[Update] Official Google Books iPhone App Now Live

Update 1: Google Books works in Canada via the use of Hotspot Shield for iPhone’s free VPN. Thanks for the test, 4wallz.

Earlier last week we wrote about Google Editions, the bookstore coming from Google to compete with Apple’s iBooks and Amazon. There is now an official Google Books iPhone (and iPad) app live in the US App Store (click here to learn how to open a US iTunes account) and the bookstore is now open for business…

…but of course, not in Canada–yet (insert sad face).

Google eBooks: The Largest ebook Store on the Planet

From the WSJ:

Mr. Turvey said that all of the country’s major publishers are participating in Google eBooks, which means the Google e-book store will have a full complement of competitively priced best-sellers. It will also contain a wide array of scholarly, scientific and professional titles that may not be available elsewhere, making it “the largest e-book store on the planet,” said Scott Dougall, a Google product management director. Google eBooks will become available outside the U.S. starting in the first quarter of 2011.

Google eBooks will have a much larger inventory than Apple and Amazon. Currently paid books aren’t available in Canada, but you can still download free public domain books and Google ebooks.

Here’s what Pride and Prejudice looks like within Google Books:

iTunes description:

The Google Books app offers access to over 2 million Google eBooks on your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad. Take your favorite books with you on the go.

Great Reading Experience

– Change font, search within book, information about book
– Night-reading mode
– Offline reading mode

Discover Millions of Titles

– Millions of books in every imaginable category, from New York Times bestsellers to favorite classics
– Over 2 million free ebooks available instantly
– Over 400,000 ebooks for purchase
– Free preview pages
– Unlimited storage of books in the digital cloud
– Worry-free archive

Syncs With Your Google Books Library

– Find books at http://books.google.com/ebooks and add them to the ‘My Google eBooks’ shelf to sync
– Access all your ebooks wirelessly from the digital cloud; no dedicated e-reading device required
– Automatic page position synching across devices — pick up reading where you left off

It’s too bad this service isn’t available yet in Canada, but when Google Books does launch in other countries I’ll be looking forward to it.

What do you think? Excited for Google Books?

[Google Books – US App Store]

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