Walmart’s Getting In The Wireless Business

Looks like Walmart’s wrapping its tentacles around mobile phones; the indomitable retailer announced its Walmart Family Mobile plan today. Surprise! It’s cheap. Really, really cheap.

Walmart Family Mobile will offer unlimited calling and texting for $US45 per month for the first line, and an additional $US25 for a second. The plan, in partnership with T-Mobile, also doesn’t require a contract – which means there are no early termination fees to fret over. The company will sell five handsets, from a $US249 Motorola Cliq (the only smartphone on the list) all the way down to a $US35 Nokia.

The Cliq costs $US80 less than it does off-contract through T-Mobile and the voice/text plan is more than competitive. But the place where you get hit is the data; $US40 for 1GB per month. Unused bits do rollover to the next month, though, so it could end up being practical for a casual user.

And that’s really who this plan is for: families who don’t need/want smartphones. At least until they’re cheap enough to line Walmart’s aisles. [AP via BGR]