Amazon today announced that Kindle for Android is coming this summer. It’s a free application that lets readers enjoy Kindle books on their Android phones. You’ll be able to buy books right from Android devices.
Android owners will need OS 1.6 or higher and an SD card to use the app. It will work on a number of handsets, including the Droid Incredible, Google Nexus One, HTC MyTouch, Motorola CLIQ, and Motorola Droid.
The Kindle Store features over 540,000 books — the largest selection of the most popular books — including New York Times Bestsellers and New Releases from $9.99. It’s now available on iPhones, Blackberries, PCs and Macs and now Android phones (and presumably tablets).
Kindle for Android will save and synchronize a customer’s bookmarks across their Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PC, Mac, BlackBerry and Android devices, so customers always have their reading material with them and never lose their place.
Features of the “Kindle for Android include:
- Search more than 540,000 books, including 96 of 110 New York Times Bestsellers, plus tens of thousands of the most popular classics for free directly from their Android device.
- Browse by genre or author, and view customer reviews, personalized recommendations and editorial reviews
- Access your library of previously purchased Kindle books for free
- Synchronize last page read between their Kindle, Kindle DX, iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, PC, Mac, BlackBerry and Android
- Choose from five different font sizes
- Read the beginning of books for free before they decide to buy
- Read in portrait or landscape mode, tap on either side of the screen or flick to turn pages
Tech Crunch says both sides have their own reasons for this arrangement. While the Kindle Store directly competes with Apple’s own iBookstore, Amazon has the largest online bookstore, and has publishing deals in place. Amazon may also allow Apple and Android device manufactures to take the lead in developing new reading devices.
