Readability iPhone app offers an elegant way to consume web pages

Plenty of options exist for reading items later, but the release of dedicated apps for these services has a been fairly slow. New kid in the App Store—but not to the web—is Readability, a well-designed universal app for iOS that just might change the way you read the web.

For the best experience, you’ll want to commit to Readability’s free service. Set up an account and link the service to your web browser of choice. When you see something you’re interested in reading, but don’t have the time, save it to your Readability reading list and it’ll automatically sync with the Readability app.

I spent most of my time with the iPhone version of Readability, but the iPad version is equally lovely. Readability offers plenty of options for a more comfortable reading experience, including different typefaces and sizes and the option for night reading. The overall UI is pleasant, relying on swiping to return to your reading list and tapping to pop-open a drawer of options including sharing, deleting and archiving.

My favorite part of Readability is that when you finish an article, you can continue scrolling directly into the next item on your list. Access to your list is just a swipe away, but this feature enhances user experience. Plus, once the app has synced with any new additions, you can read the Readability version without an Internet connection. Once you’re connected again you can view the website version of the article.

If you’re already a dedicated user of a Readability competitor, the app probably won’t entice you to change services, but if you aren’t yet using a bookmarking service it’s time to start.

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