Newton Mail is finally back along with its old subscription pricing

With so many free email apps to choose from, it's almost hard to imagine that something like Newton Mail would exist. More than just a one-off paid app, the email client formerly known as CloudMagic actually made you pay a yearly fee for its business-focused features. Surprisingly, it actually earned Newton Mail no small amount of fame enough for an already struggling startup to bring it back from the dead, including that $50 annual price tag.

Newton Mail has had a colorful past despite the seeming absurdity of paying for an email client. It had its fans, of course, especially for its pro features. One of those fans happened to be Essential, makers of the Essential PH-1 Android phone and itself a defunct company. Almost by some magic or miracle, though, Newton Mail is back to do businesses despite that past.

Things are, to some extent, back to normal for Newton, including that controversial price tag. Of course, Newton has always compared itself to its competitors who ask for a lot more per year. Still, $50 per annum probably won't win it new customers, especially considering the uncertainty of its future.

The new owners admit they aren't a well-funded VC-backed company and are taking steps to ensure that Newton Mail will live on even if the company goes under again. Part of that is open sourcing the client and another part is finding a way to run a sustainable business.

Of course, that will probably raise some red flags regarding ads and privacy but Newton Mail is promising to actually strengthen its privacy status. What will come out of its new mission is still unknown at this early point in time but Newton Mail is practically calling on its true fans to help keep it afloat for the time being.