Mobile and Web go together in today's portable digital age. Gone are the days when full featured websites were accessible only from people's desktops or heavy laptops. Now your smartphone can do all of that, and while you're on the go (in addition to all the touch gesture thrills and frills). So let's see which browsers are available and waiting for you to take it for a spin.
Opera Mobile
Opera Mobile is a fully featured web browser based on Opera's Presto engine. The browser is fast and consumes less memory. The most unique (and good) feature about this browser is Opera Turbo technology. Opera Turbo basically reduces your data usage (and in turn enhances your browsing speed) by compressing all data that your browser receives by routing it via Opera's special compression servers. Pretty handy eh?
Opera Mobile on Google Play Store
Opera Mobile on Nokia Store
Opera Mobile will run on most handsets. A mid range smartphone can easily power this browser without many hiccups (if any at all). Apart from that, the browser has a host of privacy features and has the beloved Tabs (snaps of your favorite websites) as well as an alternative homepage with links to your FB/Twitter account and updates for news/sports/entertainment etc. Opera Mobile is a pretty complete browser and is easily recommend to anybody who wants a slick and fast web browser.
Opera Mini
Opera Mini is a Java version of the amazing Opera Mobile browser. Built entirely on the base of Opera Turbo, the Opera Mini Web Browser is blazing fast, to say the least. The Opera Mini browser is particularly great for low end smartphones with limited RAM, or if you're on a slow GPRS data pack as well.
Opera Mini on Apple iTunes Store
Opera Mini on Google Play Store
Opera Mini on Nokia Store
One flaw with Opera Mini is that it has issues rendering many web pages, and that might be a hindrance for you power web surfers. Other than that, most people will be content with what Opera Mini already offers. And the best part about Opera Mini is that it is available on almost every platform and runs on almost every device out there (although not offering the same set of features).
Chrome
Chrome is Google's very own and world's most popular browser among power users. And it is available for smartphones as well. Chrome on Android is exactly what Chrome is for desktops. And the best part? Sign in to your Google account and you have the same tabs, history and everything as your desktop counterpart (or any other device you're signed in and using Chrome with for that matter). This cross platform usability rocks on Chrome. Apart from that, Chrome on your smartphone renders web pages the same way it does on your desktop. It is based on the same WebKit engine as well.
Chrome for Android on Google Play Store
Chrome for iOS on Apple iTunes Store
Chrome is simple and the UI is as clean and minimal as it gets, Google style. The browser, while it runs well on most ICS devices, tends to not play well with 512 MB of RAM. Frequent app freezes is frustrating, especially when you're stuck on a log-in page.
Kudos to Google on bringing such an amazing browser to mobile platform. Additionally, Chrome has launched for Apple iOS as well. Incidentally, more users prefer to use Chrome than Apple's own Safari web browser. Shows just how popular and good this browser is.
Dolphin
Dolphin is another fast, lite and minimal UI browser but loaded with features. Dolphin lays emphasis on a modern experience with all it's gesture inputs as well as Sonar (talk to the browser). These both work in tandem to "Simplify your Mobile Life".
Dolphin browser on Google Play Store
Dolphin browser supports tabbed browsing and is very small (4.8 MB only). Additionally, the browser supports add-ons which users describe as "it makes this browser state of the art". The browser supports Flash as well.
Dolphin browser Mini on Google Play Store
Dolphin for Pad on Google Play Store
Dolphin has a separate browser dubbed Pad optimized for tablets as well as Dolphin Browser Mini which is a lighter, faster Java version of the same.
Firefox
Mozilla managed to port their Firefox browser from Windows over to smartphones. Every body's first concern was whether this browser too had the same memory leak issues as Firefox for desktops had (back then) but Mozilla's new baby proved itself to be an excellent contender, offering add-ons from Firefox store for mobile platforms (yes, add-ons compatible with mobile web browser).
Firefox for Android on Google Play Store
The UI is interactive and browsing and switching tabs is easy, while not that great compared to say Chrome (Opera being the best according to me). The browser starts to lag on 512 MB RAM devices. Make sure you have a dual core and 1 GB of RAM on your smartphone to run this browser.
Hope this browsers round up helps you pickup your next mobile browser!
Opera Mobile
Opera Mobile is a fully featured web browser based on Opera's Presto engine. The browser is fast and consumes less memory. The most unique (and good) feature about this browser is Opera Turbo technology. Opera Turbo basically reduces your data usage (and in turn enhances your browsing speed) by compressing all data that your browser receives by routing it via Opera's special compression servers. Pretty handy eh?
Opera Mobile on Google Play Store
Opera Mobile on Nokia Store
Opera Mobile will run on most handsets. A mid range smartphone can easily power this browser without many hiccups (if any at all). Apart from that, the browser has a host of privacy features and has the beloved Tabs (snaps of your favorite websites) as well as an alternative homepage with links to your FB/Twitter account and updates for news/sports/entertainment etc. Opera Mobile is a pretty complete browser and is easily recommend to anybody who wants a slick and fast web browser.
Opera Mini
Opera Mini is a Java version of the amazing Opera Mobile browser. Built entirely on the base of Opera Turbo, the Opera Mini Web Browser is blazing fast, to say the least. The Opera Mini browser is particularly great for low end smartphones with limited RAM, or if you're on a slow GPRS data pack as well.
Opera Mini on Apple iTunes Store
Opera Mini on Google Play Store
Opera Mini on Nokia Store
One flaw with Opera Mini is that it has issues rendering many web pages, and that might be a hindrance for you power web surfers. Other than that, most people will be content with what Opera Mini already offers. And the best part about Opera Mini is that it is available on almost every platform and runs on almost every device out there (although not offering the same set of features).
Chrome
Chrome is Google's very own and world's most popular browser among power users. And it is available for smartphones as well. Chrome on Android is exactly what Chrome is for desktops. And the best part? Sign in to your Google account and you have the same tabs, history and everything as your desktop counterpart (or any other device you're signed in and using Chrome with for that matter). This cross platform usability rocks on Chrome. Apart from that, Chrome on your smartphone renders web pages the same way it does on your desktop. It is based on the same WebKit engine as well.
Chrome for Android on Google Play Store
Chrome for iOS on Apple iTunes Store
Chrome is simple and the UI is as clean and minimal as it gets, Google style. The browser, while it runs well on most ICS devices, tends to not play well with 512 MB of RAM. Frequent app freezes is frustrating, especially when you're stuck on a log-in page.
Kudos to Google on bringing such an amazing browser to mobile platform. Additionally, Chrome has launched for Apple iOS as well. Incidentally, more users prefer to use Chrome than Apple's own Safari web browser. Shows just how popular and good this browser is.
Dolphin
Dolphin is another fast, lite and minimal UI browser but loaded with features. Dolphin lays emphasis on a modern experience with all it's gesture inputs as well as Sonar (talk to the browser). These both work in tandem to "Simplify your Mobile Life".
Dolphin browser on Google Play Store
Dolphin browser supports tabbed browsing and is very small (4.8 MB only). Additionally, the browser supports add-ons which users describe as "it makes this browser state of the art". The browser supports Flash as well.
Dolphin browser Mini on Google Play Store
Dolphin for Pad on Google Play Store
Dolphin has a separate browser dubbed Pad optimized for tablets as well as Dolphin Browser Mini which is a lighter, faster Java version of the same.
Firefox
Mozilla managed to port their Firefox browser from Windows over to smartphones. Every body's first concern was whether this browser too had the same memory leak issues as Firefox for desktops had (back then) but Mozilla's new baby proved itself to be an excellent contender, offering add-ons from Firefox store for mobile platforms (yes, add-ons compatible with mobile web browser).
Firefox for Android on Google Play Store
The UI is interactive and browsing and switching tabs is easy, while not that great compared to say Chrome (Opera being the best according to me). The browser starts to lag on 512 MB RAM devices. Make sure you have a dual core and 1 GB of RAM on your smartphone to run this browser.
Hope this browsers round up helps you pickup your next mobile browser!
Buying a new phone? Or a tablet? Need help with something everyday-tech related? Ask me and I'm sure to help!
— Preetam Nath (@hipreetam93) April 18, 2013
— Preetam Nath (@hipreetam93) April 18, 2013