Yahoo introduced its first three Android apps today, including mail and messenger apps, and a Yahoo search widget for your home screen.
The search widget supports voice search and uses the company’s Search Assist to suggest alternate queries based on your request. While the widget just takes up a 4 by 1 block of space on your home screen, once you start to enter a query it jumps to full screen, allowing room for the keyboard and the suggested search terms. It also auto-locates local search results, and results are displayed in your web browser.
The Yahoo Mail app provides quick access to your Yahoo Mail account, and allows you to send and receive attachments, search your inbox and folders, and access your Yahoo! contacts. Users will also receive instant notifications of new messages in the Android notification bar. And you can compose messages using rich text.
The mail app appears to be ad-supported. But instead of a persistent ad at the top or bottom of the screen, Yahoo simply inserts an ad that’s visible when you enter your Inbox… but unlike a persistent ad, you can scroll right past this one.
The one app I didn’t really kick the tires on was the Yahoo Messenger app, because I don’t actually have a Yahoo Messenger account. But Yahoo says the app supports instant notifications for new messages, support for sending and receiving attachments, and support for rich text and emoticons. You can also use the Yahoo Messenger app to chat with Windows Live Messenger contacts.
You can find all three of the new Yahoo apps for Android by searching for “Yahoo Inc” in the Android Market.
