Pretty soon, buying a case for the iPhone 5C might be more expensive than the phone itself.
Wal-Mart will sell the smartphone for only $27 with a two-year contract from Verizon or AT&T starting on Friday as part of a holiday sale that extends through Dec. 24.
Apple's iPhone 5C, released as the more affordable counterpart to the iPhone 5S, was unveiled only three months ago. Meant to grab attention with its $99 price tag, demand for the phone has lagged behind the top-of-the-line 5S, forcing Apple to cut orders of the device in October, according to Reuters.
This isn't the first time retailers have slashed the price for the colorful, plastic-backed iPhone 5C. Weeks after its release, Best Buy was selling the phone for only $50 for a limited time. Wal-Mart had also previously discounted the phone down to $45.
Eager Apple fans who don't want to settle for Apple's second-best smartphone will be able to get the iPhone 5S for only $127, down from $199, with a two-year contract as part of the same Wal-Mart promotion.
Keith Wagstaff writes about technology for NBC News. He previously covered technology for TIME's Techland and wrote about politics as a staff writer at TheWeek.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @kwagstaff and reach him by email at: Keith.Wagstaff@nbcuni.com