Kevin Harter

Computer World has an article that suggests Amazon’s refresh of its Kindle content store for iPhone indicates the coming of a new device by Apple. Personally, I don’t buy it.

I believe that a much more primal instinct is at work: the pursuit of money.

The Kindle app for the iPhone is certainly not perfect.  In fact, it’s worse than the longtime FREE app, Stanza, which is probably why Amazon just bought LexCycle, the makers of that competing app.  It’s more likely that the changes to the store are related to that acquisition rather than a new Apple iTablet or whatever the latest rumor site is calling it.

Amazon is simply making sure that they can sell as many downloads as possible, and making the experience better for users of the hottest cell phone around is a great way to do that.

Of course, another reason could be that iPhone owners found the old version too cumbersome to navigate through Mobile Safari, and it was too inconvenient to deal with on their computers.  Making it easier to buy books and other content right from the mobile device will help move content, which is the only reason Amazon offers a free iPhone app in the first place.

I’m not saying that I don’t think there will be new hardware announced at next month’s WWDC.  I’m just saying that Amazon didn’t leak anything.