BlackBerry users have been anticipating the recent release of the Kindle for BlackBerry app for a long time. With more than 400,000 e-books available and more than 100 New York Times bestsellers, Kindle for BlackBerry offers a huge library of entertainment and information that can be accessed quickly and easily from your BlackBerry device.
I tested the app on my BlackBerry Storm 2 9550. Reading in Storm was surprisingly comfortable and lines of text were easy to follow due to Storm’s large screen. Aside from the obvious benefit of Storm’s larger screen size, all other features of the app should be similar on other BlackBerry devices. I click on the right side of the screen to turn pages on my Storm, but the space bar is used on BlackBerrys with physical keyboards.
The main menu on the BlackBerry for Kindle home screen offers features such as full-screen mode, a sync button for manually syncing information, a bookmark feature, and a handy “info” feature that provides help and advice for using the app. application more efficiently. There are also archive features, sorting features to classify titles, and a link to the Kindle Store. The interface is very intuitive and easy to follow.
When you have a book open to read, the menu key gets a few different functions, like adjusting the text size, a “go to” function to jump to other sections of the book, and a “synchronize to farthest location” button to bookmark your page on other devices you use to read. The most notable of these features is the text size adjustment button that allows you to adjust six different sizes for different screen formats. I find that using a #3 font size and full screen mode in my Storm provides a comfortable text size while reducing page changes.
Kindle for BlackBerry features Amazon’s Whispersync technology, which automatically syncs your titles and bookmarks across all of your other devices—for example, PC, Kindle, iPhone, or another BlackBerry. All of your purchased titles are available for “re-download” through your Amazon Kindle account and the titles can be “delivered” to your other registered devices. You can purchase a book directly from your BlackBerry in minutes using your account information saved to your Amazon account. Buying books is almost too easy, as it can create a habit. The Kindle Store also offers free samples so you can get an idea of what a book is about before you buy it.
The Kindle for BlackBerry app is available on the Amazon Kindle for BlackBerry page. The app is free to download and I had no problems downloading and installing the reader. The page asks for an email address that you use on your BlackBerry and then sends a link. By clicking the link from your BlackBerry, you can download the app directly to your device. You can also type “amazon.com/kindlebb” into your BlackBerry browser to download the app directly.
I find the app quite addictive and I love reading on my Storm 2. BlackBerry users with smaller screens may not benefit as much, but the convenience of having your favorite reading material nearby at all times may make it worth it. The wide selection and easy-to-use interface, as well as reasonable prices, make the Amazon Kindle app for BlackBerry stand out from other e-readers. I highly recommend checking out this app.