Google debuts Outbox for mobile Gmail

Google announced the release of Outbox, a new feature for Gmail for mobile enabling users to scan read-only views of email messages when they're offline. Outbox follows on the April introduction of a browser-based Gmail for mobile service allowing users to compose mail offline: "That means you can write an email when there's no wireless connection, like in a subway or an airplane. And when you hit send, the message will be sent when the phone's network connectivity gets re-established," writes Google Mobile product marketing manager Heaven Kim on the Official Google Mobile Blog. "But what if you'd like to view the message that you just ‘sent' while still offline? Outbox is a new label that appears in the menu when you have queued messages stuck on your phone and presents a read-only view of the subject of those messages. So if you want to make sure the previous message was sent before writing a follow-up mail, you can go ahead and find it in Outbox."

Google notes that users can read only the subject, not the body, of messages in Outbox. The enhanced version of Gmail for mobile supports iPhone/iPod touch OS 2.2.1 or above as well as all Android-powered devices, and is available exclusively in the U.S.

For more on Outbox:
- read this Official Google Mobile Blog entry