Google Releases Java Email Client for Mobile Phones

Telecom News Editorials Reports Glossary

7:00 am on November 3, 2006 | Category: Web Services, Email, Software

Google is aiming to increase its presence in the world of mobile email, which a new Java-based version of GMail that’s designed specifically for handheld devices.

Most cell phones currently on the market are capable of running the application, which allows users to check their existing email accounts more easily than with the clunky browser-based version of GMail that Google launched at the end of last year.

“This looks and feels a lot like the GMail people are used to on their computers–so mobile usage will grow; it just takes time,” said product manager, Tony Hsieh. “People will learn.”

The new mobile application is 100% free of advertising, and Google has no immediate plans to make money with it. Instead, it will likely serve as a way to build brand loyalty for the GMail service.