Amazon updates Kindle app with free sample search, custom dictionaries and more

kindle 38 screenshot

Folks with an iPhone or iPad invested in Amazon’s ebook service will be happy to hear that it has posted a solid update for its iOS Kindle client today. The update brings the app to version 3.9, and offers a handful of new features and improvements.

Perhaps the most noticeable change is the new Free Sample Search feature, which allows you to search through Amazon’s extensive Kindle library to download free samples. And the Bring Your Own Dictionary option pretty much speaks for itself…

Here’s your full 3.9 change log:

– Kindle Free Sample Search – From the existing Library Search, customers can now search Amazon’s catalog of millions of Kindle books and download free samples from within the app. New books are easier than ever to find.
– Bring Your Own Dictionary – Customers can now use previously purchased Dictionaries, such as medical, legal, or other translation references to define words in any of their other eBooks. Dictionaries downloaded to the device automatically appear in the selection list.
– Accessibility Quick Reference – Accessibility gestures for blind and visually impaired customers are included for quick reference and can be found under the FAQ section in settings. The guide has been translated for all supported languages.
– Instant Cover Loader – Book cover art displays quicker and more fluidly. 
– Bug Fixes/Stability Improvements

I’m an iBooks user myself, but I play with Amazon’s Kindle app whenever there are major updates and it’s pretty solid. Today’s update won’t change your world, but the new free sample search is cool, as it makes it easy to collect tons of free ebook material.

And folks who use the Kindle app professionally, or for school, will be happy to see that you can now use your previously purchased dictionaries to define words in your eBooks. So if you’re in the medical field, or studying law, that could really come in handy.

Those who already have the Kindle app can find the new version in the Updates tab in the App Store. Otherwise, you can download the full version for your iPhone or iPad, for free, by clicking here. Obviously, you’ll need an Amazon account to get much use out of it.