Google launches redesigned Gmail and Calendar apps for Android Lollipop

Google today announced all new versions of Gmail and Google Calendar for the upcoming Lollipop edition of Android.

More than ever before, Google has grasped the importance of integrating emails with calendar events.

“Every time you book a flight, buy concert tickets, or make a hotel reservation, odds are you get an email with dates, times, and other important details,” product manager Ian Leader wrote in a blog post. “But who has the time (or patience) to copy and paste all this into their calendar? In the new Calendar app these kinds of emails become events automatically, complete with things like flight numbers and check-in times. They’ll even stay updated in real time if your flight’s delayed or you receive another email update.”

Like the recently teased Inbox app from Google, the new Google Calendar for Android pack “assists” to grab information for calendar appointments, so you don’t have to.

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“Of course, not all event info arrives in your inbox,” Leader wrote in the blog post. “You often have to piece together phone numbers, addresses, and attendees from lots of different sources, then add them to your calendar manually. With Assists, Calendar can suggest titles, people, and places as you type, as well as adapt to your preferences over time. For example, if you often go running with Peter in Central Park, Calendar can quickly suggest that entire event when you type ‘r-u-n.’”

And a new “schedule view” calls out upcoming events in a fresh way:

Check out a video of the new Google Calendar app in action:

The new Google Calendar works on all devices that run Lollipop, will arrive on Google Play in the weeks to come, Leader wrote, and an iPhone version is on the way.

As for the new Gmail for Android, MobileSyrup has details of the latest release, including new support for IMAP email services like AOL, Microsoft Outlook, and Yahoo.

It will hit Google Play “over the next few days,” according to a blog post from product manager Matthew Izatt. Devices running Android version 4.0 or higher will be able to run it.