Sunday, October 14, 2007

Gmail Mobile 1.5 Released

There's a new version for Gmail's Java application for mobile phones. Gmail Mobile 1.5 makes it easier to access your contacts by adding an option in the menu. If you click on a contact, you'll see the same information available in Gmail's desktop interface: a photo, the email addresses, the phone numbers and other notes. If you entered the phone number in your contact's details, you can call him directly from Gmail.

The application lets you save an unfinished message for sending it later. The weird thing is that the message is saved on your phone, not in Drafts, and you can only have one unfinished message at any given time.

If you care about your Internet traffic, Gmail shows the bandwidth usage every time it loads data. There's also an option for encrypting your traffic, but this is not recommended because it slows down the app.

But the most surprising feature (if you can call this a feature) is the thing that helped Hotmail grow, but it's still a big annoyance in the free versions of Hotmail and Yahoo Mail: the ad automatically added at the end of your message. Gmail Mobile 1.5 appends by default to your message:

"Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com"

Fortunately, you can disable Google's promotional message by going to the settings and unchecking the last option.

Gmail Mobile 1.5 seems to have a worse performance than the previous versions and it's still incompatible with Google Apps accounts. This release is currently available only in English.

To install it or upgrade from an older version, visit gmail.com/app from your mobile phone. If that doesn't work or you want to download the file from your computer, try this direct link. To revert to Gmail Mobile 1.1.1, install this file.

Labels: ,

Gmail Mobile 1.5 Released by Alex Chitu
  65 comments ( Post a comment )
#  
Blogger Teja said on October 14, 2007 1:53 PM PDT:
its version 1.0.5 and not 1.5
#  
Blogger Ionut Alex Chitu said on October 14, 2007 2:00 PM PDT:
Nope, it's 1.5.0. The previous version was 1.1.1.
#  
Anonymous Anonymous said on October 14, 2007 2:33 PM PDT:
It's slower?

~~~~

Gmail for Mobile's page claims:

- Faster, more Gmail-like user experience
Gmail for mobile devices is easy to use and now even faster than before, with the same functions and look and feel as Gmail on the web. Once installed on your mobile device, you're just a click or two away from the messages in your Gmail inbox.

- Easier on data consumption
We streamlined the application to use about half as much data as before - reducing access time and data cost.

-Web and mobile in sync
Your Gmail account stays in sync whether you access it from your PC or your phone. Send an email from your mobile device and you'll find it in the 'Sent Mail' folder on your PC.

-Searching
Gmail for mobile devices allows you to search through your entire Gmail archive in seconds. Simply click on the search menu option and input your query.

~~~~

Isn't that true? 1/2 the data, streamlined? And so faster?
#  
Blogger Ionut Alex Chitu said on October 14, 2007 2:37 PM PDT:
I compared this version with the previous version. That page compares Google Mobile application with the mobile site (m.gmail.com). Obviously, the mobile site requires more clicks and it's not that user-friendly.
#  
Blogger -du- said on October 14, 2007 2:56 PM PDT:
Unfortunately it's not out for the Blackberry 8703e yet... crashes when attempting to run it after installing it using the direct link.
#  
Blogger Ionut Alex Chitu said on October 14, 2007 3:06 PM PDT:
Yes, it's not available for Blackberry. The direct links let you download a generic version that might not work well on any mobile phone.
#  
Anonymous Anonymous said on October 14, 2007 3:08 PM PDT:
How to take screenshots on a phone (you don't have a camera or another phone)?
#  
Blogger xxdesmus said on October 14, 2007 5:00 PM PDT:
can you go ahead and fix Google Calendar mobile for the iPod touch (it only works for the iPhone right now). It would literally take you 15 seconds to add the correct user agent.
#  
Blogger dantas said on October 14, 2007 5:20 PM PDT:
I just LOVE the gmail java application.
I used to travel a lot to beach or my farm and I couldnt get internet there... So anything related to work / university was directly to my gmail.

With this app was AWESOME. And even, I could see some pictures.

It's a pitty that the new version is slower.

Btw, has someone checked that Yahoo! Go ?
#  
Anonymous Anonymous said on October 14, 2007 7:18 PM PDT:
Can someone please link the Treo JVM .prc files. Unable to hotsync. LOL. =)
#  
Blogger c. staines said on October 14, 2007 9:44 PM PDT:
It would be great if they would support their Apps for Domains users with their mobile apps. I'm tired of using a website to check e-mail, when a perfectly good application is a short amount of coding away from being compatible.
#  
Blogger Mikel Ward said on October 14, 2007 10:00 PM PDT:
Still no support for Google Apps (GMail on your own domain).
#  
Blogger jkonline said on October 15, 2007 12:22 AM PDT:
I agree performance seems to be worse for the new app. There is also still no support for attachments from my phone such as photos I take.
#  
Blogger Raul said on October 15, 2007 12:36 AM PDT:
As for versions, it depends on which language you choose : in english it's 1.5.0, but I tried italian and it was 1.1.0... so teja (comment#1) it might be that you can switch to another language and get a newer version
#  
Blogger Ionut Alex Chitu said on October 15, 2007 1:49 AM PDT:
Well, I mentioned it's available only in English, but I didn't realize that Google redirects to an older version in some countries. You can always try the direct link until I find a better solution or Google internationalizes the new version.
#  
Blogger Eugene Beletskiy said on October 15, 2007 3:17 AM PDT:
Don't you know would it be version for Windows Mobile version?
#  
Blogger Blackadder said on October 15, 2007 3:59 AM PDT:
I agree with teja. During installation it asked me to install version 1.0.5 but I continued with the installation.

After installation, I verified that version 1.5 was actually installed (under gmail mobile help)
#  
Anonymous gas said on October 15, 2007 4:37 AM PDT:
Confirmed, the italian version is still 1.01
#  
Anonymous Seppe said on October 15, 2007 6:19 AM PDT:
Same for Dutch version, still 1.01
#  
Blogger grawity said on October 15, 2007 7:15 AM PDT:
I get a lot of "password doesn't match" errors when I try to do something. Some actions result in a 404 error.
#  
Anonymous Anonymous said on October 15, 2007 7:24 AM PDT:
When are they going to give us Google Apps support?!
#  
Anonymous Anonymous said on October 15, 2007 7:37 AM PDT:
Still no copy/paste? Argh.

Does any of the versions allow copy/paste from emails you have received, or is this a blackberry only limitation?
#  
Anonymous Anonymous said on October 15, 2007 7:38 AM PDT:
# anonymous: I bet they have already developed the gmail mobile app for google apps, (and they are probably using it under their google.com domain), but I suspect there's a commercial deal with Blackberry that is preventing google to launch it for google apps.
#  
Blogger Iuri Fiedoruk said on October 15, 2007 7:50 AM PDT:
I hope this fixes the problem that made me use the wap version instead: when sending a mail I was presented with a 404 error and then a login screen appearead, but that dosen't work, so I had to close the app and loose my written email.
Happaned very often.
#  
Anonymous Anonymous said on October 15, 2007 8:39 AM PDT:
I actually LIKE having a "Sent from Gmail for mobile | mobile.google.com" sig. Why? Because it serves as a notification as to why my response might be really brief, might contain abbreviations I'd never use on a normal keyboard, etc.
#  
Blogger Brian 3000 said on October 15, 2007 10:43 AM PDT:
is the consensus that this is worse than 1.0? Not sure I wanna install ifit is (at least until the bugs are worked out) Though the new app seems to have some cool features. HOW SLOW are we talking, or is this a negligible difference. If it is 1/s speed that is fine to get new features (as I am sure they will work out bugs soon enough) but if 1/10 speed not worth my hassle.
#  
Blogger Elliott Martin said on October 15, 2007 1:15 PM PDT:
After upgrading to 1.5 the gmail app no longer remembers my username and password.

Any ideas?
#  
Blogger Pavels Romanovskis said on October 15, 2007 2:39 PM PDT:
If you have 2 or more gmail accounts and would like to conveniently access all of it without having to logoff/login between accounts, you can install several instances of mobile gmail app on the same phone. You can even cusomize gmail icon to coincide with your avatar. :)

Here is how
http://solnyshok.blogspot.com/2007/10/how-to-run-2-mobile-gmail-apps-on-same.html
#  
Anonymous plchan said on October 15, 2007 2:50 PM PDT:
I installed the 1.5 and it did not work on my BB 8700g. I got the "Error starting gmail$2dg: Module .... etc.
#  
Anonymous Scott said on October 16, 2007 12:17 PM PDT:
The old app worked fine with Google Apps for your Domain. They eliminated that support with this new release! What gives?

I thought Google is making a push to the Enterprise. It doesn't feel like it when GAYD is a second class citizen when it comes to their functionality.
#  
Blogger Ionut Alex Chitu said on October 16, 2007 12:34 PM PDT:
Can you explain how you made it work with Google Apps?

Someone mentioned this in a Lifehacker comment, but it doesn't work for me.

<< * Browse to gmail.com/app/v1.0.0/en/gmail-g.jar and download the version 1.0 client

* Enter your login information (your username should be your full Google Apps email address, i.e. me@mydomain.net

* You will get an error after the client tries to pull up the inbox. Just exit out of the application.

* Now go and download v1.1.1 by browsing to: gmail.com/app/v1.1.1/L1/gmail-g.jar

* After it installs select 'Keep existing data' on your phone when prompted

* Now when you start up gmail it will use the saved login credentials from the previous install and work just dandy >>
#  
Blogger Ben said on October 18, 2007 8:13 AM PDT:
The instructions posted at Lifehacker about accessing Google Apps mail with 1.1.1 worked for me straight away in Windows Mobile 5 and the Tao Intent midlet manager.

It's pretty neat to have it working. Archive, report spam, threaded view, label views, search - all great stuff.

However, it is not a complete replacement for pop3 access. Not all attachments are accessible, and there's no "new mail" notification. It doesn't even auto-refresh the inbox. And I had to hack together a start menu shortcut to directly launch it.
#  
Blogger Timothy McDoniel said on November 6, 2007 2:04 PM PDT:
Wow, on my Sony W300i phone, 1.5 was so so slow. Loading the email was slow, selecting an email was slow. I'd click to open an email and it would just sit there. Then after a bit, it might respond.

I deleted the gmail app from my phone and reinstalled, same issue.

Thanks to this site, I figured out how to navigate and downgrade back to the 1.1.1 version and now my phone's gmail is back up to regular speed.

I'll have to stick with this version for now until Google works out the bugs in 1.5 that's causing this slowdown.
#  
Blogger bahathir said on November 6, 2007 4:39 PM PDT:
I tried it with Motorola RAZR V3xx, and here is my comment.

1) I tried to download it from http://gmail.com/app through builtin mobile browser (Opera 8.0 for Synergy OS), but it prompt "Invalid File" right after download was finished. No luck here.

2) So, I downloaded the client from the direct link to my PC, and transfer it to the phone using bluetooth. V3xx able to installed properly, and I managed to read my gmail account. One small problem, DOWN arrow key, did not moves cursor down, instead it act as "Page Up/Down".

TQ.
#  
Anonymous afe said on November 9, 2007 3:49 PM PDT:
Hey!

I thought I should share this with you! I have the gmail app working fine with my google apps account.

I was curious about the instructions on the comments.. So I downloaded the:

gmail.com/app/v1.0.0/en/gmail-g.jar

and entered my google apps settings. I got the specified error, ... So I got to my phone's browser again and pointed this time to:

gmail.com/app

and went to download the latest english version (v1.5.0.1161) of gmail for my nokia 6680. In the process of downloading I was asked to keep my settings and by mistake I said yes... My surprise was, that when I started the application, it was showing my google apps account.

Fabulous!
#  
Blogger JBaruch said on November 11, 2007 5:57 AM PDT:
afe, your trick worked for the login, but after I tried to open some emails, I was kicked out to the login screen with "wrong password" email.
The happiness seemed so close!
#  
Anonymous afe said on November 12, 2007 2:47 AM PDT:
JBaruch, Sorry to hear it didn't work out for you. So far, in my company we've been able to succesfully activate it in 2 other nokia phones, but it has not worked out in others... very strange!
#  
Blogger frafam said on November 12, 2007 3:58 AM PDT:
Without attachments its not so useful..
#  
Anonymous Robert said on November 24, 2007 8:08 AM PDT:
The problem with 1.5 is that it can take up to a full TWO MINUTES to load on some phones (I have a v3xx with a 1gig card and it's still HORRIBLY slow on my phone), never seeming to want to get past the "Loading. Please Wait" screen and then when it does it still works slower than 1.0/1.1, so I reverted until they can get the bugs worked out or a completely new version is built.
#  
Blogger Don said on November 28, 2007 1:42 PM PDT:
"Someone mentioned this in a Lifehacker comment, but it doesn't work for me."

FYI, I tried this, and then upgraded to the 1.5 version, and it seems to be working fine connecting to my Google Apps mail account.

I'm using this on a Sanyo Katana (6600) JME phone.
#  
Blogger Sysadmn said on December 12, 2007 5:50 AM PDT:
Sigh, still "not supported on your Palm Treo 700p." Downloading a jvm and trying the jar doesn't work either.
#  
Blogger Ben said on February 21, 2008 12:38 AM PDT:
It's great, but on my W610i the newest version is slower then then 1.1.1 and it does not sync, if i archive so
me mails, or delete them, when i refresh their all back all over again, it's really boring, any idea on what to do ?
#  
Blogger bronius said on March 4, 2008 3:00 PM PDT:
Been loving gmail mobile forever. However, v1.5 consistently takes 40 seconds on the JAVA screen before an additional 10sec of animated "loading" bar.

New features and operational speed are great.

Menu EXIT unload time is another 20 seconds of a blank white screen.

I don't get it. I still have the old version and can hop in and out like any java app on my phone (but I can't send anymore :( !)

I am on a Samsung A-960. "No firmware updates available" is what I get when I go to Settings > Update.
#  
Blogger Dejgaard said on April 9, 2008 7:23 AM PDT:
Soooo nice with the direct link!! Can someone also find a direct link for google maps mobile???? PLZ!!
#  
Anonymous Anonymous said on April 11, 2008 8:57 AM PDT:
version 1.5 doesnt work on my kjam. says midlet failed to run. reverted to old version thanks to this link.
#  
Blogger Goran said on April 26, 2008 8:21 AM PDT:
Slow loading resolved with installing generic version of v1.5 not phone specific.
Slow mail opening resolved with go to -settings - 'use secure connection' ...
Hope this helps.
#  
Anonymous Anonymous said on May 17, 2008 1:05 PM PDT:
Hi, I have been trying to install the GMail application on my N95 8GB, I download it from the official page(http://www.gmail.com/app) using my phone´s web browser, but when I start the installation process I revive the following warning message:

Application is Untrusted and may be Harmful to your phone...

Then I click on view details, and I received the following message;

When you install an application the security of the application is checked during the installation. Your device can not verify the supplier of the application unless it has a digital signature or Certificate. Continue installation only if you are sure of the origin and contents of the application.

Well, since I am downloading it from the official Google site, then I think it is a trustable application, but I aborted the installation since it can not verify neither a digital signature or its certificate...

Is the Gmail Mobile application not signed by Google?

Have any of you had the same problem? Ant tips? Thanks. Tom
#  
Blogger Ionut Alex Chitu said on July 31, 2008 4:10 PM PDT:
The direct link for a more recent version (from June):
http://gmail.com/app/v1.5.0.1193/L1/gmail-g.jar

And a link to the Google Apps application for Gmail:
http://m.google.com/a/v1.5.0.1193/L1/MailByGoogle.jar
#  
Anonymous Anonymous said on August 6, 2008 5:59 AM PDT:
Hello from France,

On my Sony Ericsson W910i, the java app revision 1.5.0 works, I can see my inbox messages list, but there is absolutely no way to open any message! The central OK key opens Gmail "Menu" feature, I tried every other key, none of them simply can open a message...

So I reverted to rev. 1.1.1 (French), which works fine. Waiting for 1.6...

Doud.
#  
Blogger almeira said on August 21, 2008 4:15 AM PDT:
Hello from tunisia
impossible for me to install any version on my samsung i600.

anyone can help?

[jalloul]
#  
Blogger Allan J said on August 31, 2008 4:03 PM PDT:
Hi, i installed gmail on my Sprint m610. works absolutely GREAT but every time i open the app it asks me to sign in again. its a PAIN to type my username and password multiple times with the stupid captchas. why cant i sign in once and have the app remember me??????
#  
Blogger Gilles Misslin said on September 14, 2008 7:18 AM PDT:
I have a n95 with the gmail v1.1.1 : the application does not rembember the password, despite the fact that all the options are activated.

exhausting, please help !
#  
Blogger Ionut Alex Chitu said on September 14, 2008 8:00 AM PDT:
@Gilles:
Upgrade to the most recent version (1.5). Hopefully it will work better for you.

http://m.google.com/mail
#  
Blogger SCochat said on September 24, 2008 8:33 AM PDT:
Hi
I have a Sony Ericsson v640i where i installed the Gmail mobile app, but i can't open messages.
I tried either 1.1.1 and 1.5 and the issue is the same. Qhen i click (OK) over the message, it doesn't open it. Instead, it opens the main menu.
What can i do? Is this a bug? Will be fixed? Any solution?

All the rest works great till now.
#  
Anonymous Anonymous said on October 25, 2008 7:56 AM PDT:
Scochat, Doud... same problem for me
I'm looking for an older version of mobile gamail (which worked well on mt W910i)
Will you send me the *.jar (v1.1.1 in french)
lrx_f@hotmail.com
Thanks
#  
Blogger Arun said on November 5, 2008 6:58 PM PDT:
I have Motorola RAZR V3i. I have downloaded the Gmail 2.0 from gmail side. It installed but not working because of limited memory. Please solve.

Thanks and Regards
Arun
akj.info@gmail.com
#  
Blogger Andris said on November 10, 2008 4:39 AM PDT:
How do I download v1.5, now, because 2.0 is awfully slow on my Nokia. Only the 1.5 .jar does not help, probably there's a Nokia-specific .jad, so without that it does not support fullscreen, buttons...
#  
Blogger Andris said on November 10, 2008 9:02 AM PDT:
I found out after a few hours of reading and trying. Go tho this URL, on your phone, with the default (non Opera) browser.

http://m.google.com/app/gmail.jad?dc=gorganic&ver=v1.5.0
#  
Anonymous Anonymous said on November 12, 2008 9:51 PM PDT:
Andris:
THANKS A LOT!

You just saved my day. My Nokia couldn't run v2, and I unfortunately deleted v1.5 fullscreen.

Again: Thank You!!!
#  
Anonymous Anonymous said on December 11, 2008 2:19 AM PDT:
Yeah, same with me: My Nokia 6085 can't run v2, so I had to re-download v1.5... Hope they fix it soon! Are you listening Googlefolks? :)
#  
Anonymous Anonymous said on December 17, 2008 9:11 PM PDT:
I have a Moto RAZR V3xx and the 1.5.0 GMail app on the links shown above do not map correctly to the Moto RAZR V3xx key board (cancel is on the down arrow and there is no way of moving down to the next item).
Does any one have the link to the GMail App for the Moto RAZR V3xx?
Regards,
Tony
#  
Anonymous Anonymous said on March 3, 2009 10:04 PM PDT:
Hi I had mobile gmail working on my phone the sent it to get fixed and downloaded the new version and it hangs on the password OK. My phone is a LG Shine TU720. Anyone have a previous version link that remembers your log in information? Thanks.
Nora
#  
Blogger Andris said on March 4, 2009 2:50 AM PDT:
Nora, look upper in the comments here, I already linked an older version.
#  
Blogger N said on March 6, 2009 5:45 PM PDT:
Thanks but no matter what older version I have tried to use it will not remember my user name and password.
I am looking for an older version that has the check box below the username and password for remembering log-in information.
If anyone has this it would be greatly appreciated.
#  
Blogger Andris said on March 7, 2009 8:09 AM PDT:
You have to login, and then in the Menu, Go, Settings... and there will be a checkbox, to always stay logged in.
What do you think?
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