MobileMe push email on iPhone 3G and support for IMAP-IDLE

The MobileMe issues are slowly getting fixed but just how does push email work on the Apple iPhone 3G? If you think it includes the IMAP idle method then you may be wrong.

On the Apple Discussions section of their site, someone raised just this question. While it’s believed by some that the iPhone’s email client supports IMAP-IDLE, it looks like this is incorrect.

You can read the discussion here. One user called Robin has a little expertise on this topic. He is apparently the VP Marketing of a company that wrote a whitepaper on IMAP-IDLE.

I think I should point out (as a 3G iPhone owner and as the VP Marketing of the company that wrote the whitepaper you pointed to) that the iPhone’s email client does not support IMAP-IDLE. Very disappointing given Steve Job’s initial assertion during his speech introducing the original iPhone that for email “IMAP is, of course, the best”.

We will update you on the improvements Apple makes with MobileMe. But for now, what’s your view on IMAP-IDLE and the lack of support on the iPhone?

View more news about MobileMe here.