T-Mobile G1 has push Gmail with Google Talk presence

Sure, there's a lot of to love about the open-source, Android-powered T-Mobile G1, but Google's Andy Rubin just confirmed what might be the new handset's killer app: push Gmail. While that's not a first, it could be a major differentiating feature for Android phones here on out, since it sounds like the app is advanced and partially web-based: it has the threading, search, and Google Talk presence features of the web client. We'll let you know more as soon as we find out.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2008 11:27AM]

VZW is so behind the curve with everything. When are they going to jump on the Android band-wagon? After grabbing up the C-Block you'd think soon.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2008 11:29AM]

Hoo boy. Sounds better already. If push Gmail also includes Google Apps email, then I instantly have a replacement for my BES. I can run mydomain.com on GAFYD and push email to me. Yay.

I mean, I love my Curve 'n stuff, but srsly I'm dying to get rid of the complexity and overhead of a BES and that monthly tithe to RIM.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2008 12:15PM]

my phone has the same push email - Funambol

[Firelight Posted Sep 23rd 2008 12:27PM]

GTalk was rumored to not be on the G1 - this makes it even more appealing. Maybe Sprint/Verizon - someday - maybe? Please?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2008 1:07PM]

The G1 does Not have UMA, this is ridiculous, they really dropped the ball on that one.

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2008 2:34PM]

so I guess push gmail on the iphone is out then, huh?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 23rd 2008 6:51PM]

Will IM and/or email messages in GMail be metered on the $25 data plan?

The $25 plan limits "messages" to 400. Web access is unlimited.

"Messages" are defined as "text, picture, video and IM". So I'm guessing that the IMs you send and receive in this GMail app are indeed metered. :-(

But what happens if you access the web-based GMail through the web browser? Will IM be metered there, too?

Hopefully email messages are not metered. Although they are "messages" in the generic sense, they aren't explictly included in the above definition.

I've been using a Treo for years on T-Mobile, where $6/month ($72/year) enables unlimited web, email (Chatter), and IM (Toccer). To get that on the G1 costs $420/year. Granted, the G1 does a whole lot more, but if 90% of the utility is in the first $72, the extra $348 only adds 10%, it's not so compelling an upgrade.

My guess is that that's a bug in the checkout code, and if you try to take advantage of it, something unpleasant will happen in the future, such as letter from T-Mobile saying "sorry, we couldn't deliver your G1 because you didn't select a data plan". But who knows?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 24th 2008 8:43AM]

I got it!!

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 29th 2008 4:04PM]

I just got off the phone with T-mobile rep saying google chat counts as a message.
Surely gmail does't, else you'd just log into the web interface and use that.

I think the online presence may be the thing we're paying the extra for?

[(Unverified) Posted Sep 29th 2008 4:09PM]

...but the T-mobile site says NO, googletalk chats are free (others are not)
It also has a very interesting ABSENCE in the IM category: MSN Messenger protocol is not ever listed, although all the others are.

[(Unverified) Posted Oct 16th 2008 9:35AM]

what do they mean when they say the IM'S and gmail apps are metered?