Walmart Pre Price May Push Smartphone Into Mass Market

Do you realize there are only 86 shopping days left until Christmas? Yes, I actually just wrote my first e-commerce holiday-countdown sentence.

The reason? Well it dawned on me right after I learned how Walmart announced this week it was discounting the Palm Pre smartphone to an amazing price point of under $99, with two rebates totaling $200.

Amazing? Yes, given that smartphones on the same playing field (think iPhone, BlackBerry) are still in the $200 and upward range, more or less, and the fact that the Pre's retail purchase price is $549.99 if purchased through wireless carrier Sprint without any sort of data plan commitment.

While some reports indicated that the Walmart offer was only good through September 28, the purchase process at Walmart's online site indicated the price offer is still active.

The thing is you can also get the lower price (with data plan signup) at Amazon's wireless storefront.

Meanwhile, over at Pre wireless carrier Sprint, the online price tag is $149.00 (with a $300 instant savings indicated and a $100 rebate offer).

But what is most amazing is that such a low price point means that middle America can finally get its nimble fingers on one of the latest and greatest mobile handhelds in the market today, and it's all due to two of the nation's top retailers.

After all, Walmart customers hit its more than 8,100 retail stores about 200 million times per week. That's a lot of shopper base.

And yes, I'm secretly also hopeful that this price drop indicates the kickoff of a massive holiday shopping competition among mobile gadget players, as I'd love to fill a few stockings with some surprises this year.

Photo courtesy of Palm