In its bid to walk further and further away from Google in its own Android OS, Cyanogen announced a recent partnership with Boxer, the third-party email app. As of Cyanogen OS 12, which will be available in the coming weeks as an update to the OnePlus One and YU Yureka (and will launch on future devices), Boxer will come installed out of the box as the default email client.
The collaboration with Boxer comes hot on the heels of Cyanogen's rebrand and Qualcomm partnership, and will provide users with all of the benefits of Boxer's premium service, including multiple accounts (Gmail, Outlook, Yahoo! Mail, iCloud, etc) and Exchange support. Of course Boxer's regular features of task management and integration with Evernote, Dropbox, Box, and other services are there as well. But for Cyanogen's personalization-hungry crowd, the multiple customization options will be the most important aspect. Things like different LED color notifications for each email account, choosing which action takes place when you swipe an email left or right, and picking different notification sounds will definitely sweeten the deal compared to Gmail's preset options.
And Boxer isn't content with just providing its current Android app to Cyanogen. To sit well with the Lollipop-based Cyanogen OS 12, the app has a fresh new look that seems to employ a good dose of Material Design.
Given that Cyanogen started as a darling of the AOSP crowd, it's interesting to see it adopt a strategy that relies less on Google. And whether its bid to build an alternative Android experience will bear its fruits remains to be seen.
PRESS RELEASE
Cyanogen Email: Powered by Boxer
Today marks an exciting step forward for Boxer as we announce our partnership with Cyanogen.
Through a deep product collaboration enabled by Cyanogen, Boxer is offering a premium email experience to Cyanogen OS mobile users.
The Boxer team embarked on a journey in 2012 to create an exceptional mobile mail experience; feature rich, full of useful integrations, and built with the everyday user experience in mind, we believe ourselves to be true pioneers in the way users view and conduct email on their mobile devices. Today, we could not be more excited to announce that Cyanogen OS users worldwide will now have our premium email experience right out of the box. Cyanogen OS, built on Android, is the leading mobile operating system championing a truly open OS, and we at Boxer, are excited to join the effort.
We take pride in the work we do, and strive to provide the best mobile email experience possible by integrating user feedback into our product development process. Every little detail, down to the LED email notification color, can be set to accommodate the likes of each user, and these choices are something we hang our hat on.
It is because of this user-centric approach that this partnership with Cyanogen has felt so natural.
“We’re truly excited to be partnering with a company that shares so many of Boxer’s core values. Mobile devices have become so prevalent in our lives, but with no two people sharing the same work habits, we believe it is critical that users are offered the option to customize. Phones come in all shapes, sizes, and even colors. With all the device options available in the market today, it is clear that one size does not fit all. We believe the email experience should be no different. Cyanogen shares our vision for customization and user choice. We couldn’t ask for a better partner.” – Andrew Eye, CEO and Founder of Boxer.
The new Boxer-powered Email app features a fresh new look designed to match the release of Cyanogen OS 12 with all the powerful features that have made Boxer a hit with users, including a combined inbox, customizable controls, native support for Gmail labels, push notifications, and email conversation view.
Several other benefits to users include:
Customization: Cyanogen users can now set their own left and right swipe actions, notification sounds, account colors for LED email notifications, and create custom inbox folders.
Integrated Task Management: Users can create a task, set a due date, priority level, and even set an assignee right from their inbox.
Integrations: Cyanogen users will be able to access popular productivity apps, including Evernote, Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, and others, right inside their email inbox.
“The level of customization with the Boxer-powered Email app gives users more choice and customization features when it comes to managing their email, tasks, and host of productivity features. Our partnership with Boxer brings a number of enhanced inbox features that our users will find very compelling.” – David Herman, VP of Product, Cyanogen Inc.
The path to better mobile experiences is best paved with natural, mission-aligned partnerships, and we couldn’t be more excited about our partnership with Cyanogen. And the best part of this new partnership? New friends!
Boxer will be launching as part of the Cyanogen OS 12 update in the coming weeks. Boxer will also be available on future commercial smartphone devices that ship with Cyanogen OS.
Alternate title: Cyanogen OS Wears Its Boxer Gloves And Throws Its Hat In The Ring Against Google
Source: Boxer