50 off the price of the iPhone 4S, no matter what model the customer is looking for. Sprint’s 16GB is $149.99, 32GB model is $249.99, and the 64GB iPhone is $349.99.
Apple quietly got in on the discount game, as Cupertino is allowing the Apple Store to match discounted prices from other retailers, as long as you mention the deals at Target, Best Buy, or Sprint. On request, the Apple Store will discount the iPhone 4 and 4S models by $49.01
The biggest reason for the price slash is probably to keep consumers from holding out for the next generation iPhone, according to PC World. Apple CEO Tim Cook even acknowledged that slower sales in the company’s smartphone models is due to people reading rumors about the anticipated new iPhone 5 model.
The next generation iPhone model is reported to arrive on September 12, and the strange price discounts being quietly offered at the Apple Store seem to confirm that. PC World’s Daniel Ionescu notes that, despite how tempting it may seem:
“…it’s not worth buying an iPhone 4S at $50 off right now, as Apple will probably drop the price of the device by $100 when the new model launches — but only with 8GB storage — so this could bring savings only if you are looking for a higher-capacity device.”
Will you be taking advantage of the discounted iPhone prices, or do you plan on holding out until the iPhone 5 is announced?
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