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Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

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Re: Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

#71
post #5

Aside of the fact that the app displayed an error message at first launch ("Notification error" - "no valid 'aps-environment' entitlement string found for application" - how did this pass review?), it a) doesn't support multiple accounts, b) is very laggy to use when you compare this to, say, the android version and c) feels like another one of these "let's embed the website above a little native toolbar"-apps Becaus…

I really hate how they just build wrappers around an existing mobile website and publish it. What's the point of building native apps then? Just Push notifications? Isn't that supposed to be against the terms of the App Store?

Re: Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

#74
post #55
post #50

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't this sort of a sanity-level thing you'd check in QA? You know, install the app and boot it?

Or in the vaunted app review process?

We had a version of our app be approved by Apple with a critical login bug for anyone how had never installed the app before. Apple didn't even bother to launch the app or else they would have received the error! Now, obviously, this was our failure to catch this in QA but, seriously? Why even have a review process if you're not even going to bother logging in with the credentials we supplied?!

Re: Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

#75
post #33
post #5

Aside of the fact that the app displayed an error message at first launch ("Notification error" - "no valid 'aps-environment' entitlement string found for application" - how did this pass review?), it a) doesn't support multiple accounts, b) is very laggy to use when you compare this to, say, the android version and c) feels like another one of these "let's embed the website above a little native toolbar"-apps Becaus…

Have you used the Google Voice app for the iPhone? It's literally the worst app I've ever seen in my life. Crashed constantly, won't refresh from the server, will close your text box randomly while typing a message (clearing your message), will fail to make calls frequently, and since I upgraded to iOS5 now has signed me out and crashes immediately when trying to sign back in so it's been rendered completely unusable…

> I can only assume that there's some desire within Google to make sure the iPhone versions of their products are complete dogshit to try and encourage Android adoption.

Do people think companies really behave this way? "Hey guys, how can we make our products crappier? Surely if people think our iPhone apps stink, they'll be motivated to go out and buy a whole phone from us!"

There are a whole host of mundane reasons why products turn out worse than they could be, and they almost never include conspiracy or malice.

Re: Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

#76
Yesterday, when I asked people not to get too excited about the iPhone GMAIL app and I was downvoted into oblivion.

http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3180049

The I maintain that the Android version is really unstable (take a look at the app store review page).

Google is just too big to move at the pace required for so many products it has.

Re: Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

#78
post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or in the vaunted app review process?

The app review process isn't QA.

OTOH The first two items on the list of app store review guidelines:

2.1 Apps that crash will be rejected 2.2 Apps that exhibit bugs will be rejected

Re: Introducing the Gmail app for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

#79
post #33
post #5

Aside of the fact that the app displayed an error message at first launch ("Notification error" - "no valid 'aps-environment' entitlement string found for application" - how did this pass review?), it a) doesn't support multiple accounts, b) is very laggy to use when you compare this to, say, the android version and c) feels like another one of these "let's embed the website above a little native toolbar"-apps Becaus…

Have you used the Google Voice app for the iPhone? It's literally the worst app I've ever seen in my life. Crashed constantly, won't refresh from the server, will close your text box randomly while typing a message (clearing your message), will fail to make calls frequently, and since I upgraded to iOS5 now has signed me out and crashes immediately when trying to sign back in so it's been rendered completely unusable…

Why put any effort into making a deliberately bad app when they could even more easily make no app at all?
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