The first official “American Idol” iPhone application has launched just in time to watch the final 13 contestants in season 8 duke it out over the next several weeks. Available today for both the iPod Touch and the iPhone, the $1.99 application provides bios, pictures, news and exclusive behind-the-scenes videos of the contestants. Another feature, called “My Rankings” allows users to predict, customize, and track who stays and who gets voted off. A link to iTunes also allows users to download music from recent performances. The one major thing missing—which die-hard fans will likely notice—is that it does not allow people to cast votes directly from the app. That still requires a separate text message. “That’s definitely on tap for future versions,” said Ken Willner, CEO of Zumobi, which is building the application in conjunction with FremantleMedia Enterprises, 19 Entertainment and Fox.

Willner said they are charging $1.99 for the application because it has a lot of original content, including up to 78 videos that are being shot just for the phone. The application will also include sponsorships, which will offset the cost. The American Idol app is highest profile win for Zumobi, which also has developed apps for REI and Xbox. Willner’s background definitely helped. While at AT&T (NYSE: T), he was the exec who negotiated the original deal with American Idol.

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