Amazon Expands Drone Delivery to 500 US Cities, Takes Aim at Walmart

Amazon is expanding its drone delivery service to nearly 500 US cities by year's end. The move aims to intensify the battle between Amazon and Walmart for fastest delivery times.

The expanded service will allow customers to receive packages in as little as 30 minutes, with drones able to carry up to 5 pounds of goods. This expansion is a significant increase from the current number of locations, which currently have Amazon's drone delivery operation.

Despite the growth, drone deliveries still only handle a fraction of the hundreds of millions of packages delivered each year. However, Amazon sees potential in using drones for urgent or lightweight deliveries, such as prescription medications.