Amazon Announces Kindle App For Android

Attention bookworms: Amazon has announced that a free Kindle app is coming soon to Android phones, which will allow users to download and read eBooks without having to buy a Kindle device.

The first-ever Kindle for Android app will be available on a limited number of mobile devices this summer. Users will have access to some of the features of the Kindle such as the ability to browse by genre or author, read Amazon customer reviews, personalized recommendations and editorial reviews.

According to Amazon, the Kindle for Android, like all Kindle apps, includes “Whispersync technology, which automatically synchronizes your last page read, bookmarks, notes and highlights across your Kindle and Kindle-compatible devices including PC, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and BlackBerry.”

Users will also be able to browse books, access their other previously purchased Kindle books, add bookmarks, read in portrait or landscape mode and purchase books optimized for Android phones from $9.99, as well as other features.

"Kindle for Android is the perfect companion application for Kindle and Kindle DX owners, and is also a great way for customers to enjoy over 540,000 books in the Kindle Store even if they don't yet have a Kindle," said Jay Marine, director, Amazon Kindle, in a statement. "We think customers are going to love the convenience and simplicity of having instant access to a massive selection of books from Amazon on their Droid, Nexus, Incredible and many more Android devices." Kindle apps already run on Windows and Mac OS X.

The Kindle for Android requires Android OS 1.6 or greater, an SD card. It is also available on several other Android phones including the HTC MyTouch and Motorola CLIQ. Kindle newspapers, magazines and blogs are currently not available on Kindle for Android.

The Kindle was first launched in November 2007 by Amazon to provide easy access to over 500,000 electronic books, including more than 96 of 110 New York Times bestsellers that could be downloaded and read on its proprietary device.