We knew Apple was going places with the iPad. What we did not expect was the speed in which the company has increased its e-book market-share. During WWDC 2010, Steve Jobs announced that Apple had sold over 5 million e-books since the launch of iPad. That puts Apple’s Ebook market-share roughly at 22%. Steve Jobs did not specify more details about these stats, so it is tough to know how Apple iBooks has fared against Amazon Kindle for iPad.

Apple is not stopping with iPad. iBooks is coming to iPhone 4, so people will have the opportunity to buy e-books on those tiny devices. Considering the reception that iPhone 4 has gotten, Apple could easily double its market-share in a flash (at 2.5 books per device pace) . iBooks will be getting a major upgrade in the near future too (which will include support for PDF). Wireless syncing across multiple devices is going to be a big plus.

People may be staying in lines to get their hands on iPhone 3G S, but that doesn’t make iPhone 3G S the top gadget to own these days. iPhone 3G S is a very capable device that comes with many new features. It has gotten a big boost from iPhone 3.0 OS as well, but one can argue that you can still manage with your old iPhone 3G. That hasn’t stopped people from talking about iPhone 3G S non-stop in the fast few weeks. In reality, Kindle DX is still the gadget to own for father’s day. Kindle DX gets the nod over iPhone 3G S as it helps you read more often (something a lot of us don’t don enough). Besides, you don’t have to deal with wireless plans and upgrade issues. With that in mind, here is my question for you:

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I still remember how a few weeks ago people were talking about how Stanza was going to challenge Amazon Kindle by letting people read e-books on their iPhones. That’s before Amazon came out with its own application for the iPhone platform. It seems Amazon is not done with its adventures in the mobile world. Lexcycle has now announced that it has been purchased by Amazon. That will put Kindle for iPhone and Stanza under one roof. With this move, Amazon has taken out one of its top competitors on iPhone. Interestingly enough, the people behind Stanza believe there will be no major changes to how Stanza operates:

Customers will still be able to browse, buy, and read ebooks from our many content partners. We look forward to offering future products and services that we hope will resonate with our passionate readers.

I am sure Amazon will add its branding material to Stanza at some point. And while I would love to see both Kindle and Stanza co-exist, I don’t believe it makes sense to confuse the consumers and provide two competing applications (is Amazon planning to make one a premium iPhone app?).

This is a great move by Amazon. It has understood early on that you can’t rely on hardware to dominate the e-book market. That’s why Amazon is bringing the Kindle platform to mobile devices such as the iPhone. While companies such as Sony are focusing so much on making their hardware as powerful as possible, Amazon is pursuing a long-term strategy that will put Amazon in the position of dominance in this market for years to come.

Amazon has finally taken its first big step to take the Kindle platform beyond the hardware. Jeff Bezos did announce a few weeks ago that Amazon would be bringing the Kindle platform to mobile phone users, and he has kept up with his promise. Kindle for iPhone is a free iPhone application that enables you to read Kindle books on your iPhone or iPod Touch. You can also buy books from Kindle store right on your iPhone. In essence, this application turns iPhone to a Kindle mini.

Kindle for iPhone comes with Whispersnyc, which means you can sync your reading locations and annotations between your Kindle and your iPhone. In addition, any book that you buy for your Kindle can be accessed on your iPhone as well. And let’s not forget that you get the same Kindle book discounts on your iPhone.

This is a somewhat risky move on Amazon’s part. Amazon does intend to sell more books, and what a better way to do that than selling books to millions of folks who already own an iPhone. The problem is, Amazon has already invested a lot in its own gadget. You could say that Amazon will be hoping to convert iPhone owners to Kindle buyers. The problem is this move could backfire. People may just decide to buy the iPhone to kill two birds with one stone (and save their $350 in the process). It’s a risky move but one Amazon has to make to take the Kindle platform to the next level. And who knows. A larger base may help Amazon to drop its e-book prices.

What’s your take: is this a wise decision on Amazon’s part?

From the day Kindle 2.0 was introduced, we have heard how Amazon has grand plans for its Kindle shop. It seems the so-called “Kindle store” won’t be for Amazon Kindle only. Amazon is a book retailer, and I can understand if it targets mobile devices such as the iPhone to sell more books and reach out to more customers. But will Amazon cannibalize its own device by taking away a big layer of competitive edge off of Kindle?

The iPhone and the Kindle are two very different devices and Amazon may not be risking too much by reaching out to the iPhone holders. A lot of these guys may even own Kindles which would be even better for Amazon. But the real trouble arises when you consider the possibility of Amazon offering e-books to Sony. I am still not sure whether that happens, but if it does, that would somewhat level the playing field. I am all for intense competition and rivalries, and if Amazon goes ahead with this, we may see the e-book market explode to new heights. But is it really likely for Amazon to hinder the growth of its own device to increase the overall size of the pie in this market?

The details are sketchy at best at this point. There seems to be a real interest on Amazon’s part to target mobile phone users. iPhone has a huge following, and that market would be very attractive for Amazon. But as far as Amazon offering e-books to its direct rivals such as Sony, we will have to wait and see. I have a hunch that it will happen but not in the near future.

Your take:

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