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Amazon Launches iPhone-Optimized Kindle Store

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Apr 12, 2001
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Amazon today announced the launch of an iPhone-optimized Kindle Store accessible via the iPhone's Safari browser. The store is accessible through the "Get Books" button on the free Kindle for iPhone application made available in early March.
Amazon.com, Inc. today launched a Kindle Store optimized for the Safari Web browser on iPhone. Now when users of the Kindle for iPhone app click on "Get Books," the new Kindle Store tailored for the size and shape of the iPhone and iPod touch screens automatically opens in Safari. This optimized Kindle store offers iPhone and iPod touch app users quick and easy access to the Kindle Store's 280,000 books, including 106 of 112 New York Times Best Sellers and most New Releases that are available for $9.99 or less.
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In the press release, Ian Freed, vice president of Amazon Kindle, noted that the ability to easily purchase Kindle content from the iPhone had been a frequent request from users.
"The most common feedback we heard from customers was that they wanted a better experience for purchasing new Kindle books from their iPhones. We've been working hard to respond to that feedback with a new web site optimized for Safari on iPhone and we're excited to do that today."
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iLounge points out that while Apple's iPhone OS 3.0 due this summer will be introducing "in-app purchasing" that would allow Amazon to offer eBook sales from within the Kindle for iPhone application, such sales would be subject to Apple taking its traditional 30% cut of the proceeds.

Amazon has been aggressively expanding its Kindle offerings in recent months, introducing the upgraded Kindle 2 in February, followed by Kindle for iPhone in March and the large-screen Kindle DX announced just last week.

Article Link: Amazon Launches iPhone-Optimized Kindle Store
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2009/05/11/amazon-launches-iphone-optimized-kindle-store/
I think they make tons of money either way, so marketing to everyone seems pretty obvious. Besides. they are two totally different groups to market for.

I have never seen an iPhone user who would buy a Kindle, and I have never seen a Kindle user.
 
Still is strange that Amazon would create more competition for the Kindle.

Unless the Kindle is really just a marketing tool to sell more books.
 
Wait...so Apple will still take 30% of items downloaded through an App? What if Apple doesn't host the content?

Can users buy content from your own website? Is that what Amazon is trying to circumvent with the new Safari website?
 
As far as I understand, the article simply states that now iPhone users can access to an optimized version of the kindle store for safari; it does not explicitly says that the books will be optimized for use on the iPhone. Or am I wrong? In any case, I find extremely painful to read .pdfs or other text files on the iPhone... the screen it's just too small.
 
Ubik1981 said:
As far as I understand, the article simply states that now iPhone users can access to an optimized version of the kindle store for safari; it does not explicitly says that the books will be optimized for use on the iPhone. Or am I wrong? In any case, I find extremely painful to read .pdfs or other text files on the iPhone... the screen it's just too small.
Click to expand...

Reading the books is done through the Kindle app for iPhone. They're as easy to read as can be on the screen. The article only refers to the purchase mechanism.
 
this is no news for anyone living outside the US

Amazon do not sell kindel books to non-us customers. As if only Amrican can read, or as if reading and writing was invented in the US.

I have news or you Amazon guys, most of humanity can read these days and even english.

Shame on you...

(Same for Apple policies for non US customers)
 
I thought you can only charge in app if the original app was paid for?


shuka.margolin said:
Amazon do not sell kindel books to non-us customers. As if only Amrican can read, or as if reading and writing was invented in the US.

I have news or you Amazon guys, most of humanity can read these days and even english.

Shame on you...

(Same for Apple policies for non US customers)
Click to expand...

Irony........ too...much....
 
JNB said:
Reading the books is done through the Kindle app for iPhone. They're as easy to read as can be on the screen. The article only refers to the purchase mechanism.
Click to expand...

It's really interesting how Amazon are embracing iPhone's abilities regarding their Kindle product.

Just by coincidence, over the weekend I added a Top 10 Kindle books category to my iPhone app "Top-Tens" :)

Cheers,

RTP.
 
joemama said:
Wait...so Apple will still take 30% of items downloaded through an App? What if Apple doesn't host the content?

Can users buy content from your own website? Is that what Amazon is trying to circumvent with the new Safari website?
Click to expand...

It isn't really "downloaded through the App". It is more so "buy more modules for the app from the AppStore" through the app. It is still Apple doing all the billing and it is just a shortcut through the store to some enhancement of what you already have (so no need to browse to get to what about to buy).

So the notion is right. There is no real motivator for Amazon to buy into that since they have their own much larger web commerce site up and running. The AppStore is more an equalizer for very small vendors with small number of items to sell.
 
sbrhwkp3 said:
I saw a kindle user for the first time the other day, and I was actually really impressed.

I might even consider buying one.
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I'm pretty sure buying people is illegal in most if not all places where you'll observe people using ebook readers.

Who would pay $10 for a book that could not be shared? I consider books to be long-term investments for reading, sharing, re-reading, and giving away. It's hard to justify $10 for a personal-use-only item that may be good once or twice only.
 
shuka.margolin said:
Amazon do not sell kindel books to non-us customers. As if only Amrican can read, or as if reading and writing was invented in the US.
Click to expand...

Does your country have a Sprint cellphone network ? That's one of the primary reasons why. There are no Kindles in your country; so no Kindle books. Why is this surprising?

Sure there is an option for selling on the iPhone but there are other international issues too. The iPhone didn't release world wide in earlier phases either. Nor is all the content in iTunes universally available.
 
well then. amazon is really trying to push kindle sales and ebook sales. glad to see it available on the iphone now though. i wonder if there will be a comparision between ebook sales from the iphone, and from pcs
 
JNB said:
Reading the books is done through the Kindle app for iPhone. They're as easy to read as can be on the screen. The article only refers to the purchase mechanism.
Click to expand...

Exactly, if they purchased it through the app, Apple would take a cut. They purchase it through an iPhone optimized web page that then syncs the books TO the app = no Apple cut.
 
TheStonepedo said:
I'm pretty sure buying people is illegal in most if not all places where you'll observe people using ebook readers.

Who would pay $10 for a book that could not be shared? I consider books to be long-term investments for reading, sharing, re-reading, and giving away. It's hard to justify $10 for a personal-use-only item that may be good once or twice only.
Click to expand...

You probably forgot the smilely face after the slavery joke.

Copyright law doesn't permit unbounded sharing of the hard books. Family and friends fall under "Fair Use", but nothing like what has been twisted by the 'everybody is my friend on torrent' notion popularized on the web.
Multiple Kindles can be linked to the same amazon account. Among those (up to 7 for now) Kindles the book content can be shared.

As for $10. Perhaps there are high prices locally, but that about the price of a ticket to one of the local movie theaters. Likewise to can access to a nightclub for an evening... have paid more than $10. Those are "use once". The book you have for a long time.... even if you replace the kindle you'd still have your library.
 
DipDog3 said:
Still is strange that Amazon would create more competition for the Kindle.

Unless the Kindle is really just a marketing tool to sell more books.
Click to expand...

Is the iPod just a marketing tool to sell more music?

If it were a loss leader then perhaps you'd have a point. As much as folks moan and groan about the cost of a Kindle do you really think it is a loss leader?

This is more about selling a more taller stack of the service/product than marketing gimmicks. And there is a bit of a reduction in the cost in complements ( less money for FedEx/Post Office/shippers and the physical book printing press folks). That's economic competition not "marketing".
By reducing the costs of "book content" then can sell more (demand goes up as price goes down) and take a higher percentage of the available profits at the reduced cost.

It is marketing in that it is a integrated strategy for connecting with the customers and filling a need that was largely being unmet by the traditional hardware folks and publishing folks. However, that isn't quite a "tool".
 
shuka.margolin said:
Amazon do not sell kindel books to non-us customers. As if only Amrican can read, or as if reading and writing was invented in the US.

I have news or you Amazon guys, most of humanity can read these days and even english.

Shame on you...

(Same for Apple policies for non US customers)
Click to expand...

I guess you'll have to wing it and use real books then. :eek:
 
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who? said:
I think they make tons of money either way, so marketing to everyone seems pretty obvious. Besides. they are two totally different groups to market for.

I have never seen an iPhone user who would buy a Kindle, and I have never seen a Kindle user.
Click to expand...

You're looking at both :D
 
twoodcc said:
well then. amazon is really trying to push kindle sales and ebook sales. glad to see it available on the iphone now though. i wonder if there will be a comparision between ebook sales from the iphone, and from pcs
Click to expand...

either way with the way they are selling books for the iPhone - they are still making money w/o Apple's cut.

i'd love to buy a kindle, but i think it's un needed. i'd honestly rather just have a book.
 
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