Google has announced an app called ‘Inbox’, developed by the Gmail Team. Technically, it servers as your Gmail client, but offers an experience nothing close to contemporary ones. Inbox is supposedly a more inherently-intelligent service that handles your emails as a service available on the Web (Chrome only), and as an app for iOS 7+ and Android 4.1+.
Inbox, unlike Gmail, does not throw you into the heap of emails we have become accustomed to, and instead relies on its own intelligence to give you information in a manner that will not need you to open an email – well not all of them at least. The interface is reminiscent of the Google Now design language, and why not? Google Now-style info cards are used in the Inbox, appearing in line with your message list. These cards offer details of things like flight times, package tracking, and even photos.
Inbox not only bundles similar email like purchase receipts, bank statements, bills etc., but depending on how you treat different kinds of emails, the app will learn from the choices you make as well. This bundling will help users in quickly dismissing a bunch of emails they have already gone through, or do not want to go through at that moment.
Inbox focuses on key information in your emails as well, such as flight itineraries, event information, photos, documents etc. It will track this information and highlight it for you, and even offer to fill in more information to the original emails. For example, it can include the real-time status of your flight, or even package deliveries.
Reminders are now integrated in Inbox, so users can focus on prioritized tasks as well, or for that matter you can keep a better track of things from one centralized place. Google will provide you with handy Assists – pieces of information to help you complete your tasks, and it is a very sweet feature indeed. Adding a reminder to call a shop will yield in a phone number for that particular location and when it will be open. Assists will work for your emails as well.
Emails and reminders can also be snoozed away, till a certain time, or you can add location based triggers as well for the snoozed emails and reminders.
Inbox by Gmail is an invite only service at the moment, so if you know someone who has an invite to spare, you’re in luck. You can also email at inbox@google.com to sign up for an invitation.
(Download: Inbox for Android / iPhone)
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