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Amazon launches online cellular store with phones and plans
Can Amazon.com be a one-stop shop for cell phones? The online retailer is making a go of it -- unveiling a new amazonwireless.com site today. It has a somewhat narrow selection for now -- with phones and service plans limited to AT&T and Verizon Wireless -- though Sprint and T-Mobile are listed as "coming soon."
Amazon isn't new to selling cell phones -- the company has been doing it for 8 years -- but sees an opportunity to pull together all aspects of the cell phone buying experience into one site, giving people a way to browse devices and plans, compare prices and features, and upgrade or buy new service.
The goal is to "create a new site that makes a potentially confusing transaction much easier for customers,” said
One smartphone not offered on the new site: Apple's iPhone (though Amazon is finding other ways to tap iPhone's popularity with a free applications for the device).
Amazon says the new wireless site is in beta and says, "we're still testing different features and gathering input from customers."
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About Eric Engleman
ERIC ENGLEMAN is senior technology staff writer for TechFlash and the Puget Sound Business Journal, covering online retail giant Amazon.com. Engleman tracks Amazon's increasingly complex business, spanning ecommerce, Kindle, cloud computing, and more. He's been covering technology and other industries for the Business Journal since 2003.
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