Google revamps Gmail for iPad – intros ‘stacked card’ UI

You got to love competition. One day after Yahoo revamped its iPad web Mail app, Google has introduced a new version of its Gmail web app for the Apple iPad and it features a redesigned user interface.

The previous version had multiple toolbars which Google thought could confuse Apple iPad users, so the new UI has a “stacked card” interaction metaphor.

In the new interface, selected conversations are displayed stacked on the right panel for easy organizing, archiving or deleting. The second toolbar is gone so it’s always clear which conversations you’re working with.

This new interface has also been an opportunity for our team to experiment with CSS3 transitions, which give mobile web applications a similar look and feel to native applications. More details on the implementation are posted on the code blog.

This should make it easier to manage and keep track of your conversations and it’s a smart way to make use of that big, 10-inch screen of the Apple iPad. You can access the new web app by going to gmail.com in Safari.

Yahoo optimized its Mail client by utilizing HTML5 and the company promises it provides a faster experience and an easier way to manage your Yahoo messages.

I’m a Gmail guy so I’d opt for its version on the Apple iPad but I like what Yahoo is trying to do and think the interface for its Mail is pretty good on the tablet. As more and more tablets come out, this could be an increasingly important space. Or, you could just use the integrated Mail program like most people do, I suppose.

Speaking of other tablets, we’ve put together a list of the five most-anticipated Apple iPad competitors and you should definitely check it out. Feel free to let us know what tablet you’re looking forward to, as well.

[Via Google mobile blog]