Amazon puts Kindle on the iPhone

Amazon has unveiled a free Kindle App for iPhone and iPod Touch devices, meaning Kindle users can choose to read or transfer their digital books to the device, and even buy Kindle formatted books from Amazon without having to buy a $359 (£254) Kindle reader.

However, the application is not available to UK iPhone users. A search for 'Amazon' or 'Kindle' on its application store, directs users to Stanza, the free e-book reader from Lexcycle.

Amazon has deployed a new Whispersync technology that saves and synchronises a customer's digital books with the iPhone or iPod Touch. iPhone or iPod Touch will also be able to access their Kindle books direct from Amazon.

Ian Freed, vice-president, Amazon Kindle, said: "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. 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.”

It took the Washington Post reporter "less than [two] minutes" to get the application on her iPhone "and get it started". The review added: "The text is clear but you can't use multi-touch to zoom; instead, just as on the Kindle device, you select from a series of type sizes and it changes. I can go back to the cover and table of contents of that book; if I pick, "furthest point read" it pinpoints my location and tells me which device I was using and what time and date it was when I last dipped in."

However, there is still no access to newspapers, magazines and blogs, the article said.