Google begins Official Roll-Out of the all new Gmail app for Android

Google has officially announced the updated more modern Gmail app for Android devices. The new Gmail APK was already doing the rounds since the past few days and many of you may have already downloaded it. The new app will be available on Google Play and will support devices running Android 4.0 and above.

According to Google, the Gmail app is “getting updated with a more modern style, sleeker transitions, and a few other handy improvements.” We have already seen the various enhancements in design and functionality in the previously leaked APK. The official version is the same.

The most important change in the functionality is that the new Gmail app supports all email providers that use POP/IMAP. For instance if you have an email account with Outlook.com, Yahoo Mail or other providers supporting POP/IMAP, you can now have separate inboxes for them. These inboxes show on the sliding out navigation menu and you can switch accounts easily.

There has also been a major change in design as the Gmail app has received Google’s new “Material Design”. Of course, many other apps such as Chrome, Play Store, Wallet and Newsstand have got it too as Google is slowly pushing its Material Design concept across various apps.

The new design gives the Gmail 5.0 a flatter look and is more bright and colorful with animations. The header is catchy red and there is a reply button below every message making it easy for the user to reply even when he is on the go.

Have you got the new Gmail app yet? How do you like it?

Check out Google’s video below:

 

Google begins Official Roll-Out of the all new Gmail app for Android

Gmail app for Android crosses 1 billion downloads

Gmail became the most popular email service in the world around two years ago. Now Gmail has reached another high. The Gmail app for Android crossed 1 billion downloads and has become Google Play Store’s first conventional app to have achieved this feat.

Actually, the Google Play Services had attained the 1 billion mark way back in January this year but since it is already preinstalled in devices running on Android 2.2 or higher version and having Google Play Store, it cannot really be counted as an achievement.

The Gmail app for Android reached the 1 billion milestone on May 6 as shown by the following figure from appbrain:

Gmail is automatically installed in Google Nexus and some other Google approved mobile phones but to cross the 1 billion mark, numerous other mobile users must have downloaded it. This shows the popularity of Google’s email.

 

The download counter shows the total number of unique accounts and not the total number of devices or individual users. It means that there may not be 1 billion active users of Gmail because the downloads logged may include duplicate accounts or accounts that have been later abandoned. In 2012, Google reported that it had 425 active monthly Gmail users worldwide. Looking to the immense popularity of Android phones, the number of active Gmail users must have grown substantially by now.

Gmail app for Android crosses 1 billion downloads