Orchestra, Inc. has announced a reservation system for Mailbox, its task-orientated email app which we reported on earlier and which has received many pre-launch accolades from tech sites.

welcome to mailbox
Mailbox, which will initially be compatible only with Gmail, aims to keep your inbox clean by allowing you to use swipe gestures to quickly move each email out of your inbox by deleting it, archiving it, assigning it a category or - perhaps most interestingly - setting it to pop back into your inbox later.

mailbox2
When you sign up to reserve your copy of the free app, Orchestra sends you a text message with your reservation number, together with a code. Once the app is available for download, you'll need to enter your code to complete the download.

Business Insider observes that Orchestra has an interesting link to Apple: one of the company's software engineers is Adam Cue, son of Apple Senior Vice President Eddy Cue, who is responsible for iCloud services - including email. Business Insider suggests that the relationship is likely to put Mailbox on Apple's radar as a potential acquisition, but it is unclear whether Apple has any actual interest in Orchestra's ideas for email management.

Related Forum: iPhone

Top Rated Comments

rampancy Avatar
165 months ago
And how long will it be before this app goes the same way as Sparrow?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
petsounds Avatar
165 months ago
This is the most overhyped app I've ever seen. I do not think it looks very innovative or useful, all of your e-mail gets routed through their server, and it only works with gmail. Yet, every time Mailbox's developers sneeze the tech bloggers are all over it, tweeting rapturous praise.

And this "reservation system" seems very suspicious. Give them your phone number? I don't think so! This is a piece of software. Spin up more servers if you have too much demand. If they can't quickly respond to user load, their architecture was badly designed. The tech press should be slamming them for this, but again it's all fairy dust and rainbows.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
bigjnyc Avatar
165 months ago
There's no way I am giving these guys my phone number. what kind of a horse and pony show is this for an app? why not just launch it normally in the app store like any other app?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
andrewweiser Avatar
165 months ago
Can't wait for this app to launch. I got in a while ago, I lucked out with #1999. Hopefully I'll get in on launch date.

I'd assume that the IMAP servers would be customizable. But I could be wrong.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
justperry Avatar
165 months ago
"u reserve a copy" since when is an app limited on the appstore and "on high demand" lol

sounds like data fishing to me
They don't ask for email, they ask for a telephone number and mine is prepaid so is there anything to loose??


-------

Does not work for where I am,got no SMS from them even though they say it's international.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Compile 'em all Avatar
165 months ago
Not sure if it will replace Mail app for me but I'm quite curious. Signed up yesterday #

----------

"u reserve a copy" since when is an app limited on the appstore and "on high demand" lol



sounds like data fishing to me

It is about being able to scale. With a reservation system they can scale properly since they can know exactly how many are using it.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iPhone 17 Pro and Air Feature

Two iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air Colors Appear to Scratch More Easily

Friday September 19, 2025 10:02 am PDT by
As reported by Bloomberg today, some of the new iPhone 17 Pro and iPhone Air models on display at Apple Stores today are already scratched and scuffed. French blog Consomac also reported on this topic. The scratches appear to be most prominent on models with darker finishes, including the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max in Deep Blue, and the iPhone Air in Space Black. Images Credit: Consoma ...
iOS 26

iOS 26.0.1 Coming Soon, Likely With iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro Fix

Thursday September 18, 2025 9:17 am PDT by
Apple is preparing to release iOS 26.0.1, according to a private account on X with a proven track record of sharing information about future iOS versions. The update will have a build number of 23A350, or similar, the account said. It is likely that iOS 26.0.1 will fix a camera-related bug on the new iPhone Air and iPhone 17 Pro models. In his iPhone Air review, CNN Underscored's Henry T. ...
iphone 17 pro max techwoven

Here Are The Best Cases You Can Buy for Your New iPhone 17 and iPhone Air

Friday September 19, 2025 6:46 am PDT by
Apple's new iPhones launch today, and there are plenty of options to choose from when it comes to protecting your new device from drops and scratches. In this article, we're taking a look at some of the best options for iPhone 17, iPhone 17 Pro, and iPhone 17 Air cases, as well as a few charging accessories. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

iPhone 17 Pro Max Teardown Reveals Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 Modem for 5G

Friday September 19, 2025 7:39 am PDT by
While the iPhone Air is equipped with Apple's custom C1X modem for cellular connectivity, all of the iPhone 17 models are outfitted with Qualcomm modems still. A teardown video shared on Chinese platform Bilibili today (via Reddit) appears to confirm the iPhone 17 Pro Max is equipped with Qualcomm's Snapdragon X80 modem in particular. The same modem is likely used in the iPhone 17 and iPhone ...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 26's Liquid Glass Design Draws Criticism From Users

Wednesday September 17, 2025 2:56 pm PDT by
It's been two days since iOS 26 was released, and Apple's new Liquid Glass design is even more divisive than expected. Any major design change can create controversy as people get used to the new look, but the MacRumors forums, Reddit, Apple Support Communities, and social media sites seem to feature more criticism than praise as people discuss the update. Complaints There are a long...
iphone 17 pro inside

iPhone 17 Teardowns Confirm SIM and eSIM-Only Battery Capacities

Friday September 19, 2025 8:39 am PDT by
YouTube channel REWA Technology today shared an iPhone 17 Pro teardown video, offering a closer look inside the model with a SIM card tray. We are still waiting for repair website iFixit to share a more comprehensive teardown of the latest iPhone models, but this video provides a good look in the meantime. The device features various internal design changes, including larger rear camera...