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As we mentioned yesterday, Amazon has released a Kindle app for the iPhone, now here are my thoughts after spending a full day with it.

Just to begin with, I will say that I am a regular Kindle user, I have had the original Kindle since April 2008 and love it. That said, I was more than pleased to see the release of the Kindle app for the iPhone.

In the past I have not been overly impressed with other ebook readers for the iPhone, not because they were bad, but instead because I still feel that the iPhone display is not properly suited for regular reading. Notice how I said “regular” reading. I do feel that, while I would not sit down and read a complete book on my iPhone, it is great for the occasional chapter. Given that, I would say the Kindle app for the iPhone makes a great companion to a regular Kindle or Kindle 2.

The app, as we mentioned yesterday is available as a free download. Of course, you still need to purchase the books. Unfortunately, you are not able to download books directly from within the iPhone app, instead you will need to purchase them from the Amazon website and transfer them wirelessly to your iPhone. Additionally, if you are a current Kindle user, those books that you have already purchased will be available.

That is where this app truly shines, thanks to Whispersync, your books (and your last read position) will be synced across multiple devices. In other words, when I began reading Contagious on my iPhone yesterday, it started me off at the last page that I finished reading on my Kindle. This means I can now read a few pages here and there when I am out and about and find myself with a few minutes to spare. One catch here is that (when reading on you Kindle) you will need to have the wireless turned on for the sync to work properly.

Again, to me, this app is going to serve well as a companion to my Kindle. But that does not mean non-Kindle owners should not consider it also. Even as a standalone reader it works very well. Even if you just use the iPhone Kindle app, you still have access to the Kindle library which has over 240,000 books.

Aside from the book selection, the iPhone app is also nice to use feature wise. When you launch the app, it will automatically return you to the place you last read. It has a “Home” menu that shows any books you are currently reading (that are on your iPhone) and a selection for Archived Items. Those are the items that you have purchased but not yet read on your iPhone. In my test, it took just seconds to download an archived book to my iPhone.

On the Home menu, you can choose to sort by Recent, Title or Author. In the Archived Items section you can sort by either Title or Author. There is also a button on the home screen called “Get Books” but it is simply an instruction file that tells you to visit www.amazon.com/kindlestore on your Mac or PC. Hopefully a future version will add the ability to purchase directly from the iPhone.

Once you choose your book and begin reading, the interface is simple and easy to use. Swiping your finger left will move you ahead one page, and swiping your finger right will bring you to the previous page. A quick tap will bring up a few more items such as a “Go To” button that will show you the Cover, Table of Contents, Beginning or a Location of your choosing. You can also adjust the text size, there are five options with the default being the middle size. Finally, there is a sync button that will sync your current position with Whispersync, or allow you to move to the latest read page.

I first downloaded the Kindle app early yesterday morning, and had several opportunities to read throughout the day. I must say that it was very nice, especially when I thought I was leaving late to pick up my daughter from the bus stop to have the bus show up late. The Kindle app allowed me to read a few minutes without having to find where I last left off. The app launched with the book in the same place that I last read on my Kindle. Then later that night I was able to grab my Kindle and do some more reading, and of course, it started me out where I left off earlier in the day on my iPhone.

As far as the pages, each Kindle page is equivalent to about 1 and a quarter iPhone Kindle pages. (using the default text size on both devices). That means that although the iPhone Kindle app feels quite a bit smaller, you actually are reading (page by page) almost at the same level. One item that I found to be a little strange was the lack of landscape mode on the iPhone.

Of course, comparing the iPhone app with the real deal, there are some items that regular Kindle users may find missing. You do not have features like the dictionary or search. Additionally, the iPhone app does not allow you to read subscription content such as newspapers or magazines.

Bottom line, I would recommend the Kindle app to any avid iPhone-using reader, even if they do not have a Kindle. That said, for me, I really like it, but it will never replace my Kindle.

Also, after seeing how well Whispersync actually works, I look forward to seeing what other devices Amazon will release apps for. I am sure plenty of people would like to see one for Android, maybe the Palm pre or the BlackBerry. It may also be nice to have a PC and Mac app as well.

Hit the App Store link below to download the Kindle app for yourself, or continue on to check out some screenshots…

[Amazon Kindle for the iPhone (App Store link) and Amazon Kindle 2]