AOL Mail Gets a Snappy New UI, Gmail, Yahoo and Hotmail Integration

As expected, AOL is now unveiling a brand-new AOL Mail client dubbed Project Phoenix. The new webmail client is a complete rewrite and focuses on a couple of things, speed and integration - inline content and access to other email services.

Phoenix is going live now in testing for users that want to get a taste and will be available for everyone next year, AOL says.

"Email remains one of the most vital communication tools despite all of the new sites and apps available to consumers today," Brad Garlinghouse, President of AOL's Consumer Applications Group, said.

"There is still so much innovation to be done in the space and Project Phoenix is just the beginning. We see a huge opportunity to disrupt email in a big way. AOL is the company that brought everyone online, and now we're making it simpler and more enjoyable to be there," he added.

AOL's goal is obvious from the get go and the team doesn't try to hide it, AOL Mail is to take on Gmail in terms of usability and user experience.

The new interface is rather similar to Google's email service and is pretty snappy. The inbox comes in three flavours, depending on how you prefer to sort through your email.

There is a classic view, similar to the Gmail default, which lists emails chronologically and displays the contact's name and the email subject.

The reading pane view enables users to read the full email while still having the email list opened on the side. Finally, there is an expanded view which shows an excerpt of the email body in the list.

A new Quick Box enables users to send emails, well, quickly, but also instant messages, text messages as well as update Facebook or Twitter.

Another interesting addition is the Smart View which allows users to view attached photos, get more details on files or see a map of a location mentioned in an email message.

Finally, perhaps the biggest new feature is the possibility to use your existing email provider, including Gmail, Yahoo Mail and Hotmail, with AOL's client.

Phoenix is now invite-only and labeled as a beta. It will be rolled out to everyone in 2011.