HTML email coming soon on the Blackberry

Published January 29, 2008 by Mathew Patterson

Some important news if you send to a lot of mobile subscribers, or view emails on your own Blackberry. While existing Blackberry devices and software only support plain text email rendering, RIM has announced that an upcoming software update will add HTML and rich text support to the platform.

HTML and Rich Text Email Rendering – BlackBerry smartphone users will be able to view HTML and rich text email messages with original formatting preserved including font colors and styles, embedded images, hyperlinks, tables, bullets and other formatting.

It is not yet clear whether this will be optional, allowing Blackberry users to select their desired format, or whether HTML will always be shown when available. In any case, sending multipart text+html will always be the safest option.

The update is set to be released in 'the first half of 2008', and once it becomes available we plan to run our normal HTML/CSS rendering tests and post here about the results.

Of course, if you do know your audience is mostly mobile, then you will want to ensure your emails are shorter, to the point and simpler than you would typically do for a an audience using a desktop client.

A mobile context is very different, and even the type of content itself may differ considerably - information that is useful when at your desk may be pointless when sitting on a train or in a taxi.

Are you looking forward to HTML on your Blackberry? Or do your clients send campaigns specifically written for people on the move? Leave us a comment.

12 Comments

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  1. J.J. Merrick
    January 31, 2008 9:10am

    wow that is awesome. i just got an 8830 from Sprint last week and I love it. It is nice to see a product that is being developed from not just the hardware side but the software side as well. I was a 10 year palm addict and after the local Palm User Group closed down I knew it was time to give it up and defect to a new device. I heart my Crackberry!

  2. Mick Brad
    February 7, 2008 5:08am

    I’ve not gotten a blackberry yet, as one reason is I cant stand all
    my reply messages comming back as plain text.  This is a significant
    upgrade!

  3. D.Orban
    February 16, 2008 11:57am

    We use BB’s here for many job functions. They’re able to access our intranet, but emails that go out with buttons/forms for managers to do approvals are pretty much useless right now. I hope RIM gets this completed sooner than later.
    D

  4. J La Due
    April 25, 2008 12:41am

    Any idea when this update is going to come out? I have been seeing posts on forums about it that date back to early 2007 and so far all RIM has done is release an occasional statement that it is coming. I can’t help but get the feeling that they aren’t planning on releasing it at all.

  5. HTML Email Program For Blackberry
    May 28, 2008 11:11am

    This has been pushed back to “later in 2008” according to some sources.  Check out http://htmlemailprogramforblackberry.com for reviews of the best HTML email programs that render HTML on your blackberry.

  6. Chris H
    July 16, 2008 4:36am

    Anymore news on this?  This is such a huge lacking feature it should have been implemented a LONG time ago.

  7. Mike L.
    August 22, 2008 10:15pm

    Yea, I don’t have time to wait for this. 

    I bought an iPhone 3g last week and it works great.  Awfully nice browser and the App Store is wonderful.

    Most of my emails are in HTML.  Push email still seems better on the blackberry, but if I can’t read the email what good is it?

  8. fornetti
    August 31, 2008 11:41am

    I do not believe this

  9. fornetti
    September 1, 2008 6:01am

    I do not believe this

  10. JF
    September 8, 2008 3:07pm

    one thing to say: iPhone

    ok, one more: for all the bberry users.... at best, it will always be hit and miss. (all) our job(s) would be a lot easier if everyone used iPhones.

  11. fornetti
    September 18, 2008 1:35pm

    I do not believe this

  12. Jonathan
    November 13, 2008 7:42am

    When is this happening… Here we are in 4th quarter and still no word or change.  iPhone is great but too much work for basic features.  Common already BlackBerry and make a change!

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