FunMail for iPhone

28.05.2010
There are few things more disappointing than an app that just doesn't deliver. Such is the case with , a texting app from . At least it's free.

FunMail, like so many free texting apps, uses the power of the Internet to send free text messages from your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to friends' cell phones. In addition to regular texts, Fun Mail will create graphics with your words, adding your choice of built-in picture.

When you tap the new message button, there is an option to send either just text or a picture message. For the picture message, you first enter your text, then tap Go." FunMail uses some magic algorithm to analyze your message, selecting a handful of pictures the app guesses will go well with your text.

You get to scroll through previews of these pictures with your text already applied, then select one, and send it on its way. It's actually pretty cool, if you're in a silly mood and feel like sending an animated text message to one of your friends. If that's confusing, the app's help section includes a good tutorial.

Unfortunately, FunMail's delivery speed leaves a lot to be desired. To test the app, I figured the best-case scenario would be to send a picture message to a co-worker with an iPhone sitting maybe 20 feet away from me. Unfortunately, the message I sent him at 12:06 p.m. didn't reach his inbox until 13 hours later. Not good.

Fun Mail is definitely fun as well as easy to use, but the massive time lag between sending a text and its eventual receipt is just not worth it. If the developers can fix that, it'd be unstoppable.