Today, Google announced the launch of a new mobile client for its increasingly popular Gmail service. The client is designed to give users the same look and feel that they experience in using Gmail for the web, but with the portability and ease of use that mobile technology offers.
The mobile Gmail client can be downloaded free of charge from Google, and is compatible with all J2ME-enabled phones in the United States.
Users of Google’s e-mail service can already access their messages via mobile browsers, but the new mobile Gmail client offers readers benefits above and beyond that of a conventional mobile browser:
• Up to five times faster access and use, thanks to automatic pre-fetching of messages
• Drastically reduced clicks and scrolling to access email
• Fewer keystrokes for reading, composing, or searching mail
• Attachments, including files and photos, viewable and automatically resized to fit the user’s phone
“Google’s mobile products are designed to enable people to quickly and easily get the information they want on the go,” said Deep Nishar, director of product management at Google.
“We realize the role mobile phones play as a key driver for balancing online and offline worlds, and we’re committed to developing products that help people stay connected when they’re away from their computers. Gmail for mobile devices delivers on that commitment.”
Oliver Starr over at MobileCrunch offers his take on the new mobile Gmail client:
From a user perspective the new application offers a substantial (and I mean truly noticable) improvement in how fast your mailbox performs. No more interminable waiting while your next ten messages load – hit next and in a snap your next ten messages are right there.
Likewise mail opens quickly and even attached files open faster than I’ve ever seen an attachment open on a mobile device. This is made all the more impressive by the fact that I’m using Cingular and a Nokia N73 which means my connection is confined to the only moderately fast 2.5G Edge network (not fancy HSDPA or speedy EVDO).
Additionally, the client seems to work beautifully on my Motorola V3 RAZR carried by Cingular
If you want to try it for yourself, point your mobile browser to http://gmail.com/app to download the client.
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Joe is a staff writer for Murdok. Visit Murdok for the latest ebusiness news.
