For anyone trying to learn a foreign language, you know how valuable having a dictionary to reference can be. Pleco Chinese Dictionary has a rich history, dating back to Palm OS and more recently, Windows Mobile. I know several people who have been keeping an old Palm or Windows Mobile device around, just for Pleco Chinese Dictionary. Well, Pleco has announced the release of Pleco Chinese Dictionary for iPhone, after over a year in development.

Pleco Chinese Dictionary for iPhone has many of the features that users love about the Palm and Windows Mobile versions, including:

• Dictionaries – Includes a free dictionary, with other free downloadable ones available. Also has eight licensed dictionaries that can be purchased as add-ons.
• Full-screen Handwriting Recognizer
• Great performance
• Powerful Search
• Cross-Referencing – Click on any character in the dictionary to look it up
• Audio Pronunciation
• Stroke Order Diagrams
• Document Reader
• Taiwan- and Mainland-Friendly – Supports both traditional and simplified characters

The only two major missing features are Flashcards and User-Created Dictionaries, though both are supposed to be coming soon (in early 2010).

Pleco Chinese Dictionary for iPhone is available in the Apple iTunes Store for free with an included dictionary. Other user dictionaries are available for purchase. Existing users, be sure to look into transferring your dictionary purchases for free!

Pleco Chinese Dictionary (via Pleco Software email)