[ice-9]

I'm finally ditching my dumbphone for a smartphone. I'd resisted paying an extra $30/mo for a data plan for some time now, mostly because all the apps my friends with smartphones were showing off seemed pointless to me. However, as time has gone by, the apps I'm seeing seem more appealing, including the Kindle App for iPhone and Droid.

Plus, if I want to take advantage of Verizon's now defunct New Every Two program, I need to act fast and upgrade my phone in the next month. But I have some Kindle-related questions regarding deciding Droid vs iPhone. I'm hoping someone here can provide some insight.

1. Are the Kindle Apps for Android and iPhone pretty much equivalent? Does one have features the other lacks?

2. March 31st came and went. Whatever happened with this issue regarding the Kindle App in the Apple Store?
http://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=51595.0

3. I read in a different thread on this board that there's a workaround that allows you to load (and sync) your books obtained outside of Amazon to an iPhone. Is such a workaround available for Droid as well?

Thanks in advance for any answers.

 

[The Hooded Claw]

Plus, if I want to take advantage of Verizon's now defunct New Every Two program, I need to act fast and upgrade my phone in the next month. But I have some Kindle-related questions regarding deciding Droid vs iPhone. I'm hoping someone here can provide some insight.

1. Are the Kindle Apps for Android and iPhone pretty much equivalent? Does one have features the other lacks?
I've used both, and didn't notice any differences. Certainly no major functional differences.

2. March 31st came and went. Whatever happened with this issue regarding the Kindle App in the Apple Store?

I thought the deadline was June 30, but that is from memory. I'm pretty sure it hasn't been settled.
http://www.kboards.com/index.php?topic=51595.0

3. I read in a different thread on this board that there's a workaround that allows you to load (and sync) your books obtained outside of Amazon to an iPhone. Is such a workaround available for Droid as well?

No idea.

There was a good thread on iPhone vs. Android in Not Quite Kindle about a month ago. Both are good systems, though I am an Android lover. I recommend a phone with the biggest screen you can get, both for ease of using the touchscreen, and convenience as an ereader.

Thanks in advance for any answers.

 

[drafter69]

What I don't understand is why anyone wants to read books off a 2" screen? 

 

[mooshie78]

What I don't understand is why anyone wants to read books off a 2" screen?

It's handy if you find yourself with an unexpected wait. I wouldn't want to read regularly on a smart phone, but it would be great for reading here and there when stuck waiting. And the iPhone screen is 3.5 inches--most smart phone screens these days are around that size or a bit larger.

Especially for those of us who are males and thus don't have a purse to easily carry our Kindles everywhere! My Kindle pretty much only leaves the house when I'm traveling out of town. So I'd love to eventually get a phone with the Kindle app for reading a bit here and there.

To the OPs questions, the Apps are currently pretty much identical, but the in-app purchase issue hasn't been resolved yet so the Kindle iPhone app could change when that rule change goes into place (it will have to change some how to be in compliance with the new rule).

 

[Xopher]

I read all the time on my 4" Android screen. It is not bad when I don't have my Kindle with me (such as going to the movie theater and waiting for the movie to start). It's not like reading on the Kindle's 6" screen, but the 4" screen works very well. I used to read on my BlackBerry screen (which was just over 2") and didn't have any problems reading on that screen, either. It's more a matter of being used to reading on a device than the actual size. I don't think having a 4" screen would be good enough to get rid of an actual Kindle, but it does come in quite handy.

The Apple debacle still hasn't been resolved, so there is no telling what will happen in the future. If you have the Kindle app installed already, I wouldn't think Amazon being forced to remove the app from the App Store would remove it from your iPhone. It might stop you from being able to update it anymore, but you should still have access to anything previously purchased in your archives. Hopefully they just tale the store link out of the app and still maintain access to archives (that should keep it compliant).

 

[Elk]

What I don't understand is why anyone wants to read books off a 2" screen?

For the same reasons people want to read on a 6" screen.

(BTW, the latest Droids are 4.3" and exceedingly high resolution.)

 

[ice-9]

Thanks for all the input everyone!  After much back and forth, I decided on the iPhone.

I'm enjoying the Kindle App already.  A couple of questions already though:

(1) Is there a way to get books purchased places other than Amazon on there?  I have Kindle for Mac too, and somehow a few months ago I had managed to put some books I bought on Smashwords on there, and I can't figure out how I did it now.  And even so, not sure if it's possible with Kindle for iPhone.  I know about Stanza, and already started using it, but if I could get all books in one app no matter what the source it would be convenient. 

(2) It's synching to the last page read on the Kindle when I start reading on the iPhone.  (Really cool!)  However, perhaps I'm doing something wrong, for some reason it's not synching to the last page of the same book read on the iPhone when I pick up the Kindle.  Is there something special I have to do?  Or is that direction of synching just not possible?

 

[balaspa]

I have never seen a difference between the apps I have on my smartphone and computer and my brother has one on his iPad which looks just like the Droid version I have on my phone.

 

[Ann in Arlington]

Suggest you ask questions in the Apple Devices area of the board. You'll find someone who can answer pretty much anything you want to know about iThings.

 

[ice-9]

Thanks for the suggestion, Ann!  Done.