Amazon is expanding the reach of its Prime Air drone delivery service to almost 500 cities and towns in 2026, air-dropping iPhone deliveries to millions of people in as quick as 30 minutes.
Amazon Prime Air is the retailer's attempt to make drone deliveries a reality. It's a program that's over a decade old, and has so far been servicing a few metropolitan areas in the United States.
On Wednesday, Amazon said it plans to expand the reach of Prime Air, by launching in new areas. The intention is to have Prime Air available in nearly 500 cities and towns by the end of the year.
This would be a sixfold increase from its current footprint. Currently, it serves 175-square-miles across parts of Arizona, Florida, Kansas, Louisiana, Michigan, Nebraska, and Texas.
Amazon expects to fire up drones in new areas soon, including:
- Chicago, Illinois
- Syracuse, New York
- Cleveland, Ohio
- Atlanta, Georgia
- Boise Idaho
More expansion is expected for later in the year.
Ultimate AirDrop
Prime Air is available through the existing Amazon shopping experience, including through the app and the website. If the option for drone delivery is available, customers can confirm the delivery point for their first order, including making sure there's no people, pets, or vehicles that will get in the way.
Deliveries are free for Prime members for orders that are $50 or more, $2.99 for orders under $50. Non-Prime customers can still get a drone delivery, at $4.99.
Once the order is placed, the delivery can take as little as 30 minutes, with most arriving about an hour after checkout.
Amazon says the deliveries can be made for nearly all in-stock items that weigh five pounds or less that can fit in a large shoebox. It claims that more than 60% of items customers frequently buy from Amazon are eligible for drone delivery.
That means items like an iPhone, AirTags, AirPods, smartphones, Ring doorbells, and many other items can be bought this way.
Of course, this doesn't help if your package has been hit with a return fraud scheme. And, we're not sure that it will stop porch pirates either.
