iPhone 5 on Straight Talk via Walmart seems tempting

The Apple iPhone 5 was released back in September and until recently was pretty hard to get hold of quickly. Finally though Apple’s supplies of the smartphone caught up with demand so that now online orders are shipping instantly. Now we hear of another avenue for getting the iPhone 5 that sounds very tempting as it will be available through Walmart from Friday on Straight Talk, a pre-paid service.
Users who take up this no-contract deal for the phone, will be able to use an unlimited text, data and talk plan for $45 monthly and there’s also a special finance deal available for customers who cannot pay the full upfront cost of the phone, making it even more alluring. For those who don’t know, current iPhone customers with the no-contract Straight Talk provider use AT&T’s GSM network. Although it’s not clear if iPhone 5 purchasers using Straight Talk will be able to use LTE connectivity, it’s thought the phone may be limited to AT&T’s HSPA+ ‘4G’ speeds. We hope to hear more on this particular aspect and should also point out that owners of unlocked GSM iPhones can also use Straight Talk.
In a press release Walmart and Straight Talk Wireless call this an “industry game changing offer” and while we agree with iDownload Blog that ‘game changing’ may be stretching it a bit, it’s certainly an inviting offer that should lure many new customers. The current price of the unlocked contract-free iPhone 5 from Apple online is $649 for the 16GB model, $749 for 32GBs and $849 for the 64GB model so the finance deal available will also be very welcome news to some. Walmart states that in-store customers who purchase the iPhone 5 will be entitled to a deal with fixed monthly payments at $25 per month and no interest, that’s with a Walmart Credit Card.

Access to the Straight Talk $45 monthly plan for the iPhone 5 is through 2,000 branches of Walmart as well as online through Walmart. The press release also states that the Straight Talk plan can save consumers an average of $950 a year if they are switching from a similar unlimited plan but with a conventional contract. You can find out much more about Straight Talk from the website here.
We’d like to hear what you think of Walmart and Straight Talk’s offering for the iPhone 5. Do you think this offers value for money and makes the phone affordable for some who may not otherwise have purchased it? Will you be buying a no-contract iPhone 5 with Straight Talk plan from Walmart?