Google Improves Gmail for iPhones, Android
The Gmail Mobile team today announced some changes designed to make Gmail Mobile easier to use as well as run faster and more smoothly on Android devices and iPhones' browsers.
The improvements will mean faster load times when opening emails, navigating, or searching as well as the ability to read messages and compose offline over a flaky or non-existent network connection, similar to Gmail Offline.
The introduction of a floaty toolbar that follows you as you scroll makes archiving and deleting a lot easier. Labels are clearer and more in-line with the familiar Gmail labels you see on your desktop and the search menu has been moved up into the top header, making it more accessible.
While this is all great news for email users, Google says we won’t actually experience the full impact of the new architecture (which uses HTML5 and Gears) right now. The Gmail team explained that, while it does enable them to significantly improve performance, it means they can quickly roll out new features in the near future. Leaving us hanging on what those new features actually are, the team goes on to gush about the enormous potential the changes carry with them.
All said and done, we’re still holding out on a full Gmail for iPhone app to make things even easier. Our fingers are crossed for one to launch alongside the iPhone OS 3.0 with push notification.
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Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.
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kramevans This is very good news for Iphone users. as well as being a much superior email client it also allows Iphone users to save all their contacts to the gmail cloud.Reply
This is an extremely smart move by Google in my view, as when Iphone users finally wake up and smell the coffee and inevitably switch to android their new REAL smart phone will be there to sweetly guide them to salvation with all their contacts magically appearing on the superior Platform.
Well done GOOGLE!