Wal-Mart will sell the iPhone 5c starting at $45 throughout the holiday shopping season, a decision that may suggest that Apple is struggling to sell the smartphone. Wal-Mart announced Friday that it will cut the price of the iPhone 5c to $45 with a two-year contract, less than half the device's normal $99 contract price.

Best Buy has also announced that customers who buy the iPhone 5c in its stores will also receive a $50 gift card that they can apply to the purchase.

The surprising discounts for the new Apple smartphone, which has been on sale for only two weeks, could mean that the gadget is not selling well.

The iPhone 5c is a plastic-cased version of Apple's iPhone 5 smartphone. It comes in five different color options and costs $100 less than the iPhone 5s.