Amazon preparing Kindle for Android

Amazon is preparing to launch an Android port of its Kindle e-book reader software.

The company said that the application is set to be released within months and will be offered free of charge.

When the reader application is released, users will be able to purchase, download and read e-book titles from the Kindle Store through Android smartphones. The software will also support the Whispersync tool, which allows users to synchronise bookmarks across multiple devices.

The Android port of the Kindle reader adds yet another platform to the Kindle software lineup. The company already offers versions of the reader software for Windows, MacOS X, iPhone OS, Blackberry and Kindle tablets.

"We think customers are going to love the convenience and simplicity of having instant access to a massive selection of books from Amazon on their Droid, Nexus, Incredible and many more Android devices," said Amazon Kindle director Jay Marine.

A firm release date for the software has not been given, but Amazon is offering to provide users with updates through a mailing list.