Google has today released a free Java based application for accessing your Gmail account on your Java enabled mobile device. While one could access their Gmail account already using the built in browsers of their mobile device, “Gmail for mobile devices” has several features that Google believes will make it easier for Gmail users.

• Up to five times faster access and use, thanks to automatic pre-fetching of messages
• Drastically reduced clicks and scrolling to access email
• Fewer keystrokes for reading, composing, or searching mail
• Attachments, including files and photos, viewable and automatically resized to fit the user’s phone

Users concerned about bandwidth can turn off the pre-fetch feature.

Gmail for mobile devices is free of charge, and available immediately by pointing your J2ME-enabled phone to http://gmail.com/app and downloading the application.

The service is said to be compatible with all J2ME-enabled phones in the U.S. and “works with a variety of carrier service plans”.

Source: Google press release