Database Info

[APP] Is there a need for Dolphin Browser anymore?

I downloaded dolphin browser HD from the market last night to give it a try. I wanted to see if it would make the browsing even smoother and faster than it already is on frf91, or run flash better or something. I don't notice anything different. I understand that it has a lot of great features like gestures, tabs, add ons that the regular browser doesn't. But as far as just the performance of page loading or scrolling or anything, do you guys see any difference? What do you like about it?

Lol you answered it in your own post.. It's about the extra features it has

Right I was just wondering if people saw a performance increase in certain types of pages or something. Or if anyone was noticing speed increases.

I don't see any improvements whatsoever with speed. For Dolphin, I have a bunch of gestures set up that makes my lift a lot easier by having a shortcut to "select text".
I guess the only other thing that helps is the convenient access to wipe history and cache. You can also set it to private browsing mode so it never remembers history.

I like being able to exit/close the browser

I have noticed a few features that make Dolphin browser great.
First is the UAs (user agent settings) can be set to desktop client always. I hate going to about:debug every single time on the N1 stock browser. The MT3GS has a stock browser with UAs options in the stock settings. Not having that, after already having it in a stock browser is just annoying.
Downloading is much more efficient with Dolphin for me. I have been able to get everything posted on xda through rapidshare and others. If I am about to download something on my computer, I chrome to phone the link, and use dolphin to download it and astro to move it to the root.
Text clarity is much better on Dolphin. This was especially noticeable when reading text sites, like the news.
The flash player is on Demand, which is annoying when your first testing it out, but I have grown to love that feature. Especially when a lot of sites are fattened up with flash advertisements and useless widgets all over the place. News sites are the worst of all. Even when your in an EDGE only zone a news story should load fine, but an animated advertisement loading in the middle of the page will slow you down.
Downside. I can't seem to establish a secure connection when attempting to connect to a website using verisign to verify the secure connection. I don't know if it is the secure connection that isn't working or the verification? I emailed Dolphin, maybe they will tell me.
I use Dolphin primarily, but the great thing about Android is that you can run both of them, or either of them whenever you please. Getting the best of both worlds.

What I like the most is the simple refresh and stop button next to the address bar

I just wish it had a better theme...the theme tries to be too flashy and the additional themes are equally as gaudy...a simple stock browser theme (same tabs and buttons and whatnot but with the stock android theme styling) would be great...oh well.

Just so I know, dolphin browser uses the default webkit browser core, correct? And it just basically is like the default browser with different settings, UI, and "skin" overtop of the default browser.

no one uses xscope?

dmo580 said:
no one uses xscope?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Only for downloading files that Dolphin Browser seems to not want to download...

Skyfire 2.1 has improved alot. Its fast, the multi touch is better than it was with 2.0, and its flash player works much better than before. I use this when browsing casually (not logging in anywhere.) Love to watch worldstarhiphop videos with it cause flash 10.1 performance sucks on that site.

dmo580 said:
no one uses xscope?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
i use xscope. although i like that dolphin has ability to sync bookmarks

Nope, stopped using Dolphin HD for a couple reasons:
1) It has tabs, which is awesome, but it's a little too complicated to reach them compared to the old dolphin. I liked being able to swipe down to bring down the bar.
2) It's buggy as hell. I've uninstalled and reinstalled it about three times now. Sometimes it doesn't register my clicks, sometimes it brings about the crazy screen problem, and sometimes it just doesn't try to load my pages.
I just wish the stock android browser had tabs implemented.

Xscope has 0 bugs and its fast

The ability for fullscreen mode. That's most important to me as I don't want the notification bar to waste space and to prevent further lcd screen burn in for my N1.
Although that feature is broken in the recent version but a fix is coming.

kolyan said:
Xscope has 0 bugs and its fast
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Fast yes. Zero bugs? No... it doesn't do text reflow on XDA forums properly vs. Dolphin.

dmo580 said:
no one uses xscope?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I do. Downloaded X-Scope and Dolphin the same day. There was something Dolphin did that I did not like, but can't remember what it was. But it was often enough it annoyed me. Never had an issue with X-Scope

Love xscope lite. Looks great, great features. many people don't know this but you can set up Flash to run automatically vs. "on demand"
I wasn't sure if all the browser improvements on 2.2 were just for the stock browser but doesn't seem anyone has noticed a difference in speed between stock and alternatives.

aussiebum said:
Fast yes. Zero bugs? No... it doesn't do text reflow on XDA forums properly vs. Dolphin.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Not sure what you mean by text reflow, but I set it to "wide" in one of the settings and it made the xda forums look exactly the same as dolphin/stock browser.

[APP] Firefox 4 beta 1

Hey guys. Firefox 4 has finally released a beta 1 for android devices. For those who are curious before you try, I figured I would update this with a little information on Firefox for android and what you can expect from this beta. After all, its a huge install
-No flash support yet (yet)
-Pinch to zoom has been added (was left out in alpha builds)
-Swiping to the right on any page brings up your open tabs. This will display windows in a small thumbnail which you can close right from there. You can also start a new tab from this area.
-Swiping to the left on any page brings up a few options. The ability to bookmark, back and forward buttons, along with a settings icon to change settings.
-One big plus of firefox mobile that has been added is firefox sync. This allows you to login and sync your browser information with your Firefox browser on your PC.
-Set font. I thought I would mention this since seemed to have mixed reviews on it. There is a font set in the browser, aside from your current system font. Personally, I don't mind it. Its clear, so it works.
-Add-ons! If you're familiar with Firefox desktop then you're familiar with add-ons. Well Mozilla has brought add-ons to Firefox Mobile as well.
-Find in page / share page links easily accessible from hitting "menu" on any page
-Tapping on the address bar brings up bookmarks / history / desktop tap for easy access. This will keep the address bar highlighted in which you can simply search a keyword or enter a website. If you again press menu while this field is highlighted, Firefox will give you options of sites to search for your keywork. Google / wiki etc.
Keep in mind, this is still a BETA release. It has come a long way since the alpha builds, but doesn't seem quite ready for prime time just yet. Grab it and let us know what you think!
You can grab it here : http://bit.ly/9mBett

Downloading now...thanks. 40MB...ouch!

Apps 2 SD support is there...so don't worry about the pain it will pass. Won't use as default browser until performance refinements are made as well as user string options and flash support.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

Won't work on my MT3G 1.2
Sent from my MT3G 1.2 using XDA App

I have no issues with stock

Holy ****. The browser is slow ass hell. I'm using Fresh's latest.
Sent from my PC36100 using XDA App

i could see it being good after A LOT OF WORK!!!!

look promising, i like the sync option. but it is slow .
using fresh and only fresh

I'm using AvaFroyo9 and the browser seems very smooth, in fact I'de use it as my default if it currently supported flash.
Update: After further testing, it appears to lag when typing in text fields. Also text boxes with drop down menus do not appear as they should.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk

I used the alpha for a week or so and it was absolute crap.
I downloaded this beta earlier today and it is absolutely the fastest browser I have used on Android (and I have used them all)! It renders perfectly and might become my new fav. I'm an avid Dolphin user, but this might make me switch.
Thus far the potential drawbacks include no flash and doesnt appear to close when you go to another program. (Don't know if that is a battery issue or not as I haven't had it long enough.)
In any case, I recommend checking it out.
Update: I'd still recommend playing around with this browser, but it definitely has a ways to go to catch up to Dolphin. Lots of odd little quirks, like struggles with Swype.

chazglenn3 said:
Downloading now...thanks. 40MB...ouch!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Lol this post made me laugh so hard.

Downloading now
Sent from my HTC Evo

video of firefox 4
Video of firefox 4 beta running on an EVO 4G:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H3itOl55C1k
It's not ready for primetime, but it's on the right track imo.

not the fastest browser out there... it actually lags a lil bit more than stock or skyfire in cm6, but not by much, once it renders it is really smooth tho. Im a fan of firefox and i know that when they get to the final release it will probably be the best browser for android. especially with the sync and add-on features

I've tried it out, feels goo to see it there. But not for me lol. I'll look forward to future builds of it. Hope they'll get speed improvements in there.

Tried it and removed. Love FF, but until its more polished I'll stick with Dolphin HD.

SilentSummer said:
Tried it and removed. Love FF, but until its more polished I'll stick with Dolphin HD.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Agreed. Stock browser for me. Quicker than anything I've tried. Keeping it around tho, since I'm a huge Firefox fan having the icon makes me giddy. Hahah much cooler than fennec

[APP] Arrow Dolphin HD 5 Private Beta 1

Have Fun
Don't forget to hit the Thanks button!
EDIT : Woo, my 500th post! and ignore the Arrow in the title, no idea how it got there.

With this run side to side with dolphin hd 4? Will you be posting updated betas or how else do we get them?

lexluthor said:
With this run side to side with dolphin hd 4? Will you be posting updated betas or how else do we get them?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Nope. It installed on top of my version 4. Still, pretty stable for a beta. And if i can get hold of updated betas, Ill release them too.

Thanks for the link Sacred. Been waiting for this one...

D3XX said:
Thanks for the link Sacred. Been waiting for this one...
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
No problem

Hey I was just curious as to why you would recommend this over the stock browser (cm7 nightly 75). I used dolphin back when I think it was in version 3 and although impressive I didn't really see the value in it. Just wondering if anyone can provide some user experiences. Thank you so much!

Ummmm, yeeeeeah I would recommend it without a doubt. It's has the speed of a 4g stock browser i would say even on 3g and it loads pages very quickly.

I'm not impressed. It is definitely better than the stock browser which is horrid - lack of features and loads extremely slow. However when compared to my daily browser, Opera, it feels gauky.
Compared to opera it loads just as fast, displays flash just as well, webpages look just as good. But the app itself just doesn't look good.
Dolphin has the tab bar on top, which makes it easier to access, but it isn't done well. I would rather have them remove that and use the tab page they have that is similar to sense previews. It takes up too much space and is IMO ugly.
The guesture menus are a great idea. And they are easy to bring up. Again, however, I don't like how they look. Either they should take up the whole screen rather than just part. Or have a transparent background so that they are "overlaying" the webpages.
Also, I had it FC on me a couple times while loading pages and changing settings. Not an issue for me as its beta.
The one thing I really like about it over any other browser I've used it that you can change the user agent in settings easily! Opera you can, but you have to edit the opera:config and its a pain.

ebbinger_413 said:
I'm not impressed. It is definitely better than the stock browser which is horrid - lack of features and loads extremely slow. However when compared to my daily browser, Opera, it feels gauky.
Compared to opera it loads just as fast, displays flash just as well, webpages look just as good. But the app itself just doesn't look good.
Dolphin has the tab bar on top, which makes it easier to access, but it isn't done well. I would rather have them remove that and use the tab page they have that is similar to sense previews. It takes up too much space and is IMO ugly.
The guesture menus are a great idea. And they are easy to bring up. Again, however, I don't like how they look. Either they should take up the whole screen rather than just part. Or have a transparent background so that they are "overlaying" the webpages.
Also, I had it FC on me a couple times while loading pages and changing settings. Not an issue for me as its beta.
The one thing I really like about it over any other browser I've used it that you can change the user agent in settings easily! Opera you can, but you have to edit the opera:config and its a pain.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Remember, its the first beta. It'll get stable over time.

I know, that's why I said the FC's weren't an issue...

Private betas are considered warez, and are not allowed to be posted.

ics browser sucks?

dont mean to be crude but it really sucks compared to old stock gingerbread sense browser. what can i do to get a smooth browser experience with no flickers and slow rendering after pinch and zoom? i tried maxthon but even that is a bit slow in rendering after pinch and zoom. i flashed the downgrade fix but that still sucks. in gingerbread everything was smooth. any help? thanks

walkinhotdog said:
dont mean to be crude but it really sucks compared to old stock gingerbread sense browser. what can i do to get a smooth browser experience with no flickers and slow rendering after pinch and zoom? i tried maxthon but even that is a bit slow in rendering after pinch and zoom. i flashed the downgrade fix but that still sucks. in gingerbread everything was smooth. any help? thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
G'day champ,
I understand what you're saying, I also had these problems. I don't tend to like Maxthon, Firefox is also still in what feels like an early beta stage.
I've moved towards Dolphin Browser HD, and I haven't had any problems with it at all. I'd provide more info, but I'm in a rush.
But let me know how it goes for you, as I'd love to hear your feedback on it.

Are we not liking Chrome, either?

yeah agree , before it was good but now i use chrome beta!

I got ics but I don't have any problems with my browser .

There's nothing wrong with the ics browser on my phone, and I think it's better because it has more functions.

ICS browser works fine for me on my nosense VI rom.

i tried chrome too. not really my cup of tea. im ok with dolphin though. you guys probably forgot what the gingerbread stock browser was like. I jus moved from gingerbread to ice cream sandwich and the difference is huge. i mean this new browser is ok, but i just wish it were more responsive and smooth with the rendering and pinch and zoom

I'm sure it'll be better after official release guys... And chrome is decent but I'm holding untill its released from beta
Sent from my insertcoined Sensation 4G with Beats Audio

I hate that link don't open up to the page I want, when I'm in a third party app.

Finally I am not crazy!!!
Hgaara said:
I hate that link don't open up to the page I want, when I'm in a third party app.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes thank you I have been having this problem too. I have only noticed it in Yahoo! Mail though. I have uninstalled it yahoo mail though. I have a full release version of ICS too. You would think they would check that with such popular programs as Yahoo Mail.

Thanks for the info. I've flashed a few ics roms & every1 of them has an unpleasant browsing experience compared to stock GB, especially on the desktop of utube. Does dolphin HD scroll & pinch to zoom smoothly on the desktop utube? I'd like to know b4 I reflash again for the 20th time. Thanx in advance

enserio said:
Are we not liking Chrome, either?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm using Chrome Beta, and has so many bugs. I use Opera 11.62 for my computer's browser, but Opera on mobile doesn't like HTML 5. So, I still use Chrome even though it kind of sucks.

Yes it does.
Though this may work better in devices with hardware buttons such as the Sensation (I wonder if it does):
There's no standard menu button and you have to hunt for it in each application, as in all of ICS
The menu "...." icon, in Google's finest new style, is unintuitive and most often hidden
Can't search the page or perform a menu action withotu abandoning my current scroll position
But I've had even worse issues:
I can't find where can I change my User-Agent so that I don't get the crappy "mobile" sites from everybody; I haven't paid 500 € on a large screen phone to get crippled versions
I can't find where can I add custom search engines
Screen estate is often wasted with yet another obnoxious toolbar made of obnoxious Google style icons (i.e. ugly, monochrome, abstract and unintuitive)
And that's just from 5 minutes of use. Back to Opera Mobile — I suggest you do the same; it's faster, has better features and a much better UI (well, anything has a much better UI compared to Google's stuff since Google+).

I've choosen for myself "ICS Browser+".

After JellyBean ICS+ doesn't work

After I installed the latest update which I think is JellyBean the ICS+ browser doesn't work. I uninstalled and reinstalled and it just crashes when the program is ran. Dolphin and Firefox still works, but I was getting used to the ICS+ browser. Anyone else have this problem or are there any other browser alternatives out there? Dolphin is really nice and I'll probably stick with that if I have no choice. Hey, at least flash works! I bust my girlfriends chops all the time about her iPad not having flash and some of her web pages just look horrible with Safari. She could never find an alternative browser for her iPad. Apple makes it very difficult to find programs that replace the core stuff on the iPad. A huge negative and one of the many reasons why I love Android so much better then ios.

opentoe said:
After I installed the latest update which I think is JellyBean the ICS+ browser doesn't work. I uninstalled and reinstalled and it just crashes when the program is ran. Dolphin and Firefox still works, but I was getting used to the ICS+ browser. Anyone else have this problem or are there any other browser alternatives out there? Dolphin is really nice and I'll probably stick with that if I have no choice. Hey, at least flash works! I bust my girlfriends chops all the time about her iPad not having flash and some of her web pages just look horrible with Safari. She could never find an alternative browser for her iPad. Apple makes it very difficult to find programs that replace the core stuff on the iPad. A huge negative and one of the many reasons why I love Android so much better then ios.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes, for me it's the same.

Did you read the app description in the Play Store? It says "Not compatible with Jelly Bean"...
Sent from my GT-N7000 using Tapatalk 2

Stock browser is just as good now imo. What are you missing that ics+ gives you?

It was called ICS+ (Ice Cream Sandwich +) for a reason. It was an extension of the ICS browser. I used myself as my primary, but yest with Jelly Bean the ICS browser is different, and as stated before it is shown in the app description that it will not work on JB. Now that said. I do hope they might make a JB+, but really the JB browser works just the same for me, without the home button.

sbdags said:
Stock browser is just as good now imo. What are you missing that ics+ gives you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I agree.
Stock in JB is just fine.
Sent from my ASUS Transformer Pad TF700T using xda app-developers app

sbdags said:
Stock browser is just as good now imo. What are you missing that ics+ gives you?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
One of the features that I miss to this day is an extended version of "Quick Controls" -- the controls option you can turn on in Settings / Labs that displays a semi-circle pop-up menu when you tap right right or left edge of the screen. In the stock browser, the menu is very limited, with just a few functions. In ICS+, you could choose to add / activate numerous functions and customize your installation pretty extensively. It was very powerful, and very useful. At the time, it became a must-have feature for me, and I wound up preferring ICS+ to Dolphin, Firefox, Maxthon, etc. Really miss ICS+ and hope dev considers implementing a JB version.

jonstrong said:
One of the features that I miss to this day is an extended version of "Quick Controls" -- the controls option you can turn on in Settings / Labs that displays a semi-circle pop-up menu when you tap right right or left edge of the screen. In the stock browser, the menu is very limited, with just a few functions. In ICS+, you could choose to add / activate numerous functions and customize your installation pretty extensively. It was very powerful, and very useful. At the time, it became a must-have feature for me, and I wound up preferring ICS+ to Dolphin, Firefox, Maxthon, etc. Really miss ICS+ and hope dev considers implementing a JB version.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yes I use these as well but there are over 15 given in the new stock JB. If you use quick ics browser you can configure them as well.

sbdags said:
Yes I use these as well but there are over 15 given in the new stock JB. If you use quick ics browser you can configure them as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes....I went back and checked. Some of what I was missing is in the fly out sub menus.

sbdags said:
Yes I use these as well but there are over 15 given in the new stock JB. If you use quick ics browser you can configure them as well.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Also, see this thread for info on a setting in the stock browswer that really speeds things up-- http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1923285
If you're not rooted you can't use browser2ram, but honestly, I don't think it's needed to apply this tweak. Good luck!