Readers Can Now Download Free Book Samples Directly Through Amazon’s Kindle App
by Brent Dirks
July 30, 2013
Amazon has just updated its Kindle iOS app with a number of nice new features.
First up, in version 3.9, readers can now use the exisiting Library Search function to search Amazon’s large catalog of Kindle books and download a free sample directly through the app. The full version of a book still needs to be purchased on Amazon’s site, though.
Also, the update sports a bring your own dictionary feature. Users can use previously purchased dictionaries, like medical, legal, or other translation editions, to look up the definition of a word appearing in an e-book. Downloaded dictionaries automatically appear in the selection list.
For blind and visually impaired users of the app, a new quick reference details the major accessibility gestures. It can be found under the FAQ section in Settings. The guide has also been translated for all supported languages.
Finally, book cover art displays quicker and more fluidly.
The universal Kindle app is designed for the iPhone/iPod touch and iPad/iPad mini. It can be downloaded now in the App Store for free.
Before today’s new features, the most recent update was almost two months ago in early June. Version 3.8 brought new line spacing options while making it easier to highlight passages in a book.