Android email is awful! Samsung Vibrant

[JonnyTx]

First, know that I am coming from a Blackberry. Also, I LOVE Android with the exception of email so don't think I am here to bash Android.

That being said, I have to say that email on my Samsung Vibrant is the absolute worst experience I have ever had with email. Truly awful.

I have simple needs. I want my email pushed to me when it is sent and the phone does that fairly well with gmail.

Second, I want the email to be actually downloaded to my phone not left on some server somewhere. I hate having to wait for an email to load and then when I back out having to wait for the list of email "headers" to reload. This is archaic and irritating. By the way, I am using K-9 mail but have also tried the stock email on the Vibrant which I like but unfortunately does not have a way to edit replies that i could find.

Yes, I have set k9 to download full headers. That has noting to do with actually downloading the email.

Is it too much to ask to have an email program that does not act like a news reader and actually downloads the email to your phone for quick viewing.

Also, k9 on my phone is excruciatingly slow and laggy. Sometimes hitting send means a wait of several minutes. I would really like to use the stock email on the Vibrant which is faster and more responsive but can't get it to allow editing of replies.

So here are my needs laid out simply.

1. instant push email (I have that so no complaints here)
2. email downloaded to the phone not just headers like a news reader
3. ability to edit replies

I also would like a program that has true integrated accounts unlike k9 that only has an integrated Inbox. It is very frustrating and time consuming to deal with each individual accounts just delete mail or deal with sent and draft folders. But if I had 2 and 3, I could live happily with that.

Like I said, simple. I'm not a complicated guy so I don't have complex needs.

Anyway, I hope someone can help me with this.

 

[meyerweb]

Does K9 have a setting to download full emails, instead of full headers? I don't know about the Galaxy, but the htc email client does everything you ask, and I find it hard to believe k6 won't let you edit replies.

But check out maildroid. The developer is still working on it, but many people seem to like it.

 

[ari-free]

you should've put k9 in the title.

 

[jcthorne]

Gee, the stock gmail app does what you ask on my EVO. Its quite snappy and mail often arrives on my phone sooner than my desktop. The WHOLE email, not headers.

I also manage both personal and work email in seperate folders.

 

[takeshi]

Is it too much to ask to have an email program that does not act like a news reader and actually downloads the email to your phone for quick viewing.

Sounds like you need to keep looking. My app does this but it's Exchange-only.

So here are my needs laid out simply.

1. instant push email

It's not just the app that determines whether or not you have this capability but your email account as well.

 

[mullrat]

I noticed that too. The stock samsung email app only polls In intervals. My workaround for now is that I'm forwarding all my emails to gmail. I noticed that get less spam doing that anyway. Not perfect though.

 

[JonnyTx]

Sorry all, I had signed up under an email address that I later closed so I did not know anyone had replied.

As to using the gmail app, I can't stand it. I won't go into my problems with it since that is will just derail the the thread.

Oh, and there is no reason to put K-9 in the subject since the thread has little to do with k9 except to mention how awful, slow and unusable the program is for me. Before any k9 fans jump on me for that be sure to read the last two words of that sentence.

As to maildroid, it was just as clunky, slow and useless as k9 FOR ME and it too only downloaded headers (previews?) and when you clicked on it, then it loaded the email.

K9 is so bad that when you back out of an account (since you have to go into every single one individually to delete sent, and trash and deal with drafts, integrated my butt) the list has to reload and on rare occasions something that was there goes missing. It is pure junk for me.

As for the stock email, I guess I can check around the net to see if anyone else found out how to edit replies in the stock Vibrant email client.

 

[cwrig]

Android means embrace Gmail.

 

[UncleMike]

As to using the gmail app, I can't stand it. I won't go into my problems with it since that is will just derail the the thread.

Isn't the goal of this thread to find the most usable (from your perspective) Android-based email solution? Unless you've already had an exhaustive discussion about the native Gmail app in another thread, why not discuss it here?

 

[JonnyTx]

Ok, lets not do this. Often on forums a person says they don't want to do solution A and everyone continues to discuss solution A and so other solutions are never really discussed.

I can't stand the gmail app. I do use all gmail right now because my web host does not support imap idle so I am forced to use gmail against my will right now. Google has been caught using private information of those who use their service on numerous occasions now. Anyone who trusts Google does so either foolishly or without full knowledge of their shady history with private info.

Now that is not the reason I don't use the gmail app. Again, it is countless reasons that would easily derail this thread. But one of the big ones is that the app on my phone acts just like the native email account in that their appears to be no way to edit replies.

I truly can't understand why Android email apps are being made without the ability to edit replies. It is like they contracted with RIM to make this applications. Blackberry is infamous for this but at least with Blackberry you can download a work around. On Android you have to download an entirely new email app which is sad because the one on the Samsung Vibrant is fine except the no reply edit thing.

Of course K9 does allow editing of replies but it is horrible in every other way. I can't believe it gets such high recommendations. In MY OPINION it is the worst email app I have every had to deal with and really is not an email app at all. It is an email header reader.

Like a newsreader, it just fetches headers that then have to be downloaded to read. While that works fine on a PC since connections are faster. On a cell phone it is a disaster and is about as backwards as you can get. If you open the app it has to load header (not email) then when you click on an email it THEN downloads it, then if you go back to the inbox it has to reload all the headers and if you leave and go into another account or somewhere and come back to the inbox, yep, it has to load headers again. That is insanity! Download the damn email to the phone. It is not a hard concept.

App developers need to look to Blackberry for ideas of how to make a solid email app. With the exception of the reply editing foolishness, RIM knows how to make email work flawlessly.

Besides being an email header reader, k9 also does not have a real integrated email solution. Sure, it has an integrated inbox but then you have to deal with sent, drafts AND trash all separately. That is nonsense.

Sadly, Android email apps seem to be a monkey see monkey do type thing. No one thinks outside the box. They just base their app on a previous one. Even maildroid which claims to not to be built off a stock app works just like it has been.

You would think at least one person making these apps would have had or at least seen a Blackberry and so try to make an app that works a perfectly as that email does. Download a copy of the full email to the phone so it can be viewed instantly and have true account integration not just the inbox.

I LOVE Android but email is VERY important for me on my phone and if I can't find an app that can simply download email instead of just headers while allowing me to edit replies (two very simple needs I think) then I will have to abandon Android.

 

[maildroiddev]

Ok, lets not do this. Often on forums a person says they don't want to do solution A and everyone continues to discuss solution A and so other solutions are never really discussed.

I can't stand the gmail app. I do use all gmail right now because my web host does not support imap idle so I am forced to use gmail against my will right now. Google has been caught using private information of those who use their service on numerous occasions now. Anyone who trusts Google does so either foolishly or without full knowledge of their shady history with private info.

Now that is not the reason I don't use the gmail app. Again, it is countless reasons that would easily derail this thread. But one of the big ones is that the app on my phone acts just like the native email account in that their appears to be no way to edit replies.

I truly can't understand why Android email apps are being made without the ability to edit replies. It is like they contracted with RIM to make this applications. Blackberry is infamous for this but at least with Blackberry you can download a work around. On Android you have to download an entirely new email app which is sad because the one on the Samsung Vibrant is fine except the no reply edit thing.

Of course K9 does allow editing of replies but it is horrible in every other way. I can't believe it gets such high recommendations. In MY OPINION it is the worst email app I have every had to deal with and really is not an email app at all. It is an email header reader.

Like a newsreader, it just fetches headers that then have to be downloaded to read. While that works fine on a PC since connections are faster. On a cell phone it is a disaster and is about as backwards as you can get. If you open the app it has to load header (not email) then when you click on an email it THEN downloads it, then if you go back to the inbox it has to reload all the headers and if you leave and go into another account or somewhere and come back to the inbox, yep, it has to load headers again. That is insanity! Download the damn email to the phone. It is not a hard concept.

App developers need to look to Blackberry for ideas of how to make a solid email app. With the exception of the reply editing foolishness, RIM knows how to make email work flawlessly.

Besides being an email header reader, k9 also does not have a real integrated email solution. Sure, it has an integrated inbox but then you have to deal with sent, drafts AND trash all separately. That is nonsense.

Sadly, Android email apps seem to be a monkey see monkey do type thing. No one thinks outside the box. They just base their app on a previous one. Even maildroid which claims to not to be built off a stock app works just like it has been.

You would think at least one person making these apps would have had or at least seen a Blackberry and so try to make an app that works a perfectly as that email does. Download a copy of the full email to the phone so it can be viewed instantly and have true account integration not just the inbox.

I LOVE Android but email is VERY important for me on my phone and if I can't find an app that can simply download email instead of just headers while allowing me to edit replies (two very simple needs I think) then I will have to abandon Android.

I built mine from a different code base and not based on their code, but their ideas are fine. The blackberry is a true business email client, android is not there yet. There is a reason why the stock, k9, and my app don't do what you want.

 

[JonnyTx]

I built mine from a different code base and not based on their code, but their ideas are fine. The blackberry is a true business email client, android is not there yet. There is a reason why the stock, k9, and my app don't do what you want.

The last statement is illogical. Some Android email apps allow editing of replies and the stock app seems to download the messages so that they are available instantly when you click on them. So "there is a reason why the ...app don't do what you want." is nonsensical unless it means that you and the k9 developers just strive to make mail apps that can't do what a user needs and I'm pretty sure that is not what you meant.

Now if one app can do one thing I need and another Android app can do the other, then there is no reason an app can't do both. The Android platform is obviously capable of both editing replies and downloading the message instead of just headers so I can't see why "there is a reason why" the mail apps can't do both.

Now I do know that some people prefer to leave copies of their email on the server. I've never liked that but I have set up non-phone email apps to do just that and they still download the actual message not just the headers much like the stock email app on the vibrant. So why can't an option be made in the mail app to allow the user to select to download copy of the email or just the headers whichever they need. That way the person using the app can get mail in a way that is best for them.

One of the problems I see with k9 and maildroid is that they do too much. I know, more is supposed to be better. But more also means more chance of things glitching or not working right. Take the Vibrant for instance. It is a phone with an amazing processor, screen and potential but it is saddled with horrible lag, death grip problems, compass problems, and gps problems. They just tried to do too much instead of making sure the things they want it to do it could do well.

Why not put out a lite version of your app that gives people a more basic app with just necessities like editing replies, integrated mail (sent, and trash too) and the option to download the message or just the headers.

You could put a $20 price tag on that and if it worked I would gladly race to purchase it.

Maybe I am not using your apps right. But they seem very buggy and laggy (some of that lag is just the Vibrant.) If you want to hold my hand and teach me how to use your app, I would be happy to download and try it again and if we can get it working, I would change my one star rating and send some funds your way. I could even tinker in the Vibrant for you if you need to know how it works better to make sure your apps runs well on Galaxy S phones. If you want to, private message or email me but if not then I am just left puzzled as to why such a great platform as Android is left without an email program that can just do basic email well.

 

[symond]

i turly belive android mails need to be updated if you are new users and want ur old emails on ur accout u cant have it

it only saves new ones thats just rediculous even tho i like android system but really basic stuff should be update with froyo or next update its just stupid idea not to have old emails downloaded or loaded hope they fix this stuff soon

i understand that u cant have old text msgs from another phone becouse its not saved on the network or any other places but not getting and having old mails with in the android mail system it just sooo rediculous

 

[symond]

forgot to add another idea to get back old mails into android mail


just go to ur inbox from computer or laptop and mark as a unread to all those emails that u want to be on ur android mail and than go to mails on ur phone and it will be there

hope this works never tried but i think it should work