The Los Angeles Times reported Wednesday that today Walmart would begin offering the iPhone 5c for $27 and the iPhone 5s for $127, with a two-year contract. This is a great price for the 5c, but not actually as good as Walmart's Black Friday offering: $45 plus a $75 gift card. As part of its holiday promotion, Walmart is also offering the 16GB iPad mini (first generation) for $299 plus a $50 gift card, and $30 iTunes Store gift cards for $25. According to the article, the sales started at 8 a.m. this morning and runs through December 24, or as long as supplies last.
Of course, these sorts of discounts are a new phenomenon. Apple has long controlled the pricing of its products, but now is letting Walmart and other big-box retailers slash prices in a manner that was never before allowed. It's not at all clear why they've changed. A post on The Street wonders why this is happening and laments this new direction, but obviously it benefits consumers.