Improved Mobile Gmail for iPhone and Android

Uses WebKit’s client-side database for caching — you don’t have to wait for any sort of network access to archive or star messages, and, even though it’s a web app, you can use it in airplane mode. It’s a very good iPhone-optimized web app.

I use the native iPhone Mail app to read email on my iPhone, but I’m tempted to start using the Gmail web app for one reason: I waste a lot of time switching back and forth between Mail and Safari after tapping a URL in an email. When using the Gmail web app, tapped links simply open in a new Safari tab. The iPhone Mail app needs a built-in web view, like what most popular iPhone Twitter clients offer.

★ Tuesday, 7 April 2009