• by Ray Schultz , Columnist, August 21, 2024

Google Workspace has added two writing features to its Gemini in Gmail mobile app.  

It can help email writers polish drafts on web and mobile devices, and it allows them to write and refine draft shortcuts on Android and iOS devices.  

It’s not clear whether these tools can help professional email writers, but the mobile tools are important, given the consumer switch to mobile and the growing imperative to make emails mobile-friendly.  

Adobe predicts that 53% of online sales will come via mobile devices this holiday season. By the end of last year, the figure was already 51%. 

But it depends on company size. Retailers with $1 billion or more in annual revenue are now getting 52.8% of their online sales through mobile. For smaller firms, the mobile share is 43% per month, Adobe says.

It also is tied to the size of the order. 

“Adobe Analytics data shows that consumers have embraced mobile shopping for purchases that are more frequent and lower in price, but we expect larger purchase will begin to shift towards smaller screens as well” says Vivek Pandya, lead analyst, Adobe Digital Insights. “Adobe’s data also shows that basket sizes on mobile are 32% smaller than on desktop, which presents both a challenge and opportunity for brands to refine mobile experiences and close the gap to drive revenue.”

Meanwhile, Google recently added the “Polish option to web and mobile," which it says can help users refine their emails and save time. 
“For example, if you enter rough notes into a draft, Gemini can turn the content into a completely formal draft, ready for you to review in one click,” it says.

Here's how it works: “When 12+ words are present in an email draft, the ‘Refine my draft’ shortcut will be shown below the email content to indicate that there are options available to Polish, Formalize, Elaborate, or Shorten your draft, or Write a new draft,” Google explains.  

These new tools are now available to customers with Gemini Business and Enterprise add-on, Gemini Education and Education Premium Add-on and Google One AI Premium.