Amazon has beta launched a new service for buying mobile devices over the Web. AmazonWireless carries devices from AT&T and Verizon, and allows consumers to buy phones based on their carrier, plan or brand, and even it’s color or a phone feature they want.
The service offers free two-day shipping to customers, which is a pretty nice little incentive. The beta service will be gathering a lot of customer input, to get a better idea of what additional features people would like to see in the full release. There are currently 120 phones available, and Amazon includes all the features that regular users would expect. So each device will have a bestseller list, product descriptions and customer reviews.
From the release:
“We’ve taken our eight years’ experience selling cell phones to create a new site that makes a potentially confusing transaction much easier for customers,” said Paul Ryder, vice president of Consumer Electronics for Amazon.com “The step-by-step purchase process on AmazonWireless makes it easy for customers who already have a plan to upgrade their phones. If you want to establish new cell phone service, we’ve made it simple to find the right phone, service plan and options for your needs. We’ve also eliminated the technical jargon and frustrating rebate paperwork that customers often face when buying a phone.”
What we think?
I wonder how far Amazon is going to go with it’s mobile push? We’ve seen it acquire a mobile search engine, and make tentative moves into the mobile space. It has also been shutting down various mobile services and apps that are connected with its own services. That would seem to suggest that Amazon is working on these services itself, and doesn’t want competition clogging up the field. I’m sure Amazon would love to see a situation where a consumer could purchase a device through Amazon, and get it delivered with Amazon-branded apps and services embedded on the device.
