Google credits HTML5 for boosting Gmail for mobile speeds

Google announced that its Gmail for mobile application now loads two to three times faster than it did in April, a boost the web services giant attributes to recent engineering innovations based on the HTML5 core language specification. "Back in April 2009 our team began re-building Gmail for mobile for today's modern browsers," writes engineering manager Alex Nicolaou on the Official Google Mobile Blog. "We wanted to know: Could the mobile web support Gmail's basic and advanced features? Could we stuff the app with functionality while still keeping it fast and responsive?" According to Nicolaou, HTML5 enabled a series of Gmail for mobile optimizations translating to a reduction in startup latency, and the mail service now loads in under three seconds on newer iPhone and Android devices.

Nicolaou adds that while the Gmail for mobile team has focused on performance in recent months, a series of new features and optimizations are also in the pipeline. "Looking ahead, it's also worth noting that as a worldwide mobile team, we'll continue to build native apps where it makes sense," he writes. "But we're incredibly optimistic about the future of the mobile web--both for developers and for the users we serve."

For more on the Gmail for mobile improvements:
- read this Official Google Mobile Blog entry

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