Introducing the iOS Gmail Shitshow
Update: The Verge announced Sparrow teased them with an app featuring ”profile images, multiple inbox support, and full label integration.”
Hours after the release of the much anticipated native Gmail application for iOS devices, the app has been pulled from the app store due to a notification bug that crippled the program.
Yesterday, MG Siegler leaked the upcoming launch saying, “This is great news for a couple of reasons. First: native Gmail app! Awesome. Second: those who have seen the app tell me it’s pretty fantastic. Perhaps even surprisingly so.” But later amended that excitement with “Google doesn’t have the greatest track record with their iOS apps (they’re often full of bugs and fairly ugly to boot). But again, all indications are that this is a good one. And I believe it’s the first one built after Google’s new commitment to design as a core feature across all of their products.”
Unified design or not, the result was a cripplingly dull application lacking major features as well as stability. It’s incredible that such an influential and resourceful company could fuck up so badly.
Had the bug not been so pervasive, it might have been best to still pull it from the store out of complete embarrassment.
The ultimate Gmail experience on iOS devices is still yet to come. The native Apple Mail app doesn’t cut it do to a lack of rich Gmail abilities (filters, priority inbox and even push forwarding). But there is hope! Even if Google continues to paw dumbly at the iOS app space, Sparrow, the insanely great Mac mail client, has just announced it will be the one to bring the proper Gmail experience to the iPhone. Sparrow to the rescue, indeed.
