AppleInsider reports that electronics retailer RadioShack is set to make a splash this weekend with an advertising blitz promoting the iPhone's availability in 3,000 of its 4,500 U.S. stores, pushing the company past AT&T and Best Buy to become the second-largest provider of iPhone points-of-sale behind Wal-Mart.
According to the report, RadioShack has been rolling out iPhone availability to hundreds of stores each week this year following last November's announcement that it would begin carrying the device. And to coincide with the advertising push, which will see the iPhone featured on the front of RadioShack's newspaper circular, the company is also knocking a few dollars off the price of the device.
For its part in this, Radio Shack plans to promote the entire family of iPhones on the cover of its March 28 circular, at what it claims are the lowest prices ever offered for the touchscreen handset nationwide -- essentially $5 off MSRP across the board, or $95 for the 8GB iPhone 3G, $195 for the 16GB iPhone 3GS, and $295 for the 32GB iPhone 3GS.
Apple's prices for the iPhone come in at $99/$199/$299 with a two-year contract, while Wal-Mart offers only the iPhone 3GS models at $197/$297 price points and RadioShack appears to be ready to set the standard even slightly lower.
RadioShack will reportedly also be promoting its Trade-In Program as a means for customers to replace their existing mobile phones with iPhones at discounted prices. Finally, sources indicate that RadioShack associates may receive as much as $30 or more in commissions for selling an iPhone, twice that of most other handsets and thus providing motivation for sales staff to encourage potential customers to consider an iPhone.
