The latest version of the application, which is a universal app -- meaning it works on the iPhone and the iPad -- lets users search for items, manage Wish Lists, preview songs and videos, view recommended products and browse new and upcoming releases.
I played around with the latest update a bit this morning and was impressed with the level of detail and range of features. Of course, browsing Amazon.com via the iPad is pretty easy to do, but the nice thing about the native applications -- available for iPad, iPhone, BlackBerry and Android -- is that the overall experience is shaped to the device.
For instance, when viewing an item either in a Wish List or via search, you can select tabs by dragging your finger up the screen to display more information. The effect is similar to having cards in a folder; you can just grab the card that interests you and then drag it back down when you are done. It's a nice way to handle multiple types of data.
Media Playback With a Catch
One of the features new to the app is the ability to play back video previews or audio samples. The audio sample ability is especially nice, although there is one caveat: While you can browse and even preview MP3 albums, you cannot purchase any in the app itself.
We don't blame Amazon for this, as it is likely one of Apple's policies. Still, we're at least glad we can search for music in the MP3 downloads category and preview songs from MP3 albums. Users can always say they want to "buy something later" or add an album to a Wish List for purchase once on a Mac or PC.
Almost Perfect
All in all, the Amazon Mobile app experience on the iPad is almost perfect. The only thing that would make the app better would be a way to browse categories more directly, rather than relying on search terms.
Amazon often lists bestselling devices in subcategories and on landing pages on its main site. The browsing experience would be better and more consistent with the desktop if the app also had this feature. Likewise, a way to manage Amazon Affiliate information would be fantastic.
Still, given how much the Amazon Mobile app can do and how well it utilizes the iPad's features and screen size, we have to give the app props for being a best-of-breed online shopping experience on the iPhone and the iPad.
What do you think of Amazon Mobile for iPad? Let us know in the comments.