Yahoo! which has already made a big name in the mobile e-mail market with its ‘Yahoo Go service’ will now face heated competition from Google’s updated version ‘Gmail for mobile’. The previous version of Google has been out since December 2005.

Settling down from archiving a message that took 11 clicks on the old version to only two clicks on the new version, Google promises quicker results from its new version of mobile Gmail application.

Compatible enough to run on any phone with preloaded Java software or on nearly 300 different mobile-phone models, the new application automatically pre-fetches messages. Also, attachments, including files and photos, are automatically resized to fit the phones screen.

One can now view PDFs, Microsoft Word documents and attached photos on their mobile screens, claims Google.

Though, the service is already accessible through browser on the handheld device, the new version widens the application’s horizon. The new application offers broader search, conversation view and it automatically synchronizes with the desktop version.

Product manager for the Gmail mobile service, Tony Hsieh specified, “Because it is an application and not running through a browser- it looks and feels like Gmail on the desktop.”

The latest addition to Mountain View-based Google’s product line, the application is compatible to a variety of carrier service plans.

All the e-mail savvy people need to do is to subscribe to a wireless carrier data plan, then look into the menu system of their mobile handset for the Web browser.

Proper punching in of the web address followed by the ‘download’ click opens up the site.

The application comes free of cost from Google, however, data download charges will be charged as applicable by the mobile companies.

Mobile subscribers can download their free software copy on their Java phone browser by logging onto http://gmail.com/app.

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