Pros and Cons of Kindle on the iPhone

So, the free Kindle app for the iPhone has come out and it raises some interesting questions.

For starters, what do I need a Kindle for now?  At almost $400, the Kindle is way more than an impulse buy.  Sure that eInk screen is pretty and the battery life is great but it can’t call my girlfriend or surf the web.

Another question, explored in detail over on CNet, is whether or not iPhone/iTouch users will be willing to pay the $9.99 price-point for the books.  There are not a lot of ten dollar apps right now and most iPhones I see are loaded with free and cheap apps.  So the idea of paying ten bucks for an eBook on the iPhone might be too much to ask.

Of course, Amazon is a little stuck, here since they can’t offer a book for one price on the iPhone and twice as much for the same book on the Kindle, especially with the sync feature.  I have argued before that eBooks are overpriced but it is going to take a while longer before we see significant drops in the price of popular titles.

It will be interesting to see how book sales go on for Amazon on the iPhone.  The combination of a tight economy and a high pricepoint might be too much for potential readers.

Related articles by Zemanta

• Amazon launches Kindle application for the iPhone (tsurch.com)
• Amazon Releases Software For Reading Books on iPhone (shoppingblog.com)
• Yup, Your iPhone Can Be a Kindle, Too – Starting Now (technologizer.com)

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