New
Email is now one of the channels in Contacts
Contacts has an Email view alongside WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and Live Chat, and you can start a new email straight from a contact row without opening an existing thread first.

Contacts groups people by the channel you reach them on. Email is now one of those channels, next to WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger and Live Chat.
Switch to the Email view and the list narrows to the contacts you hold an email address for. Each row carries a New email action, so you can start a message without finding an existing thread first.

Open Contacts and choose Email from the channel row above the list.