Gmail iPhone Support Offers Gmail Mobile Cache Technology

By: Mary Smith
Staff Writer
Published: Apr 8, 2009

Gmail iPhone usage is now available through Google's new browser technology for mobile devices. It comes with a new user interface and offers further compatibility with the Android platform.

Google Inc has introduced a major overhaul to Gmail for mobile which sports a new user interface. The latest revision takes advantage of newer browser technology available for Apple Inc's iPhone and Android mobile devices. Some of the features include faster response time when opening messages and a new batch action feature which allows basic offline support.

"Now, when you go to gmail.com from your iPhone or Android browser, archiving email is quicker because it doesn't require a response from a remote server. Instead, we cache mail on the device itself," Google Mobile Engineer Rob Kroeger said in a statement.

Gmail is now easier for actions like archiving or starring messages when applied to the cache. The actions are initially stored and then send to the Gmail servers in the background. The background task for connect to the servers when it finds an available network connection.

"You only have to wait for a response from the server when you're requesting an uncached message or list of messages. As a result, you can start-up Gmail even if you're on a slow connection. You can even compose mail and open recently read messages while offline," said Kroeger.

Google lifts several limitations for Gmail mobile devices.

The mobile client app was completely redesigned last October. However, it was still missing Gmail support for the iPhone. Google then went back to the drawing board and redesigned Gmail's support for its mobile browser to overcome the limitations. The new Gmail for mobile will operate on Android devices and iPhone OS 2.2.1 or higher.

Gmail Performance Improved Regardless Of iPhone Connection Type

When Google first redesigned its Gmail for mobile client app last October, it was still missing general support for the iPhone. Part of the reason was due to connectivity which limited support for iPhone devices. Google lifted the iPhone limitation by offering performance which is more consistent, regardless of a connection type.

Google plans to use the new framework for future developed applications for mobile devices. The new model lets smart phones connect, whether it be 3G networks, WiFi, or always-on broadband. Using the new cache design will mean that the smart phones do not have to maintain a live connection when using Gmail for mobile.