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
168 months ago
And how long will it be before this app goes the same way as Sparrow?
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
petsounds Avatar
168 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
168 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
168 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
168 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
168 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

hikawa phone grip stand apple%402x

Apple Launches Second Limited-Edition iPhone Accessory in a Month

Friday November 21, 2025 3:53 am PST by
Apple has begun selling the Hikawa Phone Grip and Stand, a new limited-edition iPhone accessory designed with accessibility in mind. Designed by LA-based Bailey Hikawa to celebrate the 40th anniversary of accessibility at Apple, the grip uses magnets to securely snap onto any iPhone with MagSafe. Apple says it can be removed with ease, and doubles as a stand with two different viewing...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Adds These New Features to Your iPhone

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:50 am PST by
iOS 26.2 is currently in beta testing. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics for Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date. Keep reading...
Apple Shopping Event 2025

Apple Announces 2025 Black Friday Event, Here's What You Can Get

Thursday November 20, 2025 6:28 am PST by
Apple's annual four-day Black Friday through Cyber Monday shopping event is returning on Friday, November 28 through Monday, December 1 in many countries, including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, Thailand, and others. During the shopping event, customers can get an Apple gift card with...
iOS 26 on Three iPhones

iOS 27 Will Reportedly Have Two Key Upgrades

Sunday November 23, 2025 8:48 am PST by
iOS 27 will reportedly have two major elements: quality improvements and new AI features. In his Power On newsletter today, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said that iOS 27 will be similar to Mac OS X Snow Leopard, in the sense that Apple is focused on improving "quality and underlying performance" over adding new features. Gurman said there is one exception to this rule, though, as he expects...
maxresdefault

The MacRumors Show: iPhone 18 Pro Looks Like a Huge Upgrade

Friday November 21, 2025 9:10 am PST by
On this week's episode of The MacRumors Show, we talk through all of the new features and improvements expected to come to next year's iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max models. Subscribe to The MacRumors Show YouTube channel for more videos Apple's next-generation iPhones are less than ten months away and we already have a good idea about what to expect based on corroborated leaks, rumors,...
Apple Foldable Thumb

Foldable iPhone to Debut These Two Breakthrough Features

Wednesday November 19, 2025 7:26 am PST by
Apple's first foldable iPhone is expected to launch alongside the iPhone 18 Pro models in fall 2026, and it's shaping up to include two standout features that could set it apart from the competition. The book-style foldable will reportedly feature an industry-first 24-megapixel under-display camera built into the inner display, according to a recent JP Morgan equity research report. That...
General Black Friday Deals 25 Red

Apple Black Friday Deals Available Now on AirPods, iPads, Accessories, and More

Friday November 21, 2025 8:48 am PST by
We're only a few days away from Black Friday, which will take place on Friday, November 28 in 2025. As always, this will be the best time of the year to shop for great deals, including popular Apple products like AirPods, iPad, Apple Watch, and more. In this article, the majority of the discounts will be found on Amazon. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When...
ipad black friday 2025

The Best Early Black Friday iPad Deals

Thursday November 20, 2025 10:20 am PST by
Black Friday is just over a week away, and iPad deals have finally started to flood in at retailers like Amazon and Best Buy. Below we're tracking discounts on every current generation iPad, including lowest-ever prices on M3 iPad Air and M5 iPad Pro, plus steep markdowns on iPad and iPad mini. Note: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a ...
iPhone 17 Pro Cosmic Orange

10 Reasons to Wait for Next Year's iPhone 18 Pro

Wednesday November 19, 2025 4:00 am PST by
Apple's iPhone development roadmap runs several years into the future and the company is continually working with suppliers on several successive iPhone models at the same time, which is why we often get rumored features months ahead of launch. The iPhone 18 series is no different, and we already have a good idea of what to expect for the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max. One thing worth...