Is there a way to receive an SMS stating I have a new email (perhaps with the subject header), in g-mail?

you don't want to use the data plan?

That's correct; I don't have the data plan. So those folks who decide to bash me for not having the data plan, please save your time and refrain from doing so.

well with tmobile I know it works like this...you should be able to forward your email as a text message. The way you do this is use the forward setting inside of gmail to forward it to (yournumber)@tmo.t-mobile.com. I don't know if what the other carrier settings are.

The way I used to do it, before I got my Blackberry, was to forward my Gmail to my Sprint PCS Mail. You can set PCS Mail to notify you via text message when you receive new mail.

Wirelessly posted (8310)

What carrier do you have and what plan?

AT&T with no data but unlimited sms. What I'm asking is, if I receive an email (in gmail or yahoo mail), is there a way I can receive an SMS saying I have new mail?

Wirelessly posted (T-Mobile 8100)

Yes. As ohcrap said above, your phone has an email address, and emails sent to that address show up as SMS messages. Call ATT and ask what your phone's email address is. I am on T-Mobile, my email address is <phone number>@TMomail.net

Wirelessly posted (T-Mobile 8100)

Oops, I forgot to mention the last step, which is forwarding your gmail, or whatever email you choose, to the said email address of your phone, once you determine what your phone's email address is.

and check with your carrier as well... if you do that forward to or whatever it is... it might be a different charge...

and i know with hotmail you can set up a SMS alert for when you have a new email... check your settings in gmail and yahoo they may have something similiar

There's also a thing only that you can use called TeleFlip that sends you the header and some of the email to your phone through text, I used it when I had a older phone and didn't have a data plan. Works alright but the only problem is if it's longer you don't get it all and sometimes it sends like 3 messages in a row to get what it needs to you. It was a little slower than the BB delivery and gmail but for not having a data plan it worked

Create a forwarding rule in gmail.

Here's the reference you're looking for:
SMS gateway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

You could also use Telefip but there's really no need to rely on them.