Back in February Google launched the beta version of Google Sync. This allowed Google users to sync their Gmail contacts and Google Calendar events to their iPhones or Windows Mobile devices (Android already synced data). The feature did not come with the ability to sync actual mail, however. That has now changed.
The addition of “push Gmail” support has been a heavily requested feature ever since Google Sync was launched.
“Having an over-the-air, always-on connection means that your inbox is up to date, no matter where you are or what you’re doing,” says Google Mobile Software Engineer Douglas Gresham. “Sync works with your phone’s native email application so there’s no additional software needed.”
“Once you’re set up, new messages are normally pushed to your phone within seconds,” notes Google Mobile Product Manager Marcus Foster. “While this type of speed is pretty awesome, push connections tend to use more power than fetching at intervals, so don’t be surprised if your battery life isn’t quite what it used to be. We’ve done a lot of work to optimize power usage, but if you prefer to save battery life, you can always turn off push in your phone’s settings and fetch mail every 30 or 60 minutes instead.”
To set up push Gmail on an iPhone, you have to be using iPhone OS version 3.0 or greater. To use Google Sync, just go to m.google.com/sync from your computer. More information about using Google Sync on various devices can be found here.
