Many iPhone (News - Alert) users have long been dissatisfied with the free e-mail application, Apple Mail, which comes installed on iOS devices. Sparrow now has an improved user interface, improved e-mail organization and improved loading times.

Many are already using Sparrow, and the upgraded version will make the e-mail experience even better for users, or at least get closer to what e-mail users on any other platform take for granted. Sparrow 1.2 is less choppy than the last release, shows more clear images on contact pictures and fixes a number of other bugs.

Sparrow 1.2 to offers a range of features:

• Sparrow is fluent in English, Spanish, French, Dutch, German, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Chinese.
• Users can now create folders and labels for their e-mails directly in the app.
• There is improved message navigation. Messages can be navigated by swiping up and down and when switching conversations with a clear separator to indicate the change.
• Messages can now be composed/displayed in landscape mode.

Unfortunately, Apple (News - Alert) users will find that the best feature of Sparrow, push e-mails, are only available to users willing to jailbreak their iPhone and then install two add-on apps. 

Jailbreaking, the process of removing certain limitations imposed by Apple and mobile service providers, not only leaves users’ phones susceptible to security issues, but voids the warranty, leaving users with no protection from Apple if their decreased security leads to malfunctions or if they have a problem of another kind with their phone.

These push notifications will be integrated with a future release of Sparrow, according to the Sparrow blog, but a yearly subscription will be required to take advantage of what users on Blackberry and various other platforms get for free.

Although Sparrow represents a mark toward a future of better, or at least semi-functional e-mail apps for iPhone users, the fact that iPhone users must install three apps and jailbreak their phone just to receive e-mail on what is ostensibly one of the world’s most advanced mobile devices is somewhat preposterous. 

Hopefully developers at Apple will take note and develop a version of Apple Mail their users don’t completely hate before they all move on to Androids.