How does email work on Windows Phone 8?

[snaqvi91]

So I'm used to a BlackBerry where the emails get pushed to the device as they arrive. The device does not request an update from the server as to whether there is new email or not so it ends up saving bandwidth. The emails arrive faster than anything else I've seen.

So does wp8 work in a similar way or does it request updates every minute or whatever time you've set? If I got an Outlook would it work any better on WP8 as opposed to a gmail account?

 

[shinygerbil]

People have varying amounts of success with mail, especially push.

You can set an update schedule for every 15, 30 or 60 minutes, or (WHEN SUPPORTED) "as items arrive" i.e. push.

With Gmail accounts, some people say they can access push, others say they don't have the option. With my Yahoo! Mail, I don't have the option. With my @live.co.uk account I do have the option to use push mail - but I'm not sure exactly how "instantaneous" it actually is. I haven't actually tested it, but from random observations it's not very quick.

 

[tk-093]

Most of your main email accounts, Exchange, Outlook, GMail, etc. use push email where your email is indeed pushed from a server. You also can change that from push to some type of interval if you don't want it to push.

It's close to Blackberry, but seriously, if you are a super hardcore email user, you will realize that nothing works as slick as Blackberry in the email department, but for most people that isn't a deal breaker.

 

[snaqvi91]

Yeah a delay of say even a minute isn't going to really change my decision. But what I'm concerned about is battery life. If the phone keeps asking the server every minute then obviously its going to take up data and battery. True push on the other hand won't.

 

[tk-093]

Yeah a delay of say even a minute isn't going to really change my decision. But what I'm concerned about is battery life. If the phone keeps asking the server every minute then obviously its going to take up data and battery. True push on the other hand won't.

Yeah, it's push using ActiveSync. Even Google licences ActiveSync from Microsoft. (I wonder how much cash they get for all those Android phones..haha.)

My corporate email seems to come to my phone pretty much the same time it comes into my inbox, sometimes even faster since most of us run Outlook on our Windows machines in cache mode. My Live email might be a minute or so behind, but it's going through a pretty massive email system. Or at least that's what I tell myself.

 

[richard_c]

If I delete emials on my phone will it delete them all together from my account? I did this on an 8S and when i got home to check my e-mail they had all been deleted.

 

[snaqvi91]

So my Outlook.com email would come in immediately while my gmail might be slightly delayed? And as long as I have push turned on, it won't constantly keep checking with the server and wasting data and battery life in the process?

 

[michail71]

I have been very pleased with Exchange syncing on this phone. I'm on push and my battery life is good. If I had to pick something WP8 excels at over iOS is handling email accounts.

There is currently a lack of a notifications screen, which may seem like a big loss at first. However, I've found the phone (Lumia 920) and the way it handles email to be so fast I haven't missed it. It takes as much time to view your email as it would to view a notifications screen.

 

[ousooner314]

I have been very pleased with Exchange syncing on this phone. I'm on push and my battery life is good. If I had to pick something WP8 excels at over iOS is handling email accounts.

I've actually had a better email syncing experience on the other platforms. They immediately sync changes made on the phone (moves, deletes, etc.). On WP7/8, changes made on the device are not synced automatically. You have to wait for the next push sync, or, do a manual sync of changes made on the device back to the server.

 

[based_graham]

I have my L920 connected to my Exchange 2010 (I think) and E-mail has been pretty spot on.

I use a Large E-mail tile and right away when I get a new e-mail it shows up it's a pretty damn good not a lot of issues.

Also what I like about e-mail is how its built into the people hub so for example I have my manager in my PPL hub I can easily touch his contact swipe to History and I can see all of our previous e-mail, messages and txt conversations pretty neat.

Also you can pin individual folders like sent or any folder with importance.

As far as pinning and deep social integration the e-mail experience on a WP is damn good. Yes you have to manually sync moves or deletions but that's fine I barely delete anything anyway I am a very light weight e-mail on-the-go user but for power users I still think WP provides an awesome e-mail experience.

 

[tk-093]

I've actually had a better email syncing experience on the other platforms. They immediately sync changes made on the phone (moves, deletes, etc.). On WP7/8, changes made on the device are not synced automatically. You have to wait for the next push sync, or, do a manual sync of changes made on the device back to the server.

Yeah, Microsoft is following their own standard by not pushing deletes right away. I think it's silly, but I suppose if that's the standard set by the Exchange folks, they probably need to follow it. Other companies who license ActiveSync can pick and choose what thing they implement so they've all decided to push deletes.

 

[snaqvi91]

Are emails displayed on rich HTML?

 

[michail71]

Yes, HTML emails come through but you always have to click on an image to download. And they appear "richer" than on any other mobile platform I've seen.

 

[MikeInBA]

Here is a possible "stupid user" question: How do i forward an email? In my outlook and gmail accounts I only have the option to reply.

Stupid user question answered: Its under the Respond button...which looks like reply icon.:sweaty:

 

[michail71]

I have my L920 connected to my Exchange 2010 (I think) and E-mail has been pretty spot on.

I use a Large E-mail tile and right away when I get a new e-mail it shows up it's a pretty damn good not a lot of issues.

Also what I like about e-mail is how its built into the people hub so for example I have my manager in my PPL hub I can easily touch his contact swipe to History and I can see all of our previous e-mail, messages and txt conversations pretty neat.

Also you can pin individual folders like sent or any folder with importance.

As far as pinning and deep social integration the e-mail experience on a WP is damn good. Yes you have to manually sync moves or deletions but that's fine I barely delete anything anyway I am a very light weight e-mail on-the-go user but for power users I still think WP provides an awesome e-mail experience.

I think you hit on exactly why the lack of a notifications area isn't exactly needed. For one if you have your important contacts pinned you can easily see when they are calling/texting/emailing, etc. It's a very natural flow.

I'd say I'm more on top of all my email accounts and texts than I ever had been on a blackberry or iPhone. WP8 just makes it so easy.

 

[The Sand]

Since you have a Blackberry I thought I would just share my experience with Blackberrry and Windows Phone. I put my Exchange account on WP7 (and 7.5) as well as a Blackberry, so the Exchange account was on both... and the Exchange account would ding (notify) at exactly the same time - the mail hit at the same time for both devices... that is how I knew it was the Exchange account as opposed to my Hotmail(s) which are only on Windows Phone. People around me would go what the heck is all the noise! I haven't put Exchange on WP8 Lumia 920, I like the apps and don't want them to have access to certain parts of the phone - so I still have a Blackberry with Exchange as well as my new Lumia 920 which houses all my Hotmails.

As for what gets push... on WP7or 7.5 Mango - I got push or EAS for Yahoo, Google and obviously Hotmail. It can depend on how you input the server info in the phone - POP3 or EAS (and yes, I had to do some of it manually.) I think you can look up the Yahoo EAS settings - unless they took them away, I don't know "now" because I went with Hotmail (skydrive) and closed Gmail and Yahoo.

 

[WPmunkey]

Here is a possible "stupid user" question: How do i forward an email? In my outlook and gmail accounts I only have the option to reply.

Stupid user question answered: Its under the Respond button...which looks like reply icon.:sweaty:

Click "respond" and the options to forward and reply come up.

I've never had issue with push on my outlook.com account or my school email exchange account. Both used push and were instant. I have since turned off push as I don't need it.

 

[snaqvi91]

Click "respond" and the options to forward and reply come up.

I've never had issue with push on my outlook.com account or my school email exchange account. Both used push and were instant. I have since turned off push as I don't need it.

Why did you turn it off? True push doesn't really take much data or battery life. I'm sure it takes less than when you set it to update at set intervals.

 

[WPmunkey]

Why did you turn it off? True push doesn't really take much data or battery life. I'm sure it takes less than when you set it to update at set intervals.

well if that's the case it contradicts everything I have ever heard from everyone ever.

 

[The Sand]

Just to share experience - as this is totally up to users themselves - I have 3 push accounts through the Lumia 920 and have had zero battery life issues.