Google is completely iPhonified

Engadget Mobile has a nice screenshot of the new Google Mobile interface that appears specifically designed for the Apple iPhone. While I don't agree that web sites should be customized for a particular device, other mobiles are sure to benefit by this move. I'm also not complaining about it as the Google optimizations are part of the reason I'm now likely to leave my Exchange server for Gmail's IMAP offering. While I'd lose access to integrated over-the-air calendar & contacts, this new interface offers up both with a few quick button presses.

I kicked the new Google interface around for a few minutes this morning: it's quick to use and in typical Google fashion, has a simple, utilitarian design that works well. A menu-bar sits on the top and offers up: Google's Home Page, Gmail, Calendar, Reader and More.

The More button opens a new page with Docs, GOOG-411, SMS, News, Photos, Blogger and Notebook. Docs is still not working for the iPhone; you can view, but not create or edit. You can enter notes in Notebook, however; this might not be new but I did test it this morning.

I'd like to (and expect to) see some additional customization options such as creating your own menu. Maybe you want Docs up there instead of Reader, for example. I think Home is a waste of a menu option on the iPhone as well; a tap on the URL address bar in Safari offers both a URL field and an already-dedicated Google search field.

Comments

[Kirwoodd]

Well, it is pretty cool, but its still a web page, and not an application that runs on the device, in this case an iPhone.

So if you are somewhere with bad/no connectivity you can't read your old emails? or compose new ones? With my BB I can do that, and its super handy. Also, even when you are in a good service area, you still have to load the page and the messages.
Too
Slow

Now, once the iPhone is opened up and we can get nice mail applications that run on the device including a cache to hold messages...

[Keith]

I'm not sure how IMAP works, can it be set to save all your emails from the last x days to the device's storage as they come in?

Anyway, everyone is saying iPhone-friendly, I'm seeing Android-friendly as well. Might have to play around with the emulator some more tonight!

[Kevin C. Tofel]

Valid points but you're not at a complete loss without connectivity. With EDGE coverage I don't know if you'd ever be in a non-connected state, but I just simulate it by putting my iPhone in Airplane mode. I was able to compose a message in mail client that will be sent once I turn the radios back on. The client says "1 Unsent Message" in the footer of the app. I have full access to every e-mail in my Inbox, but I don't have many there to be honest... only 24. Mail in my IMAP folders is not accessible without connectivity and that's a killer but ONLY when you have zero connectivity. While it's not an ideal solution, I rarely don't have connectivity on the device. If I were on a plane perhaps, but that's rare for me personally.

[Donovan]

Looks like google.ca is not set up yet, but when I go to gmail it is the new interface by default.

Donovan

[Sumocat]

Kirwoodd: I don't understand your point. Kevin's showing off the iPhone-optimized Google Mobile interface, which relies on Internet connectivity regardless of device. As far as I know, the native iPhone mail app stores old emails just fine (within limits, of course).

[Art Kavanagh]

Doesn't work for me. I'm not sure whether this is because I'm using the iPod touch (rather than the iPhone), or because I'm not in the US but in France. When I go to google.com, I get redirected to google.fr. When I go to google.co.uk I'm not redirected. But in either case I get the old mobile site.