Question re: iPhone and e-mail (potential buyer here) ...

Hi, everyone. Currently, I have a Blackberry Curve, but my contract will soon allow me to upgrade to an iPhone after I become eligible for a phone upgrade. So I'm in the process of debating over whether or not I should upgrade to the iPhone. Now, I've had the opportunity to play around with friends' iPhones, and while I like it, I have a question. What happens with your e-mail when you use your iPhone to receive and send e-mail? Understand, I'm talking about what happens NOT on the iPhone, but rather in the webmail interface. For example, suppose I receive an e-mail, and I respond to it, will the e-mail show up in the e-mail account's webmail interface (am sure it will, though; I know enough about e-mail to have a basic understanding of it)? Also, will the e-mail show up as having been "read" already in the webmail interface after I open it and respond to it using iPhone? Finally, what about folders that you set up in the webmail interface? Would these be affected by my accessing incoming e-mail through iPhone? I think I've elaborated enough for folks here to get exactly what I'm getting at here. Thanks in advance to whoever responds.

Depends on if your e-mail provider is POP or IMAP.

OK. What happens either way?

if you have POP email, it *may* appear as read or sent in webmail depending on your settings, but generally it won't (as is the nature of POP). IMAP will usually show it as read, etc., everywhere once you read it "somewhere" (on the iPhone, at work at home, etc).

If you run MS Exchange mail for work that's IMAP type.

I had the Blackberry 8830 before iPhone, and I'll never go back. Not perfect, but much better than b'berry IMO.

Hmm - what happens if I delete an e-mail on the iPhone? Will that e-mail be deleted on the webmail interface, too?

Yes if you are using an IMAP account. Otherwise if you are using POP it will just be deleted on the iPhone.

Here is a basic rundown:

IMAP: you delete, move, copy on your iPhone once it's been downloaded then it will tell your server to delete, move, copy it there also. If you do it first on the server, then when you open up your iPhone it will sync with your server and make the changes you made there.

POP: You download a copy of the email onto your phone, when you delete, move, etc it will only happen on your phone. Same if you move, delete something on the server, it will only happen there and not on your iPhone when you redownload your mail.

If you tell us your provider we may be able to answer a lot better.

Daddy Elmis and Murlyn: Thanks - this is what I needed to hear.

Eric559: Point taken. I have an e-mail account set up at GMX.com ready to go.

Follow-up question for all: Which do you usually use - IMAP or POP? Which works better for you?

GMX.com looks like it offers IMAP. I would use that instead over POP3.

I like it because it syncs with everything like Murlyn stated. If I view it on my phone it shows that on my Mail program. If I write a e-mail from the library it shows that on my phone. Keeps everything nice and organized.

Yep I always use IMAP.

Omnimaxus said:

Follow-up question for all: Which do you usually use - IMAP or POP? Which works better for you?

Click to expand...

I use both. My personal e-mail (from my domain) is POP, my Spam e-mail (Gmail) is POP and my Mobile E-Mail (MobileMe/.Mac) is IMAP.

My Personal and Gmail both download to my iPhone but only get removed from the server when my home computer accesses the accounts (my laptop leaves it on the server even when accessed) and downloads the Mail there. The MobileMe E-mail shows up everywhere so I don't worry about it. I rarely if eve use the web mail access for any of them since they all come to my phone.