Kobo to Provide HTML5 iPhone, iPad Application for Offline eBook Reading

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iOS applications are expected to be updated this week to comply with Apple’s latest policy of collecting 30% from in-app payment proceeds. Among other companies, ebook provider Kobo is also giving users the opportunity to access content directly from their mobile-optimized site.

Recall how Apple is implementing a 30% cut on all in-app purchases for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch applications. Some companies — notably the Financial Times — have decided to pull out their iOS application and focus instead on a mobile-optimized site. Some, however, have chosen to go both ways, such as Kobo.

Kobo is working on a new mobile application that will let readers visit the Kobo ebook marketplace on the mobile browser. And because the web app will use the latest HTML5 standards, this will allow users to read content cached locally, meaning you can still view the pages even without an Internet connection. With this system, you can also synchronize your Kobo library and read ebooks even while offline.

Additionally, because the new web app will be in HTML5 standard, this means the app should, in theory, work with other devices and computers that support HTML5, such as Android, webOS and desktop operating systems.