• by Mark Walsh  @markfwal, December 11, 2012

Yahoo has unveiled an updated version of its Yahoo Mail service for the Web, as well as Windows 8 and the iPhone and Android. Introduced in a blog post by Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer, the new Yahoo Mail is more streamlined and user-friendly.

“We’ve redesigned the new version of Yahoo! Mail with speed in mind -- getting through your emails is faster than ever before,” wrote Mayer. “We’ve also made your inbox more intuitive and easier to navigate, allowing you to focus on what matters most: your messages.”

She added that Yahoo Mail would also have a more consistent look and feel across devices.

The new apps are available for download now and most Yahoo Mail users will begin to see the changes over the next few days. Mayer noted that the redesign was based on input from users asking for fewer distractions in their email and the ability to log in quickly.

The facelift for Yahoo Mail, long one of the company’s most popular offerings, reflects her stated commitment to maintaining the strength of Yahoo’s core properties that also include areas like the home page, Yahoo Sports, and News as well as search.

Yahoo Mail underwent its last major revamp in May 2011, when it introduced an upgrade designed to make the service twice as fast, safer from spam and more compatible with social media tools like Facebook and Twitter.