Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Features, iPhone, App Store, iPod touch
The iPhone needs a native Gmail application
[Update] Check the bottom of the post for a video from Mobile World Congress showing Gmail with offline support running on an iPhone.
The iPhone needs a native Gmail application. There, I've said it. Every time I bring this up with iPhone users, I get one of the following questions:
- What's wrong with the built-in Mail app?
- What's wrong with the Gmail iPhone-optimized web interface?
- How dare you criticize the iPhone!
Okay, that last one isn't a question, but you can tell that some people are thinking it.
Let's tackle the questions:
What's wrong with the built-in iPhone Mail app?
I have to admit that Mail on the iPhone is the best email client I've ever used on a mobile device. But that's really not saying much, since virtually ever app that I regularly use on the iPhone is better than the equivalent Windows Mobile or Blackberry versions I have used with previous devices. The main thing that I find to be missing in Mail on the iPhone is message threading. Gmail is the gold standard when it comes to keeping messages grouped by thread, and Mail.app on the Mac comes a close second, in my opinion. For me, this is a must-have feature, and it drives me crazy that it is missing from Mail on the iPhone.
One other frustration with the iPhone Mail client (admittedly one that native Gmail would not fix) is how many taps it takes to move between mail accounts. It sure would be nice for Apple to include an integrated Inbox that works the same way it does on Mail.app for the Mac.
What's wrong with the Gmail iPhone-optimized web interface?
Again, I have to admit that the web-based Gmail experience on the iPhone is by far and away the best web-based mail client experience I've ever used. So what's wrong with it? Primarily, it's too slow, and it doesn't take advantage of some of the features that native apps have available to them, such as swiping gestures to delete messages, and caching messages for speedy access. The Blackberry I had before I got my iPhone had a native Gmail app available for it, and it was remarkably faster to use than the web-based interface is on the iPhone, while retaining Gmail's thread-grouping functionality.
So now what?
Currently I use both clients, depending on what I need to do. Using IMAP to connect to my Gmail account from Mail allows me to switch interchangeably between either client instantly, which is a nice compromise, but sadly leaves me underwhelmed either way.
So what's more likely, improvements to Mail or a native Gmail client? At this point in time major changes to Mail seem unlikely. Until now it has appeared that a native Gmail client for the iPhone was unlikely, due to the terms and conditions of writing iPhone software for the App Store. Apple has a policy of not allowing software that provides similar functionality to built-in Apple software, making for a complete dearth of fully functional alternative email clients on the iPhone. One bit of hopeful news is that mail clients are finally starting to show up in the App Store, though so far nothing has been released that can rival the functionality of the iPhone's built-in Mail application.
Another interesting factor is that Google may not be all that motivated to create a fully functional native Gmail client for the iPhone when its Android mobile phone operating system is built around a reportedly fantastic native Gmail client. Instead of apparently inhibiting the development of alternative email clients, Apple should be encouraging it, and in particular encouraging Google to provide a Gmail client.
As much as it pains me to say it, given how much of my time on my iPhone is spent in email, I will have to seriously watch the evolution of Android and make a difficult decision when it comes time to replace my iPhone 3G, if there is still no native Gmail client available when the time comes.
[Update]
TUAW commenter snave points us to a video of Vic Gundotra at Mobile World Congress '09 demonstrating the offline caching features of the HTML5 spec using an unreleased version of the Gmail web app on both the iPhone and HTC Magic, which is pretty much exactly what I'm asking for here. If this post touched a nerve for you, the video below should get your motor running.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Joseph McLaughlin said 1:53PM on 3-14-2009
"How dare you criticize the iPhone!"
Haha! Great point, I wouldn't mind having a native Gmail app either. Let's hope someone from Google reads TUAW ;)
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dandaman said 2:46PM on 3-14-2009
agreed
KarlW said 2:12PM on 3-15-2009
I wouldn't mind an app for OSX either. I find Google's concept of keeping everything on the cloud and Gmail's folder structure to be completely incompatible with Apple's way of designing Mail clients.
Odd, really, considering Gmail is so widely used. I wouldn't have trouble believing it to be the most popular free email service, but I'm probably going to be beaten up by statistics.
Tony said 11:26PM on 3-15-2009
"I wouldn't mind an app for OSX either."
Here you go: http://mailplaneapp.com/
I've been using Mailplane since beta, and it's been great.
George Allen said 1:57PM on 3-14-2009
"since virtually ever app that I regularly use"
I assume that's every, but maybe not...haha
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Bill said 2:00PM on 3-14-2009
I agree. After the rich experience of Gmail in a PC/Mac browser, the iPhone Mail app falls far too short. Sure, I configure it to access my Google App IMAP service, but there are no stars, no tags, no threading. I also do not expect to see improvements to the Mail app on the iPhone to support it, but I'd be encouraged to see Google release a Gmail app for the iPhone. They've done Google Earth and a standalone Google Search app.
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Zachary Waldowski said 9:15PM on 3-14-2009
"no stars, no tags, no threading"
Tagging can be done by "moving" it to a folder in Mail, just hit the "folder" button in the middle while looking at a message, and I believe psuedo-threading can be done via Settings (but not sure, I swore I saw it).
Matt said 2:02PM on 3-14-2009
Totally agree.
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Jurjen said 2:00PM on 3-14-2009
So how about all the other apps that are on the iPhone platform? Would you trade those in for their Android equivalent? I guess not, particularly at this time. My guess is that the app store will go through some great developments in the near future, (one year) starting this tuesday, while the Android platform is still lagging far behind (despite it's "openness").
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alpayerturkmen said 6:03PM on 3-14-2009
I totally agree with jurgen here. Iphone experience is superior at the moment and it is quite unlikely that nonexistence of a single app will make people move away.
Alpay
LegoAndy said 2:05PM on 3-14-2009
There are couple of things I would add:
1. Ability to archive / star / tag
2. Ability to search
#1 as far as I know is Google specific, but having a GMail app would solve that.
#2 would be tricky to do on the client especially when the number of e-mails reaches 100k or more. But for that using the Google servers would work.
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Jash Sayani said 4:17PM on 3-14-2009
Exactly! Mail.app lacks that stuff but they are only "Gmail features" and you won't find it in any Mail client!
Though the threaded mail view can be expected in Firmware 3.0 !
Triggy said 2:10PM on 3-14-2009
As an ipod touch user it drives me mad how often I loose my drafts. I have a mobile me account for the syncing between pod, macbook and imac, but still rely on gmail for email. If i'm not connected to wifi, any messages i "save to drafts" disappear, lost in the ether.
I should be able to queue up emails for sending once I return to a hotspot - at present I can only write one and must leave it open in mail until i'm connected. Rubbish!
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ms said 2:47AM on 3-15-2009
When without wifi I just "Send" my emails and they get stored in the outbox. Once wifi comes back they get sent out.
jack said 2:08PM on 3-14-2009
Oh please. You're not going anywhere. You won't give up your iPhone. It reminds me of voters saying they'll leave the country if X is elected.
No you won't.
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mr kitty said 2:10PM on 3-14-2009
Really?
And how would you know when you got new mail in your iPhone Gmail application?
I'd much rather see that promised Push Notification System then another TAUW article whining about the lack of an integrated Inbox in iPhone Mail.
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Tyler said 2:11PM on 3-14-2009
You forgot PUSH email.. whytf is google still holding out on this for iphone users? (Android users have it.. and it has nothing to do with the client)
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moulles said 2:47PM on 3-14-2009
IMAP with IDLE is push email.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IMAP_IDLE
And, actually, any push implementation has something to do with clients. Program much?
Mike Shaffer said 2:12PM on 3-14-2009
I agree completely and also wonder if it'll ever happen -- for all the articulated reasons. For posterity, I'd like a native client that:
1. Threaded conversations
2. Archiving/marking conversations (I can't believe that I can't do it on the iPhone web GMail client...)
3. Search
4. Starring
Would love to be able to jump into GMail chat too....
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Scott Levitt said 2:15PM on 3-14-2009
Android? Seriously? As another commenter said...you're not going anywhere. It's not as if you can just walk to the ATT store and swap out for an Android. You'd also be forced to get T-Mobile, which is among the worst service providers in the United States!
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