Kindle for iPhone: Convenient But Full of Compromises

As a former librarian, I never thought I’d like eBooks. In fact, the concept seemed wrong to me. There is something romantic about the smell of the paper and the heft of a real book. But after about 10 minutes with the original Kindle, I was hooked.

I was seduced by the convenience of carrying untold numbers of books in my purse everywhere I went. And the immediate gratification of wirelessly downloading the next book in my favorite vampire book series was too much to resist. Add to that the ability to read one-handed on the subway without anyone knowing what I was reading, and buying the newest releases without having to pay hardback prices, and I was convinced that the Kindle–and eBooks in general–were the best thing since sliced bread. I couldn’t wait to show the Kindle off to my friends and family. I was even happy to answer questions of strangers on the train who couldn’t help but ask how I liked this much-talked-about new device.

Then Apple introduced a Kindle app for the iPhone.

I must be one of the few people left on the planet not to be sucked into the Apple vortex. I don’t even own an iPod, much less a MacBook, or an iPhone. But, the apps are pretty intriguing, and the Kindle app made me curious enough to need to try it.

After borrowing an iPhone and downloading the free app, it took me a bit to figure out how to find my already existing eBooks. With a friend’s direction I found my archived content, and grabbed my Dan Brown’s The Lost Symbol. But it didn’t open automatically to the page where I’d left off on my Kindle, as I had imagined it would. Apparently that feature doesn’t work with the original Kindle. After some paging forward, I found the spot where I’d left off.

The bright white background of the page on the iPhone was not as jarring as I’d expected. The app didn’t offer that same paperback feeling of the Kindle’s e-Ink screen, but it came in handy for reading in lower light situations, where I’ve often wished the Kindle had some sort of backlight. So far, they were tied.

The amount of copy on the page was the most disturbing difference. So little text fits on the iPhone that I found myself using both hands–finger poised to swipe across the screen every couple seconds. My arm grew tired of hanging in the air. Strike one for iPhone.

Next, I reclined on my pillow, as I often do when reading on the couch or in bed. Sadly, as soon as I turned on my side, the iPhone’s accelerometer flipped the screen so I was reading sideways. Strike two for iPhone.

After reading for about two and a half hours, I’d drained the iPhone’s battery by about 30 percent. I was never going to make it through the whole book at this rate, without plugging in. Strike three.

While I gladly returned the iPhone to my friend and grabbed my trusty Kindle the next day, I have to admit that if I already owned an iPhone, I might not have a need to buy a Kindle, particularly for $259. The reading experience on the iPhone, while not as good as on the Kindle, is acceptable. But as an either/or choice, I choose the Kindle.