Google Pulls the Plug On BlackBerry Gmail App

hypnosec writes "From later this month, Google has decided to stop providing its popular Gmail app for BlackBerry. This can be viewed as a shock for RIM as they are putting in strong efforts to prevent customer defections to handsets that run on Android and iOS. Thus, from 22nd November, BlackBerry owners will not be able to reach Gmail on their devices; only those users who already have Gmail installed will be able to access and use the Google app. On Tuesday, Google on its official apps update blog stated that the company will now be focusing on 'building a great Gmail experience in the mobile browser.'"

Comments

Bad sumary much?

[Anonymous Coward]

This only affects the Gmail app, not accessing Gmail via BIS which is how almost all BB users access their Gmail.

Re:Bad sumary much?

[monzie]

I use GMail and Google Apps email on my Blackberry via BIS. I still have the GMail application installed on my BB though. Why?

- Advantages of GMail Native app on the BB

1. You can only search emails which are on the device. You cannot search emails which you have in your inbox but not the device. This means you can only search for emails which you received since you started syncing the device with GMail. By default Blackberry devices store messages only for 30 days ( you can set it to upto 120 days I believe). So you also cannot search for emails before 30-120 even if BIS was set to sync to it

2. There is no support for labels. BIS will, by default, forward All emails that you receive regardless of the filters that you may or may not have setup for your mailings lists and other stuff. To work around this, I have had to set up a "to-me" and "cc-me" filter on the device. That is of course, sub-optimal.

Advantages of BIS over GMail native application

1. Contacts and Calendar sync ( though the Contact sync can occasionally be a bit buggy

2. Attachment support - there is no way to send attachments via the GMail native application

3. Real Push(tm) support - other than when they have a "core switch failover thing" and your smartphone then essentially becomes a dumbphone.

Garbage

[Anonymous Coward]

No self respecting BB user uses the Gmail app. It is clunky and slow. You use BIS with your Gmail account with the Gmail plugin. The article is tripe as well.

Re:Garbage

[bigstrat2003]

If being clunky and slow was something bad in BB user's eyes, they wouldn't be BB users.

*Flamebait, but also true

This is untrue

[Cito]

Users will still be able to check their gmail with the browser. Google is not blocking blackberry users.

Gmail only pulled the gmail app, but there are 3rd party gmail apps, the blackberry mail app also checks gmail with no problem, and you can also use the browser to check gmail.

As a blackberry user...

[damn_registrars]

I'll say that the gmail app isn't as universally useful on the blackberry as the gmail webpage. The biggest problem with it is that it is permanently linked to having data service available through your wireless carrier, while the webpage can work through your wireless carrier on a data plan, or anywhere that you have wifi (and most blackberries have had built in wifi for some time now). The webpage is at the point where it is very useful for the blackberry, and it supports at least two different modes for the phone depending on your needs as well.

So really, this isn't a big deal. Not to say that RIM isn't in trouble, but losing an app that wasn't that great to begin with isn't a huge blow to blackberries.

Well that's not surprising

[Anonymous Coward]

The Gmall app is bu©ggy and slowý
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Posting this via my Blackbýerry Býold