Amazon Launches Web Site For Cell PhonesAmazon Launches Web Site For Cell Phones

Amazon is taking a bigger interest in the cell phone market, and the electronic retailer has launched a Web site dedicated to helping customers buy, activate, and use cell phones and smartphones.

At AmazonWireless, users can shop for new handsets and service plans depending on their needs and location. The site is currently in beta, and offers more than 120 phones from AT&T and Verizon Wireless including the BlackBerry Bold, Storm, and the LG Dare. The company has not said when it will add phones and services for Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile, but the Web site said those are "coming soon."

The Web site guides the customer through each step of the purchase, and it offers various voice, text, and mobile data plans. Amazon is also offering free two-day shipping on all phones, and it is waiving the activation fee for some handsets. The company may be hurt by not carrying devices for all the networks yet, as well as by not selling Apple's popular iPhone.

"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, VP of consumer electronics for Amazon, in a statement. "The step-by-step purchase process on AmazonWireless makes it easy for customers who already have a plan to upgrade their phones."

The e-retailer is just the latest company to place a greater emphasis on mobile phones, as Best Buy has also made greater efforts to sell handsets. Best Buy has invested more than $10 million in training its noncommissioned staff about various plans and services, and most stores carry up to 95 handsets for nine different networks.

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