Amazon today announced the release of its Kindle for Android application. Much like similar apps for the iPhone and for BlackBerry devices, it offers much the same functionality as the Kindle itself. Users access their library of previously purchased books, create bookmarks, and synchronize the last page read and annotation between devices with Whispersync. Unfortunately, you cannot buy books yet directly from the app.
“Our customers tell us they love the convenience of having their Kindle library with them everywhere and their reading synchronized across multiple devices,” said Dorothy Nicholls, director, Amazon Kindle. “With Kindle for Android, customers can choose from a vast selection of over 620,000 books to read on their Android-powered phone, no matter where they are – on the bus, waiting for a cab, or in between meetings. Kindle for Android and the rest of the free Kindle apps are the perfect companions for readers who don’t have their Kindle with them or don’t yet own a Kindle.”
Kindle for Android is a free download but requires Android 1.6 or higher. It is not available in all countries where the Kindle is sold but is available in Canada and the US.
Amazon has also promised that a number of new features, including full text search and purchasing of Kindle books from within the app, will be added later.