Database Users

Iris Browser, Opera competitor?

Hello,
Just downloaded the Iris 1.1.8 browser. May I say, this is one of the quickest browsers for mobile phones I have used.
I have installed Flash 3.1 and it plays Youtube videos (Wap Version and not the full site). Flash sucks on WinMo at the moment, it's slow and never in sync, so having flash or not, you really can't watch it for long enough. I don't know why it doesn't play all flash movies, it only plays some and not others. Beats me.

Thanks for the tip, looks pretty amazing (but browsing on an iphone/ipod touch is still on the top ;)

You have to agree that we ate getting closer. Remember netscape and explorer? Although Firefox has won back some users (like me), there is never a winner, just one that stays ahead.
I hope ther will be a perfect browser ofr us WinMo fans! Or is that wishful thinking?

Good question. But maybe it's not only a matter of the browser, but also of the integration of the browser into the OS and of the OS itself.

I have been using iris for a while now, it's great. Only problem is how it's identified on websites. For example m.google.com recognises my rhodium as iPhone and that's not cool. You can't download google's apps because of that. Is there a way to change how iris is being identified?

What's your favorite web browser?

I don't like the sluggishness and jerkiness of the stock browser. Is there a better third party browser that you particularly like? Is there anything that uses multitouch gestures?

eaglesteve said:
I don't like the sluggishness and jerkiness of the stock browser. Is there a better third party browser that you particularly like? Is there anything that uses multitouch gestures?
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I've settled on Skyfire. It's not perfect, but it's the best I've found.

MacGuy2006 said:
I've settled on Skyfire. It's not perfect, but it's the best I've found.
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Will try out everyone that you guys recommend.

Skyfire has at least one advantage over the ****ty native browser - it supports file download other than apk file, whereas the ****ty native browser can't even support file download. I can't believe how crippled it is, and wonder if that **** is from Google or Samsung.

With Astro filemanager the native (google!) Browser is able to do that too.

bayerischbeer said:
With Astro filemanager the native (google!) Browser is able to do that too.
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Thanks for this info bayerishbeer. Will get Astro filemanager right away.

How's opera mobile on the Galaxy S?

drleospaceman said:
How's opera mobile on the Galaxy S?
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Is Opera mobile available for Android? I can't find it in the Market Place.

theres no mobile, only mini, and its not that great, dolphin is pretty good tho

soraxd said:
theres no mobile, only mini, and its not that great, dolphin is pretty good tho
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Have used Opera mini on iPhone. It's really really lousy.
Will try out dolphin. Thanks!
edit: is it Dolphin Browser HD? or Dolphin Browser? What's the difference? I see.... HD is for Froyo.

The browser is bad? I'd always thought the Android browser was one of the best mobile browsers.
I never liked Skyfire on Windows Mobile - it's actually sending you screen grabs from rendering happening on their servers, so it was always laggy and slow to pan and zoom for me. Opera Mini is good if you don't have 3G data, since it's preprocessed and sent in a compressed form, but because the phone is rendering this custom preprocessed data and not the original HTML it doesn't support dynamic features.

Mithent said:
The browser is bad? I'd always thought the Android browser was one of the best mobile browsers.
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By iPhone standard, it is.
Mithent, are you using the stock browser? You've explored most of them I presume?

The stock browser works best for me. I've tried Dolphin, Opera and Skyfire and they all seem sluggish... Steel is good too.

Skyfire is sluggish, stock browser works great, no need to change it and it download all you want just learn how.

No problems with the stock browser here. It flies compared to Skyfire and works just as well as Dolphin.

Opera Mini 5.1 along with "Make it Default Browser"
Why?
- Opera is clearly the fastest in loading/displaying pages. Absolutely no contest
- 90% of the time I'm no under HSDPA coverage or Wifi, so moved megabytes matter
If only Opera Mini would get pinch zoom, then it would be perfect for me.
I don't need Flash or in-browser JS, which Opera Mini lacks.
For those occasions when in-browser JS is required, I use the built-in browser. Much better than Dolphin HD, which is very sluggish.

Try xScope. It works for me and somewhat better than Dophine.

I'll try all of them. So, the new ones that just cropped up are:
- Steel
- xScope
- Opera Mini (I hope it is not like the one on iPhone).
Thank you guys.

eaglesteve said:
I'll try all of them. So, the new ones that just cropped up are:
- Steel
- xScope
- Opera Mini (I hope it is not like the one on iPhone).
Thank you guys.
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I've taken a look at all these, and the one that I like the most is xScope. It is very similar to the Atomic Browser that I use on iPhone. The things I like about this browser are:
- I think it is faster than the stock browser and smoother too.
- One quick gesture to reveal the web address bar, and autotically hide it when page is loaded to give as much real estate as possible to the user
- One stroke gesture to move from tab to tab, exactly like what I was having in iPhone.
- Multitouch zooming, one finger zooming, as well as double tab to zoom in and out.
- Able to download more file types, although still not covering as comprehensively as what the Atomic browser for iPhone could.
- Able to open link in the background by long press. This usually is the way I consistently beat Opera Mini in terms of loading speed. In a forum like this, I open all the links that want to visit first, and buy the time I finish reading the first tab, the others are already fully loaded waiting for me to read. That means zero loading time effectlvely for all the links. Opera Mini can't do that.
- I wish there is a gesture (such as double finger swipe down) to close the current tab like what Atomic browser could do.
- Coupled with the higher resolution and bigger screen size, I feel that it is even more enjoyable surfing on Samsung Galaxy S than my 3GS.
I'm pretty happy with it for now, and would make it my main browser, until better one comes along.
One question: What is the difference between the free and paid version? What additionally benefits are there going to the paid version?

eaglesteve said:
Mithent, are you using the stock browser? You've explored most of them I presume?
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I've not had much personal experience with it - I still have a Windows Mobile phone at the moment, but will be getting a Galaxy S soon (will be as a carrier upgrade next month). The opinion I had of the stock browser was what I've seen of it when compared to the iPhone's Safari and Opera Mobile on WM (IE isn't worth thinking about), so was just a little surprised and wondered if it wasn't so great in real-life use. I didn't know you had to go through hoops to download things with it.
I'm afraid I'm not familiar with other options for Android, but I've tried Opera Mini and Skyfire on Windows Mobile. Given the nature of those applications, I doubt they're very different on Android.

Whats your choice of browser?

We have a few browsers to choose from, stock, Dolphin HD, Skyfire and the upcoming Opera Mobile and Firefox Mobile
Stock browser is not the fastest according to some tests, the champion goes to Skyfire
Dolphin HD beats stock over functionality from my own use, but is the slowest among the three
Opera Mobile is known to consume 80% less data, but user comments are not so positive
Firefox mobile is now available for G2, haven't try yet
So whats your pick?

Almost every site I would go to has an app so there is no need for my browser, so I stick with stock since its not used often...
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

o>c said:
Opera Mobile is known to consume 80% less data, but user comments are not so positive
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Let me clarify:
Opera Mini is browser, which compresses data - when I was using Galaxy i7500 it was the fastest browser (not only in downloading pages, but in rendering too).
Opera Mobile is normal browser, not compressing data. I did not test it, but comments aren't very good.

I been using Dolphin HD. I like the side bar bookmarks, and the gestures. Plus it is faster than the default, IMO
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

I am digging dolphin HD too on the g2.
I tried dolphin when I had a slide and it was HORRIBLY slow (even overclocked to 844mhz). It's smooth like butter on my g2 clocked at 1.497 and flash works great.

I have been loving the Firefox, get all my bookmarks synced without any other crap app. The Beta2 release is a bit better than the first, but little things still dont work correctly. For me the only thing not working properly are the shift and alt keys of the physical keyboard. They work but you have to hold them down while pressing the other key. Not a biggie, and the browser runs smooth as glass for me.

i use skyfire in desktop mode for facebook and everything

Love Dolphin HD for the plugins like desktop mode and speed dial. Also I'm digging the gestures and themes. And of course the tabbed browsing with thumbnails available is fantastic! Best over all experience if you have good data speeds.
I did numerous speed tests using a stopwatch with Dolphin versus stock on very large pages. It was basically a tie with flash either enabled or disabled.
Opera Mobile is VERY fast! Great card style thumbnails for window switching (stock neeeeds this). But no flash, desktop mode, and doesn't render the whole page at once. The partial rendering adds speed but if you scroll quickly its annoying. Still has a few kinks. I recommend keeping Opera handy for super slow connections.

I have Firefox, Opera and Stock installed. And honestly I use the stock more often than any other browser. It seems that the other browsers are terrible at compatibility when browsing non-optimized sites. I use forms a lot and they are awful.
In Firefox each time I typed something into a form-box or selected something from a drop-down menu it had to reload the page. Frustrating to say the least. At least in Firefox they work; in Opera, the forms work half of the time. If I can't log in, what's the point?
Stock may be somewhat slower at rendering, but its compatibility saves me a lot of time.

I've been testing the default, Skyfire, and Dolphin HD for 4 weeks and I typically choose Dolphin now as my GoTo browser. Here are the three main reasons:
1. I need the ability to Toggle between Desktop and Mobile on various sites
2. I tweet about a lot of Websites and the Dolphin Tweet plugin actually grabs the Title of a page while simultaneously shrinking the URL, yet still allows me to edit.
3. I also read a lot of pages and if they don't have a mobile version, I use a plugin for Google Mobilizer to strip away formatting and make it easy to read.
Since I have a G2, I use Menu+S to pull up Share options with Dolphin Tweet. I also use Menu+M to use Google Mobilizer. Keyboard shortcuts are handy.
As for speed, they are all pretty comparable. I still use Skyfire on Flash Video sites.
Hope this helps!
Ghostcreamy
Sent from my T-Mobile G2 using XDA App

why are you leaving out xscope? its a perfectly legitimate browser which is the fastest by far.

Firefox is a little late! Dolphin was firefox to me when I had the G1, firfox should just but dolphin and change the name.

ms93 said:
Let me clarify:
Opera Mini is browser, which compresses data - when I was using Galaxy i7500 it was the fastest browser (not only in downloading pages, but in rendering too).
Opera Mobile is normal browser, not compressing data. I did not test it, but comments aren't very good.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Anyone know if the Opera mobile will the same kind of forum posting that mini can do? I HAVE to use opera for posting online for school as no other browser will handle the way it works.

[Q] opinion on browsers

Just wanted to ask the people:
What is your browser of choice and why?

Stock Honeycomb - Fast, stable, good for most websites, allows setting UA.
Stock ICS - Fast, stable, great for most websites. For better functionality, get ICS Browser+ addon (UA and gestures)
Opera Mobile - Not too bad. Best choice for file sharing sites which require captcha's to download.
Dolphin HD - Great for phones, but the UI doesn't really work well for tablets
Dolphin for Tablets Beta - Works pretty good, but lacks in features. Also, it hasn't been updated since the initial release.
Firefox - Unique UI, but not in a good way (tabs should be on the top, not side). Also missing Flash support
Chrome beta - Great so far, but still lacking some features. Has potential to become the best after some updates. No Flash support, but HTML5 is superb!
I've tried several other browsers, but ditched them right away because they either had a terrible UI, they were slow, unstable, or didn't allow setting UA string. Of course, when it comes right down to it, just try every browser you can find and decide which works best for you! Everyone will have their own opinion, and these are just my own. Good luck

Stock browser cuz it has Quick Controls.
I will use Firefox when i will be able to sync it with my BB Firefox. Mozilla has already added sync feature to the mobile version but I failed to get it working.

xScope - just suits my needs better than the rest
Firefox was my main browser but seems to be getting 'clunky' and slow. Still use it for 1 site though as is the only browser that will load said site (Adblocker / hosts issue)

I run Maxthon. For some reason it seems to load everything just a little better for me. Its not perfect, but none of the browsers are. I watch lots of flash content on my tablet and it seems to work the best for me.

Opera Mobile because its fast, stable, has speed dials, and because I can sync my Phone and Tab browser. I like to use a desktop UA when I'm on my tab and I've found that Opera Mobile is the fastest for this.
But make sure you turn the "Opera Turbo" feature off.

Win 7 : Chrome
Kubuntu (Linux) : Chrome
Acer Iconia A500 : Dolphin HD for Tablets
I havent tried Chrome beta on Android ,but I will

love Dolphin HD, would love opera, love the style but does not render CSS on websites that well, fixed divs do not display correctly for example., also love that maxthon, love the themes, just dolphin is better quality. Want to try chrome when we get ICS.

Best internet browser for the XTZ

I have tried them all and by top 5 is the following:
1- Next browser - fast loading pages, reliable and smooth, lacking some sync
2- Chome - fast loading pages, reliable, amazing sync, but sometimes sluggish
3- Dolphin browser - slow loading pages, reliable, but sometimes sluggish
4- Opera - slow loading pages, reliable, but sometimes sluggish
5- UC browser - fast loading pages, unreliable and sometimes sluggish
What about your experience?

miguelsantos1979 said:
I have tried them all and by top 5 is the following:
1- Next browser - fast loading pages, reliable and smooth, lacking some sync
2- Chome - fast loading pages, reliable, amazing sync, but sometimes sluggish
3- Dolphin browser - slow loading pages, reliable, but sometimes sluggish
4- Opera - slow loading pages, reliable, but sometimes sluggish
5- UC browser - fast loading pages, unreliable and sometimes sluggish
What about your experience?
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Click to collapse
I also prefer Next browser and think it is the best so far. UC Browser seemed very fast though. Some sites had trouble and the lack of google sync seemed to suck.
What lack of sync do you experience with next browser? With the newest version it syncs all my bookmarks and folders from PC chrome wich is great.

hello you should try Naked Browser Pro its still the fastest browser with full flash support i had never a crash. it just looks simple but has alot of configs and it shows pages in real tablet ui and not in phone ui like the others. Its worth a try. There is no other browser with such a flash support and it works very good with adaway.

I just can't tear myself away from Firefox on the desktop (far and away the best there, IMO), so as much as it feels a bit sluggish sometimes on Android, I still stick with it on my phone and tablet because it syncs nicely.

My experience so far :
Chrome - Would be nice for bookmark sync (I use it on my PC) but no flash support - so I tried...
AOSP : basic but fast - but Flash support seems to be getting troublesome, causing broswer FCs, so I tried...
FireFox : Looks good, can use Flash - but I had problems with :
slow-rendering of pages (text would be blurred for a while as you scroll)
inputting text in text boxes - the number of timmes I was prodding the screen trying to get a text input cursor...ARGHH!
"selection" buttons not working on many websites (would work fine with AOSP / OPERA)
Shame, I liked it for a while. And finally...
OPERA : Quite liking it seems fast, most things work, but no Flash ...so I may try....???? Naked Browser ???

if you want opera im using opera mobile 12.02 wich still has flash support and real tablet ui but its not the fastest but its ok for me. il use it for daly browsing and for flash videos i use naked browser its the best for flash.

I've always had very good luck with Dolphin. Maybe not the fastest, but fast enough for me and reliable. I value stable over quick. Interface is minimal and clean. Gestures rock. Flash works. Love it.
I do, however, use Firefox for work. I keep all my work bookmarks sync'd up.

I was a chrome/dolphin user before but after seeing this thread a few days ago and trying out next browser, it's officially become my default.

chrome beta is the best 100% full desktop web site still few bug but I have been using this for a long time.... but no flash support

There is only 1 browser that has real desktop rendering its called opera classic or an old version of opera mobile.
i tried every browser and none of them uses real desktop website even if switched on not even chrome.
you should remember that the screen resolution is 1920 x 1080 and websites shouldn`t look like balloons.
here is a screen of real desktop ui from opera

Does Opera classic have flash support? Flash is as much as importance to me as with Stable rather the browser being quick
Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk

The best browser I had so far is Naked Browser / Naked Browser Pro.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fevdev.nakedbrowser&hl=de
Its EXTREMELY lightweight, fast and stable. It supports mobile and desktop mode. It does what its supposed to.
The app icon is ugly, ui is minimalistic and handling is straight and smooth. Surely it does flash. Very few Permissions.
I use(d) it on HTC Sensation XE, Sony Xperia Z an Tablet Z.
My browser search has come to an end.
The Pro version is worth every cent. Just try the free app first.

Tried probably every single browser available but finally settled on this one as the best. Boat Browser Tablet. I think its new - try it!!
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.boatbrowser.tablet

I used to use Dolphin, but on later versions and on some of my favorite sites, it got soooo slow. Eventually I settled on Next browser, which does most of what I need except Flash.
I used CHrome a bit too, but it also had some smaller performance issues, but is my second browser on the tablet.

TempestDK said:
I used to use Dolphin, but on later versions and on some of my favorite sites, it got soooo slow. Eventually I settled on Next browser, which does most of what I need except Flash.
I used CHrome a bit too, but it also had some smaller performance issues, but is my second browser on the tablet.
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Next does flash