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A while back, we compared the BlackBerry Gmail application to pushing your Gmail. Plenty of discussion ensued. Seven months have passed, though, so I think it’s time to take another look at this topic. To start things off, I’ve completely ditched the Gmail application, and never plan to turn back. Not that it’s bad; it just doesn’t fit my current Berrying needs.
First off, due to installing countless applications on my Berry for review, I don’t have a ton of free space. Something always has to go. Most times it’s the last application I’ve reviewed. Other times, though, I wind up really using the app, and have to delete something else. The Gmail application fits the bill perfectly. I get my Gmail through IMAP, so why the need for the application?
Plus, it takes a while for the Gmail app to pick up on new messages, or at least it used to. After you set up your Berry with Gmail’s IMAP instructions, messages are pushed instantly. In fact, they’ll sometimes appear on my BlackBerry before they load on my laptop.
The downside remains that when I read an item on my Gmail, it is still marked as unread on my BlackBerry. If Google could remedy this one tiny issue, I’d be ecstatic. Yeah, searching through your labels can be a plus, but for the way I use Gmail on my BlackBerry, it’s doesn’t warrant enough consideration.
Does anyone use the Gmail application instead of the IMAP push? If so, what’s your rationale behind it?
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Filed under : BlackBerry Applications 11 Comments
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11 Comments ↓
I keep the Gmail app around because there have been a few random times when I needed to be able to search my entire Gmail account for something, which means needing access to more than those 200 or so messages on my BlackBerry.
totally agree with David, I need to have immediate access to all 2470MB of emails I got hanging out in googlespace, don’t you?
Joe, are you saying that gmail imap is instant push now?
what carrier are you on / does it matter?
I’m curious about this because I’ve been considering removing the app also. I haven’t tried pushing my gmail but if I do and I need to access labels I can do so through my browser. Wouldn’t that solve the need to access all of your messages? Any other reasons to keep the app?
Wouldn’t you just be able to access your gmail account through the Blackberry browser then? The Gmail ap reminds me of nothing more than a glorified web interface whereby IMAP access integrates perfectly into the blackberry shell and allows seamless access email links on web pages, the full contact list on my exchange server, and background sending of messages.
mikepags,
I have it through Verizon. I’m not sure exactly how it works, though. I’ve read on plenty of forums that it doesn’t work instantly for some users, though I haven’t been able to find the specific guidelines. You’ll be sure to see a post once I do.
@Joe – I re-enabled my imap gmail on BIS (had it disabled since the gmail app was updated), and it does look like instant delivery now, but where deleting on BB used to archive in gmail, now it sends to trash…
grr….
Does anyone use “Send mail as” with a different default address than your Gmail address – on a Blackberry?? If so, how? Is blackberry Browser for Gmail the only way?
Well…Iam new to the Blackberry, and old to Gmail, which I love. I installed the app so that I could not only go into my labeled mail, but *label* it on the go. However: when I click ‘More actions’, ‘Add Label’ ISN’T an option. I’ve been looking through forums on this – and reading that “slapping a label” on isn’t possible in this app…yet. Or is it??!! Reading here, it seems that it is. What’s the trick?
No, it’s not possible to use the label feature…yet. I guess I was hallucinating when I wrote this. I’m still a far bigger fan of IMAP than the app.
I use the Gmail app exclusively for the simple reason that I can’t stand the inability for the push/IMAP feature to sync both ways. I do not want to read my email on the website and then have it all marked as unread on my phone. To me, this is more than a minor annoyance – it completely defeats the purpose of a service like Gmail which allows access anywhere and instant syncing as seen with the app.
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