Yesterday the Google Mobile Team announced on their blog that the Buzz mobile web client is now available on many more devices. The post mentions support for Windows Mobile, Symbian, pre OS 2.0 Android, BlackBerry and Palm WebOS handsets. In addition, Buzz now uses geo-location on BlackBerrys as well as the iPhone and Android.
It looks like Google has done two things to make this possible. First, the rich mobile web client that Buzz uses for the iPhone and Android 2.n (image above, left) is delivered by default to most mobile browsers when they visit buzz.google.com. This appears to be essentially the same Buzz mobile interface that has been been available on any device by using a special URL (m.google.com/app/buzz/?force=1) as reported here in February. As before, it works but has some minor rendering issues in Opera Mini 4.2 and 5.0. With the Nokia N95’s webkit based browser and Opera Mini 3.1 it’s broken, appearing as a mostly blank page with only “Sign out”, “Send Feedback”, “Help links “Basic HTML and “Desktop” links (image below, right).
The “Basic HTML” and “Desktop” links are new and clicking “Basic HTML” loads a simplified version (images above, right and below, left) that works perfectly with the N95 and Opera Mini 3.1. With page sizes under 20 KB, it should be usable with almost any browser. On the N95, its features are limited to viewing your Buzz timeline and posting a new Buzz. The “Nearby” view is not available on phones, like the N95, that don’t support geo-location. Some phones see the basic version by default, I got it in a Motorola i776’s OpenWave browser. The Basic HTML version can be viewed in any browser by using the direct URL, m.google.com/app/buzz/x/?force=1.
I’m sure that Google will tweak the browser detection code to deliver a usable version to the N95, Opera Mini 3.1 and other browsers that can’t use the rich version. I’m pleased that Google has built a Buzz mobile client that works in any mobile browser. This is the sort of inclusive open mobile approach that I advocate. Web apps like Buzz need to be on every phone, everywhere, not only in developed countries where iPhone and Android adoption is high.
Opening the above link made my browser in Nokia 6600 to download 196 kilobytes big page, with only few links, like mobile, basic html, desktop, sign out etc. So its not worth using on old symbian devices. Not everyone can have high end modern smartphones.
There is now a dedicated buzz client. The old “latitude updater” has been enhanced to show you nearby and friend’s buzz updates. it’s pretty rough right now, but at least it’s something
You mean the Android Buzz client that requires OS 2.1?
And it totally fails on an N900, thinking it’s a desktop device. It works okay, I guess, but a lighter interface would be preferred for the low bandwidth and small screen
Can’t you force the mobile version with m.google.com/app/buzz/?force=1? That worked for me in February when I had a trial N900