Yahoo Mail is now prettier, faster, and more mobile

Yahoo Mail has a new look, faster speed, and new iOS and Windows 8 apps. Can CEO Marissa Mayer's first big release push Yahoo back to the top of the worldwide email food chain?

Yahoo Mail is no longer quite as ancient-looking as it used to be. The tenacious Internet giant announced today an all-new look for its Web mail client, as well as updates to Yahoo Mail for Google’s Android mobile operating system, plus new native apps for Apple’s iOS and Microsoft’s Windows 8.

“You’ve told us loud and clear that you want fewer distractions when it comes to email. You want to quickly login, communicate, and get on with your day,” wrote Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer in an announcement. “And we’ve listened. Starting today, the new Yahoo! Mail is fast, easy, and available anywhere you go.”

Mayer says the new Yahoo Mail has received a noticeable boost in speed, and is “more intuitive and easier to navigate, allowing you to focus on what matters most: your messages.” The company has also designed all versions of Yahoo Mail to have a “consistent look and feel across devices” – an important feature for users who jump back and forth from computer to smartphone and back again.

The Android app, while not entirely new, has also been optimized to use between 20 and 40 percent less battery than the earlier version, according to Yahoo. And of course, the Windows 8 version supports Live Tiles. The only thing missing from the lineup is an iPad app; the iOS version now available is only made for the smaller screens of the iPhone and iPod touch.

The new Yahoo Mail is the first major product launch from Yahoo under Mayer, who was appointed President and CEO of the company in July of this year. Mayer made a name for herself as a successful executive at Google, which she joined in 1999 as employee number 20.

Yahoo Mail remains the number one email client in the U.S., and has 105 million daily users worldwide. Gmail holds the top slot worldwide, however, having stolen Hotmail’s crown in November.

The Web version of the new Yahoo Mail will be rolling out to customers over the next few days, according to Yahoo. If you already have the Android app, it will update automatically. Otherwise, you can download it here. The iPhone app is available here, and the Windows 8 app here.