Gmail is one of the most-used email services on the ‘net, specifically for tech-lovers like most Symbian-Guru readers. What’s even better is that there are basically 3 different free options to get your Gmail on your mobile phone, and all have good points and bad. So which method is the best? Rather than make you set them all up and try them, I’ve put together this post, comparing the three main ways in which you can get your Gmail on your S60-powered handset, for free.The three options are the mobile Gmail application, the mobilized web version of Gmail, and the the built-in Messaging application on your phone. The most important feature, for me, is having my mailbox synced no matter where I view the mail. I have 4 email accounts feeding into my Gmail inbox, so synchronization is crucial. Thus, we’re going to use IMAP for the phone’s built-in email client instead of POP3.
Mobile Gmail Application:
This is a free download from Google, in the form of a java application that accesses your Gmail. It is pretty full-featured, allowing you to search through your archived email, and add stars and labels. You also have access to your Gmail contacts list, which can be really handy, since you can’t fully sync that with other apps – yet.
However, since it is a Java application, it takes quite a long time to load on my N95-3, and isn’t capable of alerting me to new emails automatically. The application also doesn’t allow you to download attachments, even if your phone would support them. You are able to view some, such as graphics, but there’s no way to save the file directly to your handset. This causes a problem if you frequently receive Office documents via email, and wish to view/edit them on your phone.
The Gmail Application also requires an active data connection to be able to interact with your mail, which isn’t an optimal situation sometimes.
Pros:
- Search archived mail
- Add stars/labels
- Access to Gmail contacts list
Cons:
- Can’t compose from other emails (if you have more than one setup)
- Can’t download attachments
- Can’t alert to new emails automatically
- Slow java application
Gmail Mobile (through web browser)
You can also access a special mobile-optimized version of Gmail straight through the web browser on your S60 handset. The address is m.gmail.com, and it offers a few benefits over the mobile application, as well. With the mobile web-based version, you have the option of selecting several emails at once, which is handy for archiving en masse. You also have access to your Gmail contacts list, which can be extremely convenient at times. With the mobile web-based Gmail, are still able to search your archived mail, as well as apply filters or stars.
Unfortunately, some of the same limitations apply, specifically to attachments. The mobile web-based Gmail still doesn’t allow you to download attachments to your device, and only allows you to view a limited selection, regardless of your phone’s capabilities. You also, obviously, cannot be notified of new mail, meaning you’ll need to manually check it periodically if you want to stay up to date. With this option, you are able to interact with your mail in a very limited capacity when you do not have data coverage, such as composing a message. However, you will need to reconnect to read new messages and send, obviously.
Pros:
- Search archived mail
- Add stars/labels
- Access to Gmail contacts list
- Limited offline capabilities
- Select multiple items at once
Cons:
- Can’t compose from other emails (if you have more than one setup)
- Can’t download attachments
- Can’t alert to new emails automatically
Built-in Messaging with IMAP
Using the built-in IMAP messaging application is by far my favorite Gmail option, for a few reasons. The built-in messaging app will allow you to download all attachments, even if your phone doesn’t support them, which can be extremely convenient. You can also retrieve your mail, and then read through it and respond, even without data coverage. Messages are stored in the outbox and sent when you get back into coverage. Also, as was discovered by Mike at Symbian-Addict.com, it is possible to view full HTML email with the built-in messaging application.
However, the built-in messaging option isn’t without its downfalls. There is little integration with your Gmail, however, such as using filters and starring items for later review. You also do not have access to your Gmail contacts list, instead relying on your phone’s address book (which may or may not be an issue for you).
The default messaging application on S60 handsets is also clunky, and requires a semi-advanced user to setup. The setup wizard is completely useless, but Google has put together some really comprehensive and clear step-by-step instructions, which you can find here. Once you have it all setup, the built-in messaging app can alert you to new emails at intervals set by you. You can even setup a schedule with ‘off’ days, which is very convenient.
In fact, I have only 2 complaints about the built-in messaging application. The first, is that if you have it set to auto-retrieve, and you go into an area with no coverage, such as a subway station, and it attempts to check, for some reason, the application will disable the auto-retrieval. I’ve posted about this here, and hopefully this bug gets fixed soon. The other issue is that with IMAP, I’ve not found a way to tell it to retrieve the entire email automatically. The handset will only download the header, and you have to manually instruct it to download the entire email.
Pros:
- Automatically alert to new email
- Full attachment capabilities
- Full offline access
- Select multiple items at once
Cons:
- Can’t compose from other emails (if you have more than one setup)
- No access to archived email
- No access to Gmail contacts
- Painful to setup
So there you have the three main options for retrieving your Gmail directly on your S60-powered handset. Personally, I prefer a mix of the web-based Gmail access and the built-in messaging application. None of the options allow you to specify the outgoing email address, which is a shame, but they all are useful by keeping everything in sync – emails that you read while mobile will be marked as read if you login on your desktop, and emails sent via mobile will be in the sent items list on your desktop, as well.
Which method do you prefer, and what improvements would you like to see?
