Well, would you look at that? Amazon has found a way to simultaneously appeal to iPhone users and sell them stuff all the while neatly cutting Apple out of the conversation, which means, it’s not giving Apple any money while it takes it from its customers. To wit: Amazon has launched a mobile version of its MP3 store for the iPhone and iPod Touch, but since it’s accessible from Safari and isn’t a regular App, it doesn’t have to give Apple a dime.

Oh-so-clever Amazon’s store, located at amazon.com/mp3 , is available simply by surfing the Web on Safari, notes the Los Angeles Times, giving users a way to download music without first downloading an app from the Apple App Store.

Amazon doesn’t have to give Apple the usual 30% or so cut that other developers pay the company when users buy the app or something within it. Sneaky, eh?

There’s plenty to choose form, says Amazon Music’s vice president, saying users “can access Amazon’s huge catalog of music, features like personalized recommendations, deals like albums for $5, songs for $0.69, and they can buy their music once and use it everywhere.”

The songs can be played in the Amazon Cloud Player app or even through the iTunes music library if you access the song on a computer first and then download it. Adding to the iTunes library just takes a drag of the mouse and voila, Amazon’s runaround of Apple is complete.

Amazon launches MP3 store for iPhone, doesn’t owe Apple a cent [Los Angeles Times]

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