Numerous people are now reportedly seeing a “newer version” of Gmail available as an option when they log-in. This update – also dubbed Gmail 2.0 – was unofficially announced at Google’s Analyst Day last week and features a few improvements to the service, the most noticeable of which would appear to be an overhaul of the ‘Contacts’ area (one area that I felt needed a makeover every since Gmail launched).

Googling Google is also reporting that the JavaScript engine running the service is completely new and should make the service run faster with things like pre-fetching. Also improved is the embedded Google Talk client’s contact hover state profile.

While I have yet to use the new version myself, there are plenty of screenshots and clips floating around out there, and to me if anything this looks more like a Gmail 1.5 than a Gmail 2.0 – and I don’t mean that in a bad way. I love Gmail, I don’t want or need a complete overhaul. Google needs to keep it simple, if they turn Gmail into a Microsoft Outlook clone I would be very annoyed.

No doubt this update will also get the service ready for Google’s upcoming Makamaka project – the one to envelope all Google products under one social roof – you can bet both Gmail and Google Talk will play central roles in that.

[UPDATE 10/30]: Here’s the official word on the upgrades from the Official Gmail Blog. Looks like these are first being put in place for Firefox 2 and IE 7 users with more browsers to follow. Interestingly enough they make note that the speed of the new version is fastest using Safari 3 on a MacBook.

Also of note is that this upgrade will likely break a lot of the current Gmail add-ons and plugins, but Google has already notified most of the biggest ones and are working with them on fixes.