Fictionwise Opens Cover on BlackBerrry eReader; Android is Next

Amazon might have gotten a lot of buzz launching Kindle for the iPhone: now Fictionwise is hitting back with eReader for the BlackBerry - and Android is next.

Amazon.com gave its Kindle ebook business a nice shot in the arm when it released a free Kindle reader application for the Apple iPhone earlier this month. Now, Fictionwise is looking to tap furtehr into the mobile reading market with a beta version of its eReader application for BlackBerry—and the company doesn’t plan to stop there, saying its next target platforms are Google’s Android and Linux. The BlackBerry version of eReader joins an existing version for the iPhone, and shoud run on any BlackBerry device released in the last few years.

The eReader application gives users access to more than 60,000 book titles at eReader.com, including popular works of modern fiction as well as classics. Unlike Amazon’s Kindle application, eReader is available for Windows Mobile, PocketPC, Symbian devices, and Mac/Windows PCs.

The move is the latest uptick in competition amongst eBook retailers in recent weeks: in addition to Kindle coming to the iPhone, Sony Reader users can now tap into a wealth of public domain titles via Google Books. And Fictionwise was itself just acquired by Barned & Noble earlier this month for about $15.7 million.