Hot Synergy: GMail IMAP on the iPhone

So I've been pretty disappointed in Spry, and I've been trying to figure out a way to replace them. I am quite happy to report that, not only have I been able to replace the mail server (exim, if you must know) but I've improved things considerably by switching to GMail's IMAP provider. It's easy to setup (and see a video, too) and it gives you these important features:
  1. Folders! I can finally see my tags on my iphone!
  2. Drafts! This is really just a happy side-effect of the folder thing, but it's important enough to mention on its own
  3. Spam! This is also just a folder thing, but I can now mark things as spam on the phone rather than just delete them.
  4. Synchronized "this has been read" state! Sync spam state! Sync responses without cc'ing myself!!!
  5. Vastly improved security with SSL. I was setup with unencrypted POP before, which was a really bad idea on a device like the iPhone which is bound to connect promiscuously to all sorts of shady networks, including unsecured WiFi hotspots.
  6. Unified email. josh.at.joshrehman.com was set to forward to javajosh.at.gmail.com, so messages sent directly to javajosh would not get picked up by the phone.
  7. Speed. I know it's crazy but somehow Google is able to serve mail MUCH faster than my custom exim installation.
All in all this is like getting an awsome, unexpected Christmas present. Thanks for screwing up, Spry! If not for you, I never would have found this delightful synergy between Gmail and the iPhone.

No comments: