Barnes & Noble released its latest e-reader iPhone application August 17. The retailer also rebranded the iPhone application under the “Nook” banner, the same name used for the bookseller’s dedicated e-reading device.
The free Nook for the iPhone app comes on the heels of similar app launches in May for the iPad and in July for Android mobile devices.
Barnes & Noble’s previous iPhone platform was known as the B&N eReader.
“We’ve had such a great response and such a fantastic halo effect from our Nook e-reader device that we thought it would simplify the message for consumers to have one sort of brand,” said Douglas Gottlieb, VP of digital products at Barnes & Noble.
The app, which can also be used on the iPod Touch, includes several new features and customization settings, including font and margin sizes, line spacing and background colors.
“It’s incredibly, incredibly customizable, and that’s really important when you’re reading on an illuminated device, such as an iPad or an iPhone,” Gottlieb said.
Users can rate books, making organizing their libraries easier. They also may share a book for up to 14 days with another Nook user. That feature existed previously, but the new app makes it easier to use by not requiring the consumer to log on to the Internet to accept a loan offer.
The app links to Barnes & Noble’s e-commerce site, and purchases are automatically synced in customers’ Nook library. The platform also includes other suggestive-selling elements, such as links to other books by a certain author.
Nook also is available for Windows desktops and laptops and BlackBerry, although those applications have not been updated recently.
