Amazon Kindle for iPhone released

Amazon have announced a new Kindle client for the iPhone and iPod touch, which will allow users of the Apple devices to access ebooks.  The app – which is a free download [iTunes link] from the Apple App Store –  is called Kindle for iPhone, and uses Amazon's new WhisperSync technology to keep ebooks bookmarked across multiple devices.

That means that if you read a few pages on your Kindle 2, then open up the ebook on your iPhone, the ebook will offer you the chance to go to the furthest-read location.  WhisperSync relies on the internet connection on the two Apple devices, plus the Kindle 2's Sprint connection, to keep everything synchronized. 

You're also able to use the iPhone or iPod touch Safari browser to buy new titles from Amazon, as well as synchronize any you've already bought.  Bookmarks and text size adjustment are both possible, and you can view any annotations made on the ebook on your Kindle. 

Press Release:

Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch Now Available For Free From Apple's App Store

Read some on your iPhone, read some on your Kindle, customers can now synchronize their reading and enjoy over 240,000 books, including 104 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers, on the iPhone and iPod touch

SEATTLE–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Mar. 4, 2009– Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) today introduced "Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch," a new application available for free from Apple's App Store that lets customers enjoy over 240,000 books, including 104 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers, on the iPhone and iPod touch using Apple's Multi-Touch user interface. Amazon's new Whispersync technology saves and synchronizes a customer's bookmark across their original Kindle, Kindle 2, iPhone and iPod touch, so customers always have their reading with them and never lose their place. Kindle customers can read a few pages on their iPhone or iPod touch and pick up right where they left off on their Kindle or Kindle 2.

"We are excited to bring the new Kindle application to Apple's App Store and think customers are going to love how easy and fun it is to read their Kindle books on the iPhone and iPod touch," said Ian Freed, vice president, Amazon Kindle. "Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch is a great way for customers to catch up on their current book wherever they are, like in line at the grocery store or between meetings."

The Kindle application for iPhone and iPod touch lets customers bring their Kindle books with them wherever they go and takes full advantage of Apple's Multi-Touch user interface. With the new Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch application, customers can:

Shop for hundreds of thousands of books on their Kindle or online at http://www.amazon.com/kindlestore, and wirelessly transfer the books to their iPhone or iPod touch

Access their entire library of previously purchased Kindle books stored on Amazon's servers

Adjust the text size of books

Add bookmarks and view notes and highlights

Kindle for iPhone and iPod touch is available for free from Apple's App Store on iPhone and iPod touch or at www.itunes.com/appstore/.

About Amazon Kindle

Kindle is Amazon's portable reader that wirelessly downloads books, blogs, magazines and newspapers to a crisp, high-resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper. In addition to the over 240,000 books available on Kindle, including 104 of 112 New York Times Bestsellers and most New Releases that are available for $9.99 or less, Kindle customers can access newspapers, magazines, and blogs that are delivered automatically with subscription or individually. For more information on Kindle, visit www.amazon.com/kindle.