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,” saidPaul Ryder, Amazon vice president of Consumer Electronics, in a statement. He added: "We’ve also eliminated the technical jargon and frustrating rebate paperwork that customers often face when buying a phone.”

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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