Best Buy to Become First Third Party Retailer To Stock 3G iPhone From September

According to reports just surfacing on the net, none other than Best Buy
is due to become the first independent retailer to join AT&T and Apple's
own stores to stock the 3G iPhone from September 7th in 970 of its main
stores as well as 16 of its smaller Best Buy Mobile stores throughout
the US.Coming hot on the heels of Best Buy having upgraded its cell
phone departments under the new Best Buy Mobile banner (which,
incidentally, is a joint venture with the CarPhone Warehouse Group), the
announcement that Best Buy are to stock Apple's 3G iPhone was made by
Shawn Stone, the president of Best Buy Mobile, who states, 'We had a lot
of work to do, obviously, to get in a position where Apple and AT&T
would feel good about Best Buy Mobile carrying it, and that’s what
we've done in the last 18 months'.

It is not known at this stage whether this announcement marks a new
direction in terms of other independent retailers being offered the 3G
iPhone for resale, however, what is interesting is that AT&T's
spokesperson Michael Coe merely states that he cannot speculate as to
whether we could see the 3G iPhone be come available from other third
party retailers which could, as they say, be taken one of both ways.