Elon Musk has hinted at the launch of a new email service called Xmail that could rival Google's Gmail. The new offering will reportedly have a cleaner and simpler design than Gmail which is often criticised for its archaic layout. The billionaire was responding to an X user's post when he said the new offering would 'reimagine' how the email ecosystem works which is currently dominated by Gmail.
"Having an @x.com email address is the only thing that can stop me from using Gmail!" said one user to which Mr Musk replied: "Interesting. We need to rethink how messaging, including email, works overall."
"Yeah. On the list of things to do,” he later added.
Interesting.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 15, 2024
We need to rethink how messaging, including email, works overall. https://t.co/6wZAslJLTc
Mr Musk also confirmed that Xmail will have a DM-style interface, akin to the current messaging platforms. Currently, emails have long threads of messages with formatting which does not translate into a good viewing and reading experience for most users.
"I'd just like an email address that goes into a plain text DM inbox and abstracts the annoying & messy threads/formatting mess that is email. The main nice thing about email is that it is a universal handle system and compatible with everything so you don't have to download a new app, input a contact, or connect with someone," wrote another user, to which Mr Musk replied: "That's exactly what we are going to do."
TBH i'd just like an email address that goes into a plain txt DM inbox and abstracts the annoying & messy threads/formatting mess that is email
— Ross (@rpoo) December 16, 2024
the main nice thing about email is that it is a universal handle system and compatible with everything so you dont have to download a… https://t.co/qNpwh2DhoA
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Internet reacts
The news sparked intense discussion on social media with users curious to know how X would pivot from being a social media company to competing with the likes of established tech giants.
"I can't wait for Xmail. It will be the only mail I use once it comes," said one user, while another added: "Can Grok then be set up to be your built-in email assistant? That would be dope!"
A third commented: "Yes and PLEASE make it easy to find the emails you're looking for. Let GROK find what I'm looking for, summarize it and even write my emails."
As per a Forbes report, X has around 600 million users while Gmail has around 2.5 billion or a third of the world's population. Experts argue that developing the platform might be easier but scaling it to the level of Gmail would take some effort.
