The highly anticipated Mailbox alternative email application for the iPhone will be available in the “coming weeks,” according to its creators. Orchestra, the application development team behind Mailbox, calls Mailbox “the inbox reinvented for a world on the go.” We’ve been testing the application and feel that it truly is the reinvention of email for mobile devices.
Orchestra has also announced that the Mailbox application will be available for free via the iTunes App Store when it launches. The company says that it plans to keep Mailbox free “forever.” The company hopes to monetize in the future via a premium set of features. However, the company is yet to share details on what these extra, paid features will provide.
Because of the high-demand for the server/cloud-focused email app, the company has now opened up a user reservation system. You can reserve your spot in line for using Mailbox right now at this link. Reservations will be filled on a first-come, first served basis. Orchestra explains the reservation process:
As we described in our initial preview post of Mailbox, the application focuses on turning your new emails into a to-do-list. Users of Mailbox can quickly checkoff emails as they complete them as tasks. In addition, a core feature of Mailbox is to be able to reach “inbox zero” quickly. Using an intuitive gesture system, users can schedule from a series of times as to when they will handle specific emails. Email is processed in the cloud via your Gmail accounts and loads quickly.
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Orchestra also has answered some commonly asked questions about Mailbox. At launch, Mailbox is exclusive to the iPhone platform and Gmail accounts, but Orchestra will add more device and email account support in the future. Additionally, the company has clarified that the application will support multiple accounts and push notifications.
There is no desktop version of Mailbox, but its Gmail account integration means that your Mailbox email sorting will appear in a special Mailbox folder inside of your Gmail account. This works for Gmail on the web and on non-Mailbox applications on other devices. Regarding security, Orchestra says that it encrypts all communication to and from the app. The company provides more information via its privacy policy page.
