Google to Soon Release Updated Mobile Gmail App and Developer API

At its ongoing I/O conference in San Francisco, Google announced that some updates to Gmail were coming. At the forefront, and most notable to end-users, is that the mobile interface will be overhauled. I personally never found the old Gmail interface to be that unattractive, but when compared to the updated look, it does begin to look dated:

Interface evolution is an interesting beast. When Google first revealed its last UI enhancement (seen on the left), I was pretty satisfied with the changes. Now, after seeing what’s to come, I can’t wait for it to get here. I’m not entirely gung-ho about the solid color at the very top – and wasn’t even aware that such a thing was possible in Android (given it includes the top bar as well) – but it’s definitely an improvement overall.

Of greater interest to developers would be the upcoming API that Google will be releasing, giving app makers the ability to tie certain functions in with their own users’ Gmail accounts. A travel app, for example, would be able to automatically scan your email to look for itineraries and automatically build a trip portfolio. A deals app could likewise scan your email to see what products you’ve been talking about lately and tip you off to a good price.

Clearly, functionality like this would not be kosher for everyone, as it’s a breach of privacy – even if it’s a breach of privacy done by robots. Still, in some situations, improved Gmail access could greatly enhance the usability and usefulness of an app, and I’m actually quite surprised that Google took quite so long to get an API out the door.

At the moment, a release date for either the API or Gmail overhaul seems nonexistent, and I’m not so sure it’s safe to bet on one (it’d be great if it were within the next month, though).