Inspired by the success of its web mail client, Google launched a new Gmail mobile web app for the iPhone and Android-powered devices. The search giant’s mobile app has been made over to look like desktop Gmail.
Google demonstrated the Web-based mobile version of Gmail last week and announced its availability Tuesday on the Google Mobile blog. This mobile Gmail application doesn’t have to be downloaded through Apple’s App Store or Google’s Android Market; it works after you point the browser to gmail.com.
CNN points out that “Google has a strong interest in making mobile devices first-class citizens on the Internet, a move that ultimately will open up new advertising possibilities for the search giant.”
Still, ads aren’t a feature of new Mobile Gmail. Major feature changes include a floating toolbar (the floaty bar) that travels with you as you scroll through a message, and a search button at the top of the screen to find older messages. It also offers advanced offline features. The application stores e-mail messages on the phone itself using the still settling-down HTML 5 standard for Web page design and, in Android’s case, using Google’s Gears browser plug-in.
