Using Gmail iPhone web app vs. Mail client

April 10, 2009 / Filed under: iPhone, Email, Gmail

Gmail's web app for the iPhone is simply the best dang email web app. Period.

But it's still just a web app.

The latest improvements are impressive, to be sure, but as long as it's contained within Safari, it's not a real mail client.

Gruber is tempted to switch, but I still have some qualms.

First thing - a web app can't conduct background processing, so new emails won't show up unless you physically switch to Safari and refresh the page. Compare that with iPhone's native Mail client, which periodically scans for new emails, and keeps the unread count prominently displayed in the dock:

Screenshot of iPhone dock

This happens all in the background, I might add - you don't have to be "in" the Mail app for it to scan for new emails.

Secondly - Safari is often cumbersome to navigate - it lags sometimes, and very often decides to refresh entire pages when simply switching back and forth between tabs.

Gmail's web app is intended to take advantage of client-side processing, but what good is that if the client keeps reloading itself?

Third - Gmail's interface doesn't scale well on such a small device like the iPhone. They've tried to make the mobile browser version look very similar to the desktop browser version, but it just doesn't feel right on the iPhone. Ajax-processing feels awkward on small screens, with a sporadic network connection that typically halts Ajax processing without any indication.

These things all lead me to believe that no web app can replace a desktop app. Yet... I still use web apps for almost everything. Slowly I'm starting to use their iPhone/desktop app counterpart, but I find issues with third-party iPhone apps as well, which is a topic for another post.

But... for email, I'll stick with Mail client for now.

Comments/Mentions

# Ray at 5/25/2009 9:44 am cst

Matthew,

I can't disagree with you more than to view Gmail on an iPhone as anything other than an annoyance. For the substantial majority of people, tweaking Gmail to work seamlessly on an iPhone is beyond their ability or interest.

I use(d) Gmail and I have the ability. Yet I still went to Yahoo for the iPhone. Set it up and use it. No matter if its on a POP3 or IMAP account, web based or client based, its identical. Plus, its faster.

To set up Gmail to accomplish the above is a pain. Ask the average iPhone user what expunging means. Not to mention anything you do is subject to modification every time Apple or Google feels like changing something. Neither is POP and neither is IMAP. What in the world would any email user need that's not satisfied by reasonable compliance to commonly understood "standards".

The answer on Google's part is "Labels". How wonderful. Read through Google's documentation. You will find "Labels" called "Folders" in loads of places.