Amazon creates wireless portal for AT&T and Verizon...no iPhones

Thu, 07/09/2009 - 10:02am — Cleve Nettles

Amazon has just released a new wireless portal, amazonwireless.com, where they try to simplify the process of buying a mobile device.

They have signed up the two biggest US carriers, AT&T and Verizon, and have most of the devices that each carrier sells on their own website. Tmobile and Sprint are said to be coming soon.

However, one phone in particular is missing from the AT&T microsite: the iPhone. Why? Walmart and BestBuy sell the iPhone, why can't Amazon?

( Filed Under:

iPhone - iPod

)

Comments

Because the iPhone is of

Thu, 07/09/2009 - 11:45am — PeterZ (not verified)

Because the iPhone is of course too special. The very concept of which has worn thin and can now easily be seen as ridiculous. As much as I love my iPhone, and have all 3 that I've purchased, its certainly become the HypePhone. Get over yourselves Apple/AT&T. It may be the best smartphone data pad available, but its nothing more than that.

"It may be the best

Thu, 07/09/2009 - 12:54pm — H (not verified)

"It may be the best smartphone data pad available, but its nothing more than that."

Man I bet they're kicking themselves that they didn't do any better...

Not that I don't agree with the hype comment (but I also love my iPhone), but that last statement was pretty amusing.

Well let's see... it's not a

Thu, 07/09/2009 - 1:05pm — Michael (not verified)

Well let's see... it's not a football, it's not a screwdriver, it's not a bicycle... it is a mobile computer and no one claims it to be anything other than that.

And you're absolutely correct in saying that it is too special... pulling in millions of new customers to AT&T - they need to make sure they have the ability to handle all that bandwidth on their mobile network. Keeping iPhone distribution outlets down, means keeping stock and availability down and under some kind of measured control. Once AT&T can get the network upgraded, we'll start to see wider distribution.

You can buy an iPod touch anywhere iPods are sold... it's not Apple that's worried about selling too many iPhones, it's AT&T. This is the reason why MMS and tethering are delayed for the iPhone... because it will further eat away any remaining bandwidth which affects all mobile phones on their network.