A lot of people complain about Gmail not having a native application on the iPhone. While it’s not clear if Apple will even allow that yet with the new iPhone 3.0 SDK, one thing that is becoming more clear: Soon it won’t need one.
The reason is that its iPhone-optimized mobile version continues to get some killer features. The latest is the ability to use the swipe gesture to archive messages — yes, within the browser. Users of the iPhone’s native mail app will recognize and appreciate this functionality (though in that app it’s used to delete messages, not archive them).
This follows the mobile version of Gmail gaining a floating toolbar that gives users easy access to certain functions no matter where they are on the screen. And soon, with full HTML 5 support, mobile Gmail will feature offline browsing of messages, which is perhaps the main reason people want a native app right now.
This is all the more reason to become a Gmail Ninja.
One thing I’d love to see changed is to NOT have the Google logo link to the Google homepage.
I understand why it is there, and that all roads want to lead to Google, but it is right next to the [Inbox] button and so I hit it far to often.
Make it an pretty image. Not a button.
Good point. It would make it feel more like a native app as well, rather than just a part of their website.
Without making myself look to foolish.
If Google is able to tap into the iphone api ( im assuming it taps into it ) and know when the phone is being swiped to archive emails.
What is the need of building an app for iphone which may or may not get rejected?
Otherwise, im curious to know a url or shortlist of other functions a website can use when interacting with an iphone user.
I don’t think it uses the native API, just Javascript perhaps? I’m not a webdev so I haven’t I clue, but that’s what I’m guessing so it’s obviously 100% true.
For offline/low connectivity use, greater performance, instant loading, 3D rendering, push notification usage… the list goes on.
I’m not sure this is part of the API either, simply JavaScript to recognise it.
Hopefull HTML5 should fix this. Some sort of offline database system is built into Safari 4. If this proves successful, they should bring it to the phone.
http://webkit.o...tabase-storage/
I think, aside from games, most data/content based apps will ultimately be more appropriate as web apps. We have so many websites that we use online, why should each one have to have a separate app on the phone?
That “offline database system” – SQLite – is already available on the iPhone’s MobileSafari browser.
mobile safari now supports offline databases and geolocation
They don’t use any of Apple’s APIs. They just emulate the design concept.
They just track the cursor—in this case, your finger—for movements and then display their button, allowing you to take an action (delete the email).
Anyway, nothing beats a native app, however, they do a pretty good job mimicking the experience on the web. The web, in general, is taking over and is becoming just as good as desktop apps for many reasons. On the iPhone, native apps have more of an advantage than native apps on the computer (given the size of the device and the concept of keeping it in your pocket but staying connected.)
Just like on the computer, web apps are doing amazing things and no API’s are needed (for interface things like swipes). API’s are only needed to interact with core features of the phone. In the future, similar APIs will be available to web developers.
Getting an App accepted means you get in the App Store. That’s where all the users keep ending up buying any old tat that would never sell elsewhere
There’s no magic. Remember when the only way to make iPhone ‘apps’ were through Mobile Safari? You’d be surprised what Apple put in there. Mobile Safari exposes certain things to Javascript that developers can tap into, no pun intended.
Unfortunately, it’s poorly documented since all their energy has gone into the native SDK after 2.0.
I wish Apple would make the mail client on the iPhone more like Gmail’s web iphone app. I’m amazed at the thoughtfulness of the iPhone Gmail experience. Great stuff, except that it seems slightly slower than it was in the past. Other than that, it’s way more useful than what Apple provides as the default mail experience.
nice stuff, google.
I agree with you on this kyle. Considering that Google doesn’t use the API and has such a great mobile version of gmail it seems like Apple would have something far superior on their own device. Google has hit the ball out of the park as far as mobile web pages go. There isn’t anything out there even close to this that I am aware of.
Hi MG,
That’s definitely a good news for iPhone and iPod users. Until Apple allows the gmail app, iPhone and iPod users could enjoy using these cool features.
Mani Raj
Havoc Marketing
apart from graphics-intensive game, i don’t see the reason to create a mobile app for things like gmail or facebook (twitter’s mobile site needs work). the new mobile safari is a great browser, and even supports html5 standards. Oddly, even though google evangelizes web apps, the android browser sucks in that respect.
Siegler my young follower,
Noticed you haven’t blogged about the Adobe Flash announcement.
Thanks for not mentioning it.
Now, sit in you mantra position and repeat after me: the iPhone doesn’t need Flash. Flash will impact battery life. Flash leads to pop-up ads. When I deem Flash is ready for the iPhone I’ll tell you…until then, you don’t need it.
Sincerely,
S. Jobs
p.s. It’s great to be back.
brilliant!
I guess I’m just hard to please. I’m iPhone 1.0 user who switched from Apple’s mail app to Gmail’s web version because I needed power-user features like search. I’ve used Gmail in Safari on the iPhone several times a day for a couple years now. It sucks. And it is only getting worse. They absolutely should build a native app.
Try writing an email with it that is more than a paragraph long. You can’t scroll up to the top of your message to review what you’ve typed.
Try scrolling through a long email thread without getting completely distracted by the floating menu that eagerly follows you around.
Try marking an email that you’re reading as unread.
I could go on, but the single biggest reason Google should release native iPhone apps is for the iPhone user interface guidelines. There are UI standards that were established for the iPhone for a reason. Usability.
I’m sure this is just part of the Safari multi-touch and gesture support built in the browser / DOM
http://develope...TP40006511-SW23
The gmail mobile site is broken! No inline images (is it just me???)! WTF? I’ve gone back to using the native iPhone email app which is much improved with the 3.0 upgrade.
I love the iPhone Gmail app, but why are there still no graphics in emails? Last post I could find said they were “looking at it” and that was 2 months ago.
Or have I missed a hidden switch somewhere?
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I got a better idea. Google should try getting the basics right before it screws around with the bells and whistles you people talk about. I have multiple Yahoo and Gmail accounts loaded on my iPhone. By the time Gmail finally connects, Yahoo is done and I’m reading mails. My biggest issue is if there’s not many Yahoo mails to read, Gmail is still screwing around connecting.
Labs? What a joke. Half the one’s I’ve used don’t work, at all.
Interface, a joke. Why try to solve a problem that never existed.
The Mail.app is the only thing that makes Gmail acceptable. The Web interface is such a cluttered up joke it looks like it was designed as a toy box for 10 year olds.
Both my wife and I have iPhones and iPod Touchs. Its the same across the board.