Gmail goes mobile

16-12-2005

by Ciara O'Brien

Gmail users can now access their account on the move as search giant Google launches Gmail Mobile.

The small screen support for the popular e-mail account means that users can access their Gmail account from their mobile phone, using the URL http://m.gmail.com.

According to Google, the page will automatically optimise its interface for whatever phone you are using, adjusting it depending on the size of your mobile phone screen. The service also allows users to open attachments such as photos, Microsoft Word documents and PDF files.

One interesting feature is the ability to reply to e-mail by calling your contact -- once you have a phone number for the sender in your Gmail contacts list. The new service should work on most mobile phones -- although Gmail has a list of phones that it knows definitely support the service.

The latest moves come amid fierce rivalry between Google, Yahoo and MSN, who are all competing for users. Yahoo already offers a mobile version of its e-mail service, and upped the storage capacity of its accounts to 1GB. MSN offers 250MB of storage to its users. However, Gmail is still under test and is not offered on general availability to users. Users need to be invited by another Gmail account holder, or if they are in the US, they can use their mobile phone to get an invitation code. The company is attempting to protect the services -- and its users -- from spammers who could sign up for the accounts to reach Gmail customers.

Google has added a host of new services to its Gmail account since the launch, including "bottomless storage" that is continually upping the service's storage from 1GB up to the present 2.6GB (and counting!). Also announced in recent days was the addition of an auto-responder service, letting recipients know that the email account holder is away or unavailable.