Shipping delay moves G1's Wal-Mart premiere to next week

A discount-priced G1 phone, slated for availability today in Wal-Mart stores, has now been pushed back to about November 3 by a shipping delay, BetaNews has learned.

Wal-Mart does plan to sell T-Mobile's Android-enabled G1 at a discounted price -- but starting on about November 3, instead of October 29, as originally expected, a spokesperson for the retailer told BetaNews today.

"We've experienced a few shipping issues, but we're working with T-Mobile on that," said Wal-Mart's Ashley Hardie.

On or around November 3, the G1 phones will be for sale for $148.88 -- approximately $31 less than T-Mobile is charging for them -- at about 550 of Wal-Mart's roughly 4,300 stores, according to Hardie.

In a quick check by BetaNews today, the anticipated G1 phones weren't yet mentioned on Wal-Mart's Web site.

"But we're working with out Web site to put up a list of the stores where the phones will be available, before we starting selling [the G1s]," Hardie told BetaNews.