Walmart to begin offering the iPhone 5 through Straight Talk this week

straightalk

Walmart and Straight Talk Wireless have issued a press release announcing that starting this Friday, the retail giant will begin offering the iPhone 5 through the popular prepaid service. The phone will come with a $45 unlimited talk, text and data plan, and no contract. And Walmart will be offering special financing for those who can’t pay for the device up front…

From the press release (via MacRumors):

“Walmart and Straight Talk Wireless, America’s largest and top rated no-contract cell phone provider, today put the power back in the hands of customers with an industry game changing offer. Starting on January 11, 2013 in more than 2,000 Walmart stores and online at Walmart.com, customers now have access to the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4 on Straight Talk’s $45 no contract unlimited talk, text and data plan. To make this offer even more affordable, Walmart will be offering customers who purchase the phone in the store, a no interest fixed-monthly payments special financing offer for only $25 a month with a Walmart Credit Card.

The Straight Talk wireless no contract plan, exclusive to Walmart, saves consumers on average $950 a year when they switch from conventional contract plans with similar unlimited plans. To learn more about how Straight Talk Wireless saves consumers $950 a year, please visit:www.straighttalk.com.”

Straight Talk’s iPhone customers use AT&T’s GSM network. There’s no word yet on whether or not the 5 will support the carrier’s LTE technology or not, but the consensus from current users is that it will likely be restricted to AT&T’s ‘4G’ HSPA+ speeds. As you know, iPhone owners have long been able to activate their unlocked GSM iPhones on Straight Talk.

I’m not sure that this deal will be ‘game changing’ as Walmart claims, but it’s definitely a nice package for folks looking to buy an iPhone 5 and go prepaid. The special financing will also certainly help, as the 5 starts at $650 full retail. I’m thinking that a situation like this would be a perfect fit for that long-rumored low-end iPhone that we continue to hear about.

What do you think?