Elon Musk unveils XMail email service to replace Gmail

XMail is the latest project of Elon Musk, the billionaire owner of social networking platform X (formerly Twitter). In a post on X, the Tesla and SpaceX CEO announced that a new email service, called Xmail, will be launched “soon” to challenge Gmail’s dominance in the field.

Musk did not provide details about the service's features, launch date, or subscription price, but did mention that XMail would be integrated with the X app.

This is one of a series of moves to rebuild the once-popular “Blue Bird” social networking platform since its high-profile acquisition in 2022. Musk has set out his ambition to turn X into a “super app,” integrating all online services and activities. In addition to email, the billionaire revealed that the company is developing other products such as the online payment tool Xpay and the video sharing platform XTube.

Some industry experts say Xmail could be a game-changer in a space Google has dominated for more than a decade. Market research firm Demand Sage estimates Gmail will reach more than 1.8 billion active accounts by 2024.

Rhea Freeman, a communications strategist, said XMail was a product worth waiting for, with Elon Musk behind it. “Elon has made big changes at Twitter, but the public doesn’t seem to be on his side. For those who believe in X, XMail is worth waiting for.”

Besides the advantages of security, customization, and integration with other X ecosystem products, Freeman also pointed out some challenges that Musk needs to overcome, such as convincing users to switch email accounts, complying with data protection regulations, and competing with other rivals such as Outlook, Yahoo, and ProtonMail.

In 2023, Musk also founded xAI - a company specializing in researching and developing artificial intelligence technology. This startup is participating in other projects such as Neuralink's brain-computer interface or Starlink satellite internet service.

Information about XMail appeared after a "false" rumor on X that Google would stop the Gmail service in August 2024, causing many users of this mail browser to worry.

The search giant quickly quashed the rumors, affirming that Gmail is still working normally, not forgetting to introduce that the company has just updated the new user interface to be more convenient and beautiful.