GMail

[janpetras]

Well, I just found out that Gmail doesnt actually have push. If you disable "Sync" you won't get e-mail.
Sync is not push, Sync means polling. Which sucks. I have to leave sync open just for that, and so all the apps get to sync which is NOT OK.

I also found out that Yahoo Mail has true push, you get e-mail even with no sync.

This is rather disappointing.

 

[Xyro]

Well, I just found out that Gmail doesnt actually have push. If you disable "Sync" you won't get e-mail.
Sync is not push, Sync means polling. Which sucks. I have to leave sync open just for that, and so all the apps get to sync which is NOT OK.

I also found out that Yahoo Mail has true push, you get e-mail even with no sync.

This is rather disappointing.

In this case, I believe the term sync refers to anything happening automatically, not that you're disabling polling. So if you disable the option to sync, you're telling gmail not to do anything (be it pushing or polling) without you going in and hitting the manual sync button.

Which apps are you concerned about using data in the background?

 

[janpetras]

But that's just it, Sync is not push - Sync is not enabling push, sync is enabling polling.
Push capable e-mail is configured by the server not the end-user.

Polling does not equal push - I don't care how "little" battery it uses. I call it a BIG FAT LIE from Google. It's deceitful for calling it "push" (they did so in their blog when they announced GMail integration with Google Sync).

There's a little thing there, above the "Auto-Sync" option which states "Background data" - that should be the only thing enabled for push to work - like it does for Yahoo Mail. No polling.

Enabling Auto-Sync means you enable auto-polling, which is configured by Google like this:

When an e-mail arrives in your Inbox, the Google servers automatically announce the Android app to Sync, to poll the whole account.

That's not push.
Push is this: New e-mail arrives - it's sent to the app. It doesn't instruct the app to start the "refresh sequence".

Which apps am I concerned?
Well - it works like this:

On my Android I also have: Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare - they are all setup to Auto-refresh but the catch is - I have to enable sync to allow them to do that.

So I use the Power Widget, turning Sync on whenever I feel like checking out Facebook, Twitter, Foursquare.

But now - I have to leave Sync always turned on because of the mail that I need fast, and that means I have to go to those apps and disable auto-refresh so they can't refresh anymore, I also have to disable sync in the "Accounts & Sync" menu, and everytime I want them synced, I have to go back again, Sync them manually, and entering an app will take timeeee to load because it's not synced already.

I don't know if you understand correctly, but what this means is that: I can't use the Sync tool to turn-off sync for everything. I have to leave it open, disable each individual account and app except GMail, and when I do need some of them Synced, I have to go back and enable it again for a short period of time.

Imagine doing this twice a day.

 

[kevdliu]

check out juicedefender which has this ping auto sync feature that "only allows google apps to sync".

 

[Xyro]

When an e-mail arrives in your Inbox, the Google servers automatically announce the Android app to Sync, to poll the whole account.

That's not push.
Push is this: New e-mail arrives - it's sent to the app. It doesn't instruct the app to start the "refresh sequence".

If that's the case (and I'll have to take your word for it - I don't know), then it doesn't really sound like a polling setup either. Aren't the main disadvantages to polling the fact it polls even when new emails aren't on the server (wasting power + data) and that messages aren't received instantly? Even if google's setup isn't your conventional push email, they're avoiding all of those drawbacks - emails are still sent to the phone straight away and your phone isn't connecting when there aren't emails to receive.

But I do understand that this means you can't disable polling from other apps without disabling gmail.

You might want to try an app called K9 mail from the market. I gave it a try and with Background Data on, but with Auto-sync off, and k9 received the push email from gmail whereas the stock gmail app didn't. Twitter auto-syncing was also disabled along with the stock gmail app. That sounds like exactly what you're after.

check out juicedefender which has this ping auto sync feature that "only allows google apps to sync".

As I understand it, picking that option keeps everything from auto-syncing (which breaks gmail's regular push functionality). I assume the 'ping' is another name for a poll, which is what we're trying to avoid.

 

[AngryHatter]

I touch the email icon and check my email.
How difficult is that?
If you are expecting something in the mail you look.
How does your pc notify you of mail? Mine doesn't. I open outlook and see if I have email.

Maildroid will check your email as often as you specify. Without enabling sync.
Try that?

 

[janpetras]

Angryhater, I'm not expecting mail - it's arriving whenever it feels like it and I need to see it fast. - That's valid both for college and the work I do.

Probably more important than that is this:
I have a long searched a VoIP app that has push, (not fring like, Skype like, which works Computer-Phone) and I could find one that really worked.

But for quite some time now, I use an app called "Friendcaller" - which is great because people can call me straight from a link, they just push it and the phone connects. If I'm online.

The bad part is this app doesn't have push either, but you can "leave a message" which arrives instantly in the inbox, I see it, I open the app and answer the phone.

It's hard work I know but this thing saved me so much money....
I usually use it for 4-5 people - who need to call me regularly from another country and they know the drill - the whole thing takes under 30 seconds. Just type in "login", it arrives in my Inbox, I see it, and do so (login). They instantly see me online and push call.

I also use it for offering my parents a cheap way to call me, who are in another country - we talk a lot and we never manage to sync our agendas to be home at the same time so we could use GTalk or Skype for calling + video.

So you see, it's important to me to receive e-mails really fast.
Now you might think "this guy is crazy" or "that's one hell of a strategy".
But the truth is I tried everything: Skype uses too much battery, buying a Skype out number is not an option, the point here is saving money.

Truphone same deal, no push.
fring, only mobile to mobile, the people who call me do it from their computer/don't know how to use such "wizardy" (old people).

The situation is different for everyone, and you have to understand, some people need instant e-mail - because they got used to it and built their whole thing around it (former BlackBerry fan here).

Now, I'm not saying Gmail sync is bad. No sir, it's pretty much..... lightning fast, reliable and free! Not like BlackBerry. I totally love it.

I just hate they call it push and it's not really push, it's more like... I have no idea, I just wish there was a way for me to stop syncing everything EXCEPT Gmail with ONE push (like the power widget, when pushed to stop sync everything, except gmail... like maybe a more refined power widget with a whitelist WOULD BE AWESOME).

All in all, maybe there's an app for that, which I don't really want to install, monitoring everything means even more battery consumption. I have enough problems as it is.

I've tried Juicedefender - it... doesn't... work. All it does is to turn off wireless, bluetooth, gps and everything and data connection. All those (except data connection, EDGE) are already turned off, I turn them on simply when I need them.

I'll give K9 a go, sounds good. I can turn off sync that way and just use K9 I'll be a happy banana soon enough again.

I'm not...... unhappy really about it, im just....... frustrated?.
Google has really no ..... nothing bad about Google can be said. I just hate it they call it push, sync, whatever when its more like semi-polling (I admit, it's not true polling either)

Google is awesome, does a great job, otherwise I wouldn't be here, but there need to be people like me, picking on every single f* detail otherwise things wouldn't be getting better.

Criticism is good .
Have a nice day.

 

[mikedt]

Push, poll, sync, pull... What's in a name or technology? Surely it achieves the same thing in the end. Email arrives in your 'inbox' and it comes through on your phone.

 

[Szadzik]

janpetras you are completely looking at things in the wrong way. What if the button to turn off automatic work of GMail was called doodledoo? Would you say it has doodledoo and not true push?

You are just looking at the name of the button too closely, and the name does not matter. What maters is that GMail has push and does not eat up battery.

 

[amlothi]

Have you tried Synker?

 

[janpetras]

janpetras you are completely looking at things in the wrong way. What if the button to turn off automatic work of GMail was called doodledoo? Would you say it has doodledoo and not true push?

You are just looking at the name of the button too closely, and the name does not matter. What maters is that GMail has push and does not eat up battery.

You're wrong.
Like I said, turning sync off renders GMail useless.
But Yahoo is not rendered useless even with it turned off.

Explain.

 

[blackhawks_fan]

K-9 mail does push and it's a very good e-mail client.

 

[AngryHatter]

Maildroid ftw.