Google has a post today on its blog outlining how many of its applications are built right into the Palm Pre’s webOS. That’s hardly surprising given that it’s an OS built around the web technologies Google knows and loves: HTML, CSS and JavaScript. But buried in the post is a little nugget of information that is sure to enrage some iPhone owners: The Pre will support push Gmail from the get-go.
Push technology allows an email to come to your phone without the user having to specifically call up to the server to get it (known as “pull”). This means near instantaneous receipt of messages as opposed to your phone being set to check for new messages at set intervals, which is how Gmail configured through the iPhone’s mail client currently works. Push Gmail has been rumored for a little while. But now it looks like Google is ready to tout it.
Push email is a feature that made BlackBerry devices so popular back in the day, but now it’s on a number of phones — including the iPhone with MobileMe email and Yahoo Mail. But, despite users clamoring for push Gmail since the iPhone 2.0 software launched last year, it’s still not available. The Pre is able to do it because it supports the IMAP IDLE protocol, according to the post.
Push Gmail also not surprisingly works on Google Android phones. But there is no word on when it will be available on the iPhone other than some short messages in the past that Google was working on it. Considering the budding rivalry between the iPhone and the Pre, and Apple’s close ties to Google, I’m betting we’ll see it come soon to the iPhone as well. Who knows, we could even hear about it at WWDC on Monday — let’s hope.
Yes, hopefully this motivates Apple to finally figure out push!
Enough chances were given to MGS to mend his ways. He thinks its some gameplay to write blog posts. Now better chuck him off TC, for good of all on earth.
Isn’t the 3.0 update going to fix this?
Don’t think so no
I guess I will just get my email every 15 minutes instead. :S
What is so special about Push-Gmail? Isn’t Gmail supporting since long time already the IMAP-idle functionality? This pushes you your new emails directly to Outlook & Co. Any email client that supports it, offers push for Gmail accounts
Sounds everything like a hype over a simple feature, which the iPhone team can add without large efforts. I am not sure, if there are already other iPhone email apps which actually may support it already
What’s special about it on the iphone, is that it would help bypass the annoyingness of ATT not including unlimited texts on their plans.
You’d actually get messages in real time without having to find backwards ways of setting it up or manually checking your email.
Another definite advantage is the Qwertry keyboard. No OS update will ever get that in an iPhone.
But you could definitely have a hardware add-on for that. However, I think the iPhone keyboard is tremendously easy and the auto-correct feature while typing is typically very accurate. I do miss the tactile feedback though.
I have a QWERTY keyboard on my iPhone, as does everyone else.
LOL!
lol!! touche
The iPhone has a QWERTY keyboard that works in both portrait AND landscape orientation
The Pre looks fantastic… and I’m definitely a bit jealous of the multi-tasking, but I’m not jealous of the keyboard one bit. I can type just as quickly and accurately on my iPhone as I ever did on my Blackberry. I love that it works in both orientations. If I had to turn the phone to portrait mode every time I needed to type something, it would annoy the heck out of me.
I have a MobileMe account so I get gmail and every other kind of mail pushed to my iPhone. I do hope they introduce the service at WWDC for everyone who doesn’t have MobileMe.
I thought that the iphone supported push gmail via the Exchange activesync adapter.
Push Gmail could be a killer application. For me.
also for me, but is the only smartphone with push gmail?
Heard of Blackberries?
Yes, they are yummy and good for your body too.
Does it have to do with background processing? That seems like the only reason they’re not bringing it to the iPhone. My small mind thinks you would need something running in the background to get push e-mails. Anyone know for sure?
No cause it works with Yahoo Mail.
Google offers IMAP for Gmail. iPhone supports IMAP. If you want push-Gmail on your iPhone you can have it.
Google even document the process: http://mail.goo...mp;answer=77702
Do you understand what push-Gmail means?
Push email is only hype, as a user, you can’t notice any difference.
Wow, have you ever used it? Once you go push you can’t go back!
False. I notice it with MobileMe emails. It’s truly instant. I would LOVE to have this for an email account that really matters (GMail).
Calendar and Contact push sync is already available on the iPhone, email is not far behind I am sure.
http://www.goog...amp;topic=14252
Yeah exactly, odd that they offer push sync for all those other things just not Gmail…yet.
I think it needs to somehow be clearer that you’re talking only about the FREE gmail here. The exchange connector in Google Apps does have push functionality. It just does screwy things to your contacts/calendars if you let it.
There’s one called the Blackberry…
I’d suspect we’ll see gmail added to the Sync program soon (the one that allows Google calendar/contacts to OTA sync with Exchange phones, like the iPhone)… I mean its already all built into the phone..
Although I wouldn’t be surprised if Google makes a “gmail app” with push notification (assuming it ever comes)..
I really doubt we’ll ever see a gmail app — Google is pushing the HTML 5 thing hard and when it can deliver on all the promises made about it, we won’t really need one.
I am all about the push on my laptop, because when I am on my laptop, I am in full communications mode. When I am reliant on my iPhone for e-mail, I am usually doing something else (traveling, with the kids, eating lunch, whatever) and with my e-mail set to pick up every 15 mins, it is push enough…
However, push, like with my old BB was pretty great, but I can honestly say that I do NOT miss push. Should the iPhone support GMail push? Absolutely! But would the lack of it make me want to switch to a Pre? I don’t think so…
Mucio: The G1 Android pushes gmail instantly. That’s one of the great features of the G1. Everything is synced.
Hey Mike, So you have become brand ambassador for Palm Pre
Interesting. Is this any different than the Push GMail on the iPhone via Activesync that we have had for months?
Nope. Except that you can only have one Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync account per iPhone. Having push via IMAP means that you will be able to use your GMail account (even multiple GMail accounts) in conjunction with another ActiveSynce account (say, your work account).
iPhone 3.0 is coming out very soon. One of the biggest touted features is push notification. Google has in the past stated that they’re working on push gmail to the iphone.
If you don’t think push Gmail is coming to iPhone, like, Monday, you must be high.
Push notification. Not push email.
The difference? Well, they work the same way in the sense that your iPhone doesn’t have check a web server every certain amount of minutes. The data is instantly pushed to your iPhone.
However, “push notifications” refers to Apple’s “solution” to not being able to run third-party applications in the background on your iPhone. Applications such as instant messaging clients will be able to push notifications (in the form of an alert, notification sound, or application badge) to your iPhone when, say, you receive a new IM. This will be included in iPhone OS 3.0 which Apple will likely release on Monday.
“Push email”, on the other hand, refers to the ability to have new emails directly pushed to your iPhone. This service is already available to Mobile Me customers and Yahoo users but has yet to work with GMail. GMail uses a different protocol for push email (IMAP IDLE) which the iPhone doesn’t support. Hopefully, Apple will include support for this in the 3.0 firmware update but nothing is certain.
ok but is it seriously that hard for you to imagine a solution where a push notification triggers iPhone to just go poll for new mail?
This GMAIL feature is NOT new at all.
I already am able to push my Gmail to Outlook and Blackberry.
In Fact, GMail allows me to push email Selectively (so that email from only certain senders gets directly pushed by Gmail to my other Clients, while email from other senders just gets archived on Gmail).
So, what’s NEW about what Gmail is doing for Palm Pre ??
iPhone 3.0 will do the same exact thing. They have already released the information of supporting anyone and everyone that wants this functionality to be at their exposure on the new SDK. For texting, email and applications that want the functionality.
Wow, it only took palm 11 years to figure out what RIM was doing with email, and no where near the complexity of what RIM does with email security on its platform. PALM = fail.
Push Gmail can be achieved on the iPhone already This is a link to Google’s own site that explains the setup.
http://www.goog...amp;topic=14252
That will push contacts and calendar – not email yet.
Count me as another who questions the value of push. I had a Blackberry for 5 years and push really isn’t that critical. If you’re not impressed with iPhone Mail IMAP performance, try the web-based version of Gmail, it’s very nice.
Gmail does work well in Safari, but you don’t get notified when a new message arrives.
Push would be nice, but personally I don’t need to be notified as soon as new mail arrives. I have my iPhone set to check my Gmail account for new messages every ten minutes, so when I hear the new mail notification tone the message is usually just a few minutes old. If you’re the kind of person who uses email like text messaging, I can see how push would be a big deal. I used to have it with my Blackberry, but I care more about the iPhone’s apps than I do about Blackberry’s push. Besides, if I really want to get an email as soon as I know someone has sent it, I can just refresh my iPhone inbox to check for new messages… or switch to the Gmail Website in Safari.
is this really an issue for most people? Just set your phone to check for email every 5 minutes, 10 minutes, whatever. I can’t think of one email I’ve gotten in the last 20 years that I couldn’t wait 4 minutes to see…
Why do so many people want the iphone to be the king of all smart phones? Haven’t we learned from Microsoft that when one company has a monopoly that we the consumers lose?
The iphone already has a huge headstart with applications +. Give the Pre credit and hope that it becomes a real rival and gives us choices!
Well IMAP IDLE is not really a solution for mobiles. This requires the phone to keep up an TCP connection, which requires keep-alives and therefore is not able to go to sleep mode. Expect your battery run out soon if you want to use IMAP IDLE. Real push email works with GSM push notifications (much similar to SMS) to wake up the application and open the TCP connection only when needed.
Looking forward to playing with my Palm Pre in the next few days and trying this out. Thanks for the tip off MG.
If I really needed an email instantly it would come to me in the form of an IM, text, or a phone call.
the business world doesn’t work like that.
Interesting discussion about this topic at Stanford GSB. Matt Murphy (KPCB), Steve Demeter (iPhone) & Pam Deizel of Palm are going to be there. Go here for more info http://www.vlab...le.html?aid=275
I don’t see what the big deal is here. Can’t you just enable Gmail forwarding to MobileMe? The Gmail web interface is slow, anyway, and I would much rather use the phone’s native mail application.
the MacRumors forums have provided a solution (full thread here: http://forums.m...ad.php?t=676407)
1) follow the instructions here: https://mail.go...py?answer=77702
2) in Settings, under Fetch New Data, set Push ‘On’ and to check every 15 minutes. Under Advanced, make sure your Gmail is set to ‘Fetch.’
3) Let it run one complete 15 minute cycle (ie – go have a drink and wait 20 minutes). Go back into Settings and you can now set it to check every hour.
Voila. Again, I don’t know if this will work for everybody, but it’s now 24+ hours, and it’s working for both of us.
I’m thinking that they are probably waiting for an OS update. Notice the convoluted way you have to set up Calendar and Contact syncing with Gmail? Apple will probably update the Gmail settings in the Mail app to include not only email but contacts and calendar as well.
Why is everyone talking about push e-mail but not saying anything about push calendar. That’s the real winner? I constantly have changes in meetings, dates, times that my secretary diligently puts into calendar and expects me to instantly see it on my phone.
Which company does that?
humm http://www.goog...apple/sync.html ?
No mail yet but you calendar will sync
Apple’s iPhone was introduced at MacWorld in January 2007 and officially went on sale June 29, 2007, selling 146,000 units within the first weekend of launch. The phone (as well as its newer self, the… Learn More