Update 19/02/2008: Disregard any positive sentiments I express below. Mobile Mail causes data loss by deleting from Gmail any emails it downloads. I can’t explain my earlier results. I guess I should’ve known better than using dodgy proprietary software in the first place. Here’s the original post:

Here’s what I’ve learnt about using Gmail with my Nokia N95 and 3 Mobile Mail, an application from 3, the annoyingly ungoogleable mobile network otherwise known as Hutchison 3G Ltd.:

• The Mobile Mail application runs continuously, in the background.
• Mobile Mail connects to Gmail periodically and downloads new emails while leaving them in the Gmail inbox, unread. This is contrary to the settings in Gmail > Settings > Forwarding and POP/IMAP, which state that messages accessed via POP should be archived.
• If you receive an email, then immediately download-and-archive it using another POP client like KMail, Mobile Mail still manages to push the email to the N95.
• A possible explanation for the above two points is that Mobile Mail is accessing Gmail using IMAP. However, reading emails on the N95 makes no difference to their read/unread state within Gmail. This is ultimately a good thing, as it means emails remain unmolested and ready to access with your favourite desktop POP client.
• Sending emails using Mobile Mail is some kind of diabolical forgery. They aren’t really sent from your Gmail account, so they don’t show up in your Gmail sent items folder. Stuff like DomainKeys also won’t work.
• It’s Blackberry-style push email on Symbian Series 60, and it actually works!