Microsoft has launched a brand new Hotmail app for Android, bringing dedicated email features to Hotmail and Windows Live email users.
Announced yesterday evening, the app will come as a free download from the Android Market to smartphone and tablet users.
Microsoft has designed the app to integrate well with the features of the Android operating system, and one such example of this is the notifications. The classic Hotmail envelope icon will appear in the notification bar at the top of the screen to show you when mail is received, even when the screen is locked. Your handset will also vibrate to indicate new mail arriving, just to make sure you don’t miss it.
The Hotmail app will let you add as many Hotmail and Windows Live email accounts as you like, which are then listed as separate inboxes. You can also choose to poll all of your inboxes into one if you wish, to allow you to see all new emails in one simple list view.
Setup is really, really easy. All you have to do is enter your email address and password, choose how often you want Hotmail to check for Mail and if you wish to sync Contacts and Calendars, and that’s it. Once you open the app you’ll be presented with a simple layout, with tabs for Home, All Emails, Inbox and Search.
It’s not just about email with this app either, as Microsoft has built in push functionality for your Contacts and Calendars with Hotmail. This means that any Contacts or Calendar events you add to your Hotmail or Live account online will be replicated on your Android smartphone or tablet with the Hotmail app. Microsoft says this sort of stuff is what will make their app much better than other third-party mail apps, such as K9 Mail.
We’ve test driven the app for a short while this morning and it’s pretty flawless. Our favourite feature is the Application Lock, which allows you to set a password which is required to actually open the app, very handy.
The Hotmail app can be downloaded for free from the Android Market right now. If you’re a Hotmail or Windows Live Mail user, why not download it and see what it’s like.
If you’ve tried the app then let us know your thoughts using the comments below or via our @Gadget_Helpline Twitter page or Official Facebook group.