Traditionally, anyone wanting to get their hands on an iPhone in the US had to go to an Apple or AT&T store. Now Apple has ditched its two handed approach to selling the devices by announcing that, from next month, the iPhone will also be available through Best Buy.
What does Apple get out of the deal? A massively expanded retail presence. Best Buy has hundreds more shops ready to sell the phone and so can provide countless more eyeballs passing by who may be tempted to shell out for the upmarket mobile.
And what does Best Buy get? The kudos, and the iPhone hungry hordes likely to drop by. Analyst Colin A. McGranahan reckons that Best Buy won’t make much if any profit from selling the handset, but could benefit from the accessories shoppers pick up to go with their iPhone. Some people have also suggested that Best Buy might also win out from consumers who wander in on the hunt for an iPhone might be persuaded to choose another device. I can’t see that happening, can you?