Why do they need Gmail?

Roberta1

Hello All,

Have just bought both kids for Christmas contract bundles with Tesco - HTC Wildfire S phone and £7.50 per month contract. Happy Days.

I am just setting up the phones for the kids and it seems they won't be able to access any kind of apps (even free ones) unless they have a Gmail account each?

Is that right or am I doing something wrong?

macman

Remember that it's £7.50 for the basic contract-if they go over their minutes/texts/data, buy paid apps, have the SIM stolen and used etc, it's potentially unlimited expenditure, unless you opted into the Capped tariff.
You need a Google account to access the Android Market, not specifically a Gmail app.

Forwandert

Yes you need a gmail account.

Gmail and android are both Google products. Once it's set up it does make everything easier, contacts etc sync to Google so if you ever replace the phones all the contacts and bookmarks etc instantly sync to the new phone, apps free and paid for are available straight to the new phone once logged into gmail. Same if you purchase an android tablet everything's available straight away from the same account.

Guys_Dad

I have tried to persuade my partner that if she intends to stick with the Android operating system for her tablet and next handset, then she should use Gmail instead of Hotmail as the advantages of using one product that is designed to integrate with another family product makes sense.

Not having much luck! But logic dictates that if there are significant advantages - and the addons to Gmail are excellent - plus GoogleDrive , then moving to Gmail is a sensible move.

And it's free too.

But, if you don't want to, then open the Google Account and then forget all about it. You could always use it when you have to give some organisation - such as confused.co, or any other vendor you know will haunt your email - an email address to plague.

Forwandert

I wouldn't use your gmail account for a spam account. Your notifications on the phone would get a little excessive. Once logged into gmail you can log into your hotmail etc through the email app so it notifies you same as your gmail notifications.

Guys_Dad

Forwandert wrote: »

I wouldn't use your gmail account for a spam account. Your notifications on the phone would get a little excessive.

Not if you choose not to sync Gmail.

Daz2009

Guys dad,Hotmail is being phased out and your missus will find she'll have an Outlook account before too long

Ultrasonic

Daz2009 wrote: »

Guys dad,Hotmail is being phased out and your missus will find she'll have an Outlook account before too long

I hadn't heard that before so just did a search for more info and found this:

http://www.businessweek.com/news/2012-07-31/microsoft-to-phase-out-hotmail-focus-on-outlook-e-mail

I'm pleased to see that existing Hotmail users should be able to keep using their existing e-mail addresses :j. I've had mine for 12 years or so, longer than I've had any address or phone number, so would have been sad to lose it. That would be my main reason for not simply swapping to using Gmail as my main account FWIW.

Rusty!

It's a rebranding rather than a phasing out.