Google opens Gmail to cell phone access

Google has opened up access to its Gmail free e-mail service to people using browsers in cell phones, the company said late Thursday.

Gmail Mobile can be accessed from handsets offered by U.S. carriers including some from Nokia, Motorola, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications, BenQ Mobile GmbH & Co., Sanyo Electric, LG Electronics and Toshiba. The service is accessed from http://m.gmail.com and a full list of compatible phones can be found at http://mail.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?answer=30596&topic=8303.

Gmail can also be accessed via a conventional Web interface or an e-mail client.

On Thursday, the company also expanded its services for cell phone users in Japan with a localized version of the Google SMS service that is already offered in other countries. The Japanese service is accessed via cellular e-mail, not SMS, and users can run searches against Google's web, local or cellular Internet databases by sending a formatted message to g@google.jp. The service is free.