Readdle has hired former Apple Mail engineering manager Terry Blanchard in a position that will focus on creating the "future of email" for Readdle's popular email client "Spark," working with an entirely new team of his choosing in Silicon Valley. Blanchard's new role, per his LinkedIn page, is vice president of engineering for Readdle.

readdle spark terry

Spark is modernizing email as we know it. We share a fundamental vision of what the future of email should be. I’ve always admired Readdle for their beautiful and innovative products, which makes them the ideal company to turn that vision into a reality.

At Apple Blanchard worked on the Mail team for six years, where he led a team of developers which created and continually fostered updates for the UX design and development of Apple's first party email client, simply called Mail on iOS and macOS. Besides his new title and location in Silicon Valley, Blanchard's role at Readdle hasn't been given many specifics but it's expected that the engineer will take his expertise in the email client design space and apply it to Readdle's popular stock of iOS and macOS applications.

Last November Readdle launched Spark on Mac, bringing the app's Smart Inbox feature to Apple's desktop and laptop computers for the first time. Smart Inbox intelligently organizes email into different categories (Personal, Notification, and Newsletters), making sure important messages are always highlighted first. Spark continuously learns which emails are most important for you to make inbox management as easy as possible, and on Mac also includes Quick Replies, Touch Bar support, snooze capabilities, and cross-device syncing.

Regarding its new hire, Readdle said that "Terry is a valuable addition to our team and brings years of experience from one of the best companies in the world."

Readdle's range of productivity apps for Apple devices includes PDF Expert, Spark, Scanner Pro, Calendar 5, PDF Office, Printer Pro, PDF Converter, and Documents.

Tags: Readdle, Spark

Top Rated Comments

hagar Avatar
103 months ago
O no! The only guy working on Mail is leaving? Who will now work on the next features for 2025? I know, the guy of the Remote app.
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
DrumApple Avatar
103 months ago
Don't let the door hit ya - the Mail app SUCKS, time for someone new.
Score: 6 Votes (Like | Disagree)
coolfactor Avatar
103 months ago
The stock Mail app remains my primary email client, but I wanted a second one for lesser-used accounts, or for more separation between my different work roles.

I used Spark for several months with some accounts, but eventually switched to Airmail, which handles large emails much better. I also didn't like the idea of my account credentials being given to Spark, or how they first download your mail to Amazon servers for processing.

Being in Canada, I primarily use Runbox out of Norway for the added privacy, as things below the border ("below the belt") are getting stinky.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NervousFish2 Avatar
103 months ago
Maybe I'm a caveman, but I just can't seem to find a replacement for Mail. The very premise of Spark is a non-starter for me because of the privacy issues. Apple seem to be very, very committed to privacy. But adding Amazon servers as a middle man seems to run against that, especially given the App is free. No way I'm touching that. No matter how pretty it is, or what functions it adds. Its just not going to happen. I do not want my data being commercialized.

Mail is very stable, and fast. After reading an article recently, I realized that the secret to email management is very little to do with the bells and whistles of an app. Its much more to do with smart searching, and Apple's Mail does that incredibly well, with a very low battery hit. I deleted all my folders and switched over completely to smart search folders, and set a rule to archive automatically after a month. My efficiency and control has improved dramatically. Newsletter folder? Yeah, that's not really rocket science. Email is email is email.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
avanpelt Avatar
103 months ago
Plot twist -- Apple makes an offer to buy Readdle within a few years (if they haven't already).
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
orbital~debris Avatar
103 months ago
This x 1000. If you want to see how atrocious Apple is at basic apps that everyone uses: look no further than f'in MAIL! That damn app is terrible.

Edit: Can someone please recommend a good, simple, clean Mail app. I've used Outlook and will probably go back to it. Testing the stock Apple Mail app again with 10.3 but my guess is it won't last long before I'm wanting to throw my phone out the windows.
I'm really curious - what do you find terrible about Mail?
I've used it since the Mac OS X Public Beta, and it's worked really well for me.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

Apple iPhone 16e Feature

Apple Announces iPhone 16e With A18 Chip and Apple Intelligence, Pricing Starts at $599

Wednesday February 19, 2025 8:02 am PST by
Apple today introduced the iPhone 16e, its newest entry-level smartphone. The device succeeds the third-generation iPhone SE, which has now been discontinued. The iPhone 16e features a larger 6.1-inch OLED display, up from a 4.7-inch LCD on the iPhone SE. The display has a notch for Face ID, and this means that Apple no longer sells any iPhones with a Touch ID fingerprint button, marking the ...
iphone 17 pro asherdipps

iPhone 17 Pro Models Rumored to Feature Aluminum Frame Instead of Titanium Frame

Tuesday February 18, 2025 12:02 pm PST by
Over the years, Apple has switched from an aluminum frame to a stainless steel frame to a titanium frame for its highest-end iPhones. And now, it has been rumored that Apple will go back to using aluminum for three out of four iPhone 17 models. In an investor note with research firm GF Securities, obtained by MacRumors this week, Apple supply chain analyst Jeff Pu said the iPhone 17, iPhone...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

Here Are the New Apple Products We're Still Expecting This Spring

Thursday February 20, 2025 5:06 am PST by
Now that Apple has announced its new more affordable iPhone 16e, our thoughts turn to what else we are expecting from the company this spring. There are three product categories that we are definitely expecting to get upgraded before spring has ended. Keep reading to learn what they are. If we're lucky, Apple might make a surprise announcement about a completely new product category. M4...
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
Generic iOS 18

Here's When Apple Will Release iOS 18.4

Wednesday February 19, 2025 11:38 am PST by
Following the launch of the iPhone 16e, Apple updated its iOS 18, iPadOS 18, and macOS Sequoia pages to give a narrower timeline on when the next updates are set to launch. All three pages now state that new Apple Intelligence features and languages will launch in early April, an update from the more broader April timeframe that Apple provided before. The next major point updates will be iOS ...
apple launch feb 2025

Tim Cook Teases an 'Apple Launch' Next Wednesday

Thursday February 13, 2025 8:07 am PST by
In a social media post today, Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an upcoming "launch" of some kind scheduled for Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," he said, with an #AppleLaunch hashtag. The post includes a short video with an animated Apple logo inside a circle. Cook did not provide an exact time for the launch, or share any other specific details, so...
iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
Apple 2025 Thumb 1

Two of Apple's Oldest Products Are Finally Getting Updated This Year

Friday February 14, 2025 6:03 am PST by
Apple released the HomePod mini in November 2020, followed by the AirTag in May 2021, and both still remain first-generation products. Fortunately, rumors suggest that both the HomePod mini and the AirTag will finally be updated at some point this year. Below, we recap rumors about the HomePod mini 2 and AirTag 2. HomePod mini 2 In January 2025, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple is ...