Official Wikipedia client for iPhone

For many people, Wikipedia is now the first point of reference for information on a particular subject.

Now you can carry the huge online encyclopedia in your pocket thanks to this official iPhone client, Wikipedia Mobile. The free app provides an optimized version of the site designed to make it very simple and fast to access on an iPhone. You still need an Internet connection in order to use Wikipedia Mobile, it’s just an alternative way of viewing Wiki pages than using Safari. To be honest, I’m not even sure if it’s a better way.

Wikipedia entries do look much tidier when viewed in Wikipedia Mobile. The text is wrapped so it’s easy to read, and images are centered. Another aid to reading is that only the introduction text is displayed in full. The rest of the sub-categories are hidden and can be toggled using the ‘Show’ and ‘Hide’ buttons. Unlike when browsing Wikipedia in Safari though, the client does not facilitate zooming, and there’s no support for horizontal viewing either.

In terms of its features, Wikipedia Mobile is lacking somewhat when compared to similar apps such as Wikiamo or Wikipanion. There is a History tool but no dynamic search suggestions or bookmarking capabilities.

Wikipedia Mobile makes viewing entries on an iPhone very comfortable. It’s just a shame that the functionality is so limited.