MG Siegler reports that Google is preparing to finally launch a native application for Gmail. This is great news as even though the Gmail web app is one of the best web apps, we've been waiting for Google to launch a native Gmail app.
According to Siegler, the native Gmail app will include features such as Push Notification, Priority Inbox and one-click starring of messages and may also come with contact icons, better threading, and deep searching functionality.
MG Siegler writes on his personal blog:
Google is on the verge of launching their native Gmail app, multiple sources tell me. In fact, I believe it has already been submitted to Apple for review. If it gets approved, it should be out soon. And I think it’s going to be approved.
This is great news for a couple of reasons. First: native Gmail app! Awesome. Second: those who have seen the app tell me it’s pretty fantastic. Perhaps even surprisingly so.
We've always lobbied that Google should launch a native app as though Gmail web app is one of the best web apps out there, it does not support push notifications, which in our opinion is one of the basic requirements for a mail application these days, while features such as Priority Inbox and one-click starring of messages were also not supported in iOS Mail app.
We're excited as we've been waiting for the native Gmail app for the last 4 years. What about you?
As always, we'll let you know as soon as it is available in the App Store, so stay tuned here at iPhone Hacks or join our Facebook Fan page or follow us on Twitter or subscribe to our RSS feed.
[via MG Siegler's blog]
Finally.
Agreed. This was one of the only reasons I had considered switching to Android last month before I settled in the 4s.
Gmail was working fine using ios’s native email app, setup as exchange using active sync. I switched to an @me account anyway.
But the Mail app is good enough!
no its not
I agree. The mail app needs archive support via the Exchange interface along with starring and labeling and maybe integrated gchat and google voice as well.
If you use Microsoft Exchange on your iPhone you can have your gmail pushed to your phone
You can setup gmail with push using the Exchange setup, i love all of my emails in the native mail app. What google should release is a Google Talk app.
Isn’t ImailG their native app? It been out for ages…
Gmail, set up as Exchange, on any iPhone does give you push email. Additionally, with the new operating system, OS5, you can set up notifications to give you an alert the moment you get an email. You can also search for old emails. The only problem is that the “delete” doesn’t really delete. It archives instead – eating up your valuable gmail space.