Everyone, it seems, is ready to throw in the towel on that $99 iPhone rumor. Oh well, it was fun while it lasted. Talk of Wal-Mart stocking Apple's popular smartphone, on the other hand is very much alive and well. In fact, we seem to have a date (which, naturally, is still in the speculative state).

Engadget claims to have gotten a memo from a trusted source saying that the phone will go on sale at 9 AM on December 28th--yep, three full days after Christmas. The memo mentions two capacity/price points: 8GB ($197) and 16GB ($297), both with a two-year contract.

The date, of course, is a bit strange. One would expect Apple and Wal-Mart to have hammered this thing out just before the holiday, rather than just after. Perhaps they're banking on shoppers looking to pick up a shiny new gadget after they return gifts.

While we're on the topic of speculation, here's more: Perhaps Best Buy has some kind of exclusive deal with the device, preventing Apple from partnering with other major retailers until after the holiday. Or maybe someone just kind of dropped the ball on this, which seems every bit as likely.