Gmail App Updated While Users Wait For ‘Inbox’ Invites
Just as users were convinced that it was time to ditch Gmail the very second they could get their hands on an invite to Inbox, many users woke to an update to the Gmail app this weekend. On the surface, the update to Gmail 5.0 changed the color scheme on the app from a very professional and staid white, blue, and black design, to a more material design approach with primary colors and eye-popping banners.
Most Gmail users probably won’t notice much of a difference, other than the color scheme. The inbox in the Gmail app is still sorted by threads, contacts still have their pictures show up if one has been chosen, swiping a message continues to archive an item, and you can still access all of your Gmail accounts without leaving the app. The search function works quickly, and doesn’t bog your phone down. But if users were downloading the Gmail update, hoping that it would bring their app closer in line to the much demanded Inbox, they may be in for a disappointment.
One high point; this iteration of the official Gmail app allows users to integrate email accounts from other services, such as Yahoo!, Microsoft Exchange, Outlook, POP, or IMAP, according to Greenbot. Previously, users had to download third party apps to view these accounts, so for some power Gmail users, this might be an amazing update.
Some reviewers addressed some of the features they hope that the Google team will bring to the Gmail app. PC Mag suggested that the app would benefit from better calendar integration (as Inbox has, as well as Gmail on the web), and additional options for swiping messages. Some commentors, however, enjoy that swiping keeps things simple, and point out that there is some ability to customize the gesture in the settings.
Greenbot offered some suggestions as to which users might prefer the Gmail app over Inbox.
Inbox is for those who are looking for a little help getting organized. You don’t want to mess with labels, rules, folders, or stay inside your inbox any longer than needed. You want the app to do the heavy lifting and let you get back to Disco Zoo.
Derek Walter also points out in the review quoted above that Inbox doesn’t offer an option to delete an email, only archive it. For most users, the days where you had to delete email because of space limitations are long gone, but a user might want to remove an argument that was made in Gmail’s Hangouts and archived, for example, or not get so many search results when trying to find an old message.
It may even be that some users will eventually choose to use both apps. Only time will tell.
Image from Phone Dog
