The Live Indian Entertainment Blog

In what many would call a "finally" move, Amazon.com has announced an Android version of its Kindle app. Unfortunately, Amazon.com has still not released the app, saying only that it is "coming this summer."

The press release doesn't give an exact date, but there is a landing page for the app, where you can sign up for an email when it is available in the Android Market.

While most of the app's features are the same as versions for other devices, such as the iPad and iPhone, one difference stands out: users will be able to buy e-books directly from the app. On the iPhone and iPad, they are forced into the browser to make a purchase.

It's obvious why that would be the case. Apple would probably not approve an app that included direct access to buying e-books that compete with its own iBook store. While consumers await the actual app, here are some notes:

• Requires: Android OS 1.6 or greater (sorry, current Backflip users) and an SD card
• Buy a book from the Kindle Store optimized for your Android phone and get it auto-delivered wirelessly with WhisperSync
• Synchronize your reading location between devices and apps
• Search and browse more than 540,000 books, including 96 of 110 New York Times bestsellers.
• Browse by genre or author
• New York Times Best Sellers and new releases from $9.99
• Read the beginning of books for free (sample before buying)