Invite-only Inbox by Gmail aims to ‘reinvent’ the email experience

This is an exciting time to be a Google fan with new Nexus devices, Android 5.0 Lollipop and all sorts of Google app makeovers rolling out with the introduction of Material Design. It seems that October is the month that just keeps giving, as Google has now officially announced Inbox by Gmail. Inbox is a brand new app from the Gmail team, and not just an update to the existing Gmail app, though it does obviously still utilize your Gmail account.

Google’s goal with Inbox is totally “reinvent email” by creating an intelligent system to sort information and bundle things into groups (based on filters, preferences, etc) so you can better figure out what is worth reading right away, and what you simply wish to dismiss. Beyond this, Inbox sort of acts like a personal assistant with reminders, the ability to snooze items, and even create to-dos.

Speaking of to-dos and reminders, Assist functionality will even help you make your reminders better, for example, “if you write a Reminder to call the hardware store, Inbox will supply the store’s phone number and tell you if it’s open. Assists work for your email, too. If you make a restaurant reservation online, Inbox adds a map to your confirmation email. Book a flight online, and Inbox gives a link to check-in.”

There’s also smart algorithms that pull stuff like phone numbers and important contact info out from your emails and keeps them organized for when you need them. Inbox will also present package tracking, photos, flight times and other similar stuff in the form of Google Now-like cards that appear right in your message list.

While Google’s Inbox is already on Google Play, downloading it is only half the battle. You’ll need an invitation to actually try the app out, though Google says the first round of invitations are going out today and that new users will be able to invite their friends. For those that can’t wait, you can email Google at inbox@google.com to get an invitation even sooner. Just keep in mind that tons of people will be doing the same, so patience is a virtue.

We’ll be bringing you a hands-on look at Inbox as soon as possible, but in the meantime, you can always learn a bit more by visiting Google’s blog. What do you think of Inbox based on what you see so far, impressed? We are.