Wal-Mart has slashed the price of current-model iPhones as new handsets from Apple loom on the horizon. An entry-level iPhone 5s with 16GB of storage can now be had for just $99 with a two-year contract from AT&T, Sprint, US Cellular or Verizon while the same capacity iPhone 5c will set you back $29 with a 24-month commitment.
It's a promotion that Wal-Mart has run in the past but this time, the offer is permanent.
The discounts come as we inch closer to the inevitable launch of the iPhone 6, a handset that'll likely arrive with screen sizes of 4.7 inches and 5.5 inches. If rumors and analyst speculation pan out, this will be the first major screen size increase since the iPhone 5 in 2012 and only the second ever from Apple. By all accounts, it'd put the iPhone on par with the rest of the smartphone industry in terms of screen size.
It's pretty common for companies to put current handsets on sale as they reach the end of their flagship run. The deals are a good opportunity for customers to pick up high-end smartphones for cheap while at the same time allowing retailers to clear out inventory for next generation devices.
Such deals can sometimes seem unfair as some customers may not realize they're purchasing a device that won't be top-of-the-line for much longer, but such is the case in the cutthroat world of consumer electronics. Research beforehand is key!