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Hi all, I'm new to the android world, with the nexus s being my first android operated phone maybe even my first smart phone, had a Nokia n97 previous although it wasn't quite the smartphone advertised but thats another story.
The title says it all really I'd just like to know what browser you would recomend and why. I used to use opera on the n97 however there wasn't the selection available there is for android. I see dolphin hd pop up alot around the forums.
So please share your favorite browser and you reassons why. e.g speed, UI, customise ect
Cheers for everyone who takes part.
Firefox or Dolphin HD for the add-ons
Opera for speed
Stock browser for all-round
Stock browser for speed (less lag)
I also like the stock browser but I'm also a big fan of xScope Browser.
I usually use the stock because it seems the best all around as one of the above stated but to save pages I use Opera and I've been testing out some others as well
Im really liking the Dolphin mini beta at the moment. I find it quicker than stock and still runs everything perfectly.
For me the stock browser is the best atm :
- Firefox : looks promising, but way too slow for day-to-day use, needs optimizations
- Opera : don't like the rendering, almost impossible to click on links (try browsing Google Reader...), not really faster than stock (with turbo mode off)
- Dolphin / Dolphin HD : too bloated for me
The stock browser has been impressive so far. I haven't run into any problems so far
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
The only thing that bothers me in the stock browser is the navigation through open windows. I'd love to have some proper tabbed browsing.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
nicholasbgr said:
The only thing that bothers me in the stock browser is the navigation through open windows. I'd love to have some proper tabbed browsing.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
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+1
(adding more for 10 char limit)
I've extensively used the stock browser, Opera Mobile, and FireFox (nightlies and latest stable). I primarily use Opera Mobile (not mini) for almost everything because of how ridiculously smooth its pinch zoom and panning is compared to everything else out. To see its advantages, simply go to an image-heavy page like Gizmodo and try panning and zooming on any other browser (the newest FireFox included). To me, its smoother/better user experience is important than the javascript speed advantages in FireFox.
I have run repeated tests on both my N1 and my NS and have found that in SunSpider, the fastest is FireFox by a healthy margin, followed by the stock browser, distantly followed by Opera. However, in my experience, page loading has always been similar across all three, meaning that js speed doesn't factor that much in rendering most pages.
Extensions are a big draw in FireFox, as is Flash in the stock browser, but I find that Opera does everything I need natively. Plus, flash support is supposedly going to be added (as well as to FireFox Mobile).
x scope 6 is solid its fast and all around just great I know its not free but I think its the best one out at the moment until firefox comes out of beta and adds flash it may be king
stock for me.
Dolphin HD has a lot of add-ons that I thought sounded interesting and installed on my Galaxy S and Nexus One, but I never really used any of them, so that's a pointless feature for me. I found Dolphin HD to be bloated and much slower than the stock browser on any of my phones, even without add-ons.
I've kept the NS on stock based on past performance with Dolphin.
seems like I haven't really gave the stock browser the chance it deserves, to be honest dismissed it almost straight away.
Back to stock for me to give it a real test. Although I'm hoping firefox lives up to it's desktop browser standards.
Also quick question which is non related but I don't see the point in starting a new thread. I need to return my phone due to the back button not lighting up. I was just wondering if there is a away to save all my data to when I get my new phone i can put all my data back on. E.g phone numbers, sms msgs photos angry bird progess, music ect.
thanks again for any help.
I prefer the built-in browser for everyday use. I have one website that I get from a real estate broker which has some fancy frames in it that doesn't render correctly in the stock browser, for this site I use Opera mini.
i'm still can't decide which one is best
using (in no special order):
Stock 2.3 Browser
Opera Mobile
Opera Mini
SkyFire
Dolphin HD
FireFox beta
they all have their Cons/Pros
SkyFire was my main Browser until they screwed it up, and now it has become as broadware as Dolphin HD
I like both Dolphin and Skyfire for their Flash & Video support but... they are slow and broad.
FireFox still has much work to be done on it
Opera Mini & Opera Mobile is identical in Android, but in WinMo they were 2 different apps
so it boils down to Stock 2.3 Browser being the fastest, but.. not so great on Flash / Video support
can anyone answer my question on a way to back up all my data as I'm returning my phone tomorrow due to the back button light not working.
Is there away to back up all data, apps, contacts,photos, messages, angry bird progress. live wall papers. Or will i need to start all over again?
Also how can I earse all my data in order to return the phone.
Thanks in advance
[Q] Better Web Browser
I'm looking for a web browser for my TF that views pages in actual web form, not as mobile pages.
I think with a screen this size it should be possible, right?
Anybody have any suggestions?
Thanks
Soopafly Incredible said:
I'm looking for a web browser for my TF that views pages in actual web form, not as mobile pages.
I think with a screen this size it should be possible, right?
Anybody have any suggestions?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Skyfire has a desktop mode.
~DC
I use Dolphin, can set user-agent to Desktop.
Some people have suggested Dolphin HD as good replacement for the stock browser. I'm just not clear about your problem? My stock browser displays the webpages as my PC browser would. You can check Settings|Advanced and User agent string.
Hope this helps,
rio
I'm using Dolphin HD and like it better than the stock one.
~DC
I guess maybe I'm missing some steps, or haven't tried a few of them that you've mentioned. Just noticed that in my firefox browser (and also the stock browser) all of the pages (MSN, Facebook) are showing up in their mobile forms.
I'll try a couple of those you mentioned and see if I can find them...Thanks!
try Firefox
rio911 said:
My stock browser displays the webpages as my PC browser would. You can check Settings|Advanced and User agent string.
Hope this helps,
rio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Do this to stop getting mobile versions!
rio911 said:
Some people have suggested Dolphin HD as good replacement for the stock browser. I'm just not clear about your problem? My stock browser displays the webpages as my PC browser would. You can check Settings|Advanced and User agent string.
Hope this helps,
rio
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Now we just need hulu to acknowledge this!
Dolphin HD
This should be a poll
If you get ADW EX you can adjust the standard (useless) browser widget to 2 columns by 7 rows (looks a lot better), then when you first click on a thumbnail it asks you which browser you wish to use, click your preffered item then you have a custon full size browser of choice widget.
Lately I have been experimenting with different browsers because I am not happy with the stock browser on Honeycomb because it seems to have a lot of issues and slow performance when rendering. I know that a lot of people have been recommending Dolphin Browser HD, and I have tried that alongside Mozilla Firefox. Which browser is everyone else using on their Transformer and how do you like it?
The thing I miss most about the stock browser is the sync with your google chrome bookmarks, so if anyone can suggest how to get that to work with Dolphin Browser or Mozilla, I would appreciate it. Mozilla seems to have the best rendering speed out of the two, however, Dolphin seems to have more features and a better overall interface. Both Dolphin and the stock browser have problems rendering this forum, but Mozilla seems to do it with ease. However, it doesn't seem as though Mozilla is proportioned right for Tablet use yet.
I guess each of the has their positives and negatives, which is why I want to see what everyone else is using and their thoughts.
I use all of them because I don't like any of them. Every one has some problems. The best is probably the stock one, but it doesn't have adblock and when I turn on flash some pages turn into literally hell because of ads. Firefox on the other hand is fast but has very few options and scales images very poorly (this forum looks ugly on it for example). Opera is strange (especcialy the tabs are strange). Dolphin looks like a bloatware.
I hope to see full desktop browser on Android some time. With extensions and such (Firefox mobile extensions are laughable, even adblock doesn't have any options).
to me the stock browser seems more and more like chrome...is it just me?
All Android browsers are really inferior... Right now I go back and forth between stock and Firefox... Don't like either...
stock is as fluid as it gets
I tried Dolphin... but to be frank, it definitely does seem like bloatware. Its overall pretty awful. I keep it installed just because I use it for some websites that the stock one doesn't work properly. But thats rare. And I don't care for it.
People keep saying that Dolphin is "optimised for honeycomb" but I really don't think so. If it were, it'd run a crap ton better.
I use stock. It doesnt always work perfect, and it has its flaws for sure, but its pretty darn fluid, the tabs work great, and its just a clean looking browser.
Stock for browsing and firefox for downloading .zip files
would prefer opera as its my desktop browser of choice but its just terrible atm on android
re browser's
I,d really like to like the stock browser, or dolphin (my usual favourite), but the opera mobile seems currently the only one that has that ipad floaty feel to scrolling. Why cant the others do this?
Dolphin hd beta 5 is awesome
Firefox with adblock is sweet. For watching Flash websites, I use stock or dolphin hd. I like opera too. I guess I will be using all of them as I see fit. That's what I like about android.
Can you Nexies recommend me your favorite, the best performing browser for Nexus S.
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
I think most people would recommend opera or dolphin hd, firefox nightlies are a bit hit and miss
there is only two browsers, Opera and Stock... the others is just the stock with some things changed, but they render pages just like stock, lag in the same pages, freeze to load extacly same things and has almost same bugs...
Opera, in other hand, seems to be hardware accelerated, it is completely different, and for me, it is really better... loads every pages faster and so smooth as it should be in stock one... but, it has two bad things: 1) it is really annoying to see "Opera Mobile" every single time you open it and 2) doesn't render Google's pages like it should, like gmail or search page. In stock browser it is shown like a web app, but in Opera you see generic mobile pages...
personally, i use both, Opera for default and stock for those things that Opera can't handle well! =oP
I keep trying other browsers and always end up back with the stock. Opera is my backup browser. Its fast, but like all 3rd party browsers, has quirks
Stock & Opera as wingman
Of course Opera...
thiagodark said:
there is only two browsers, Opera and Stock... the others is just the stock with some things changed, but they render pages just like stock, lag in the same pages, freeze to load extacly same things and has almost same bugs...
Opera, in other hand, seems to be hardware accelerated, it is completely different, and for me, it is really better... loads every pages faster and so smooth as it should be in stock one... but, it has two bad things: 1) it is really annoying to see "Opera Mobile" every single time you open it and 2) doesn't render Google's pages like it should, like gmail or search page. In stock browser it is shown like a web app, but in Opera you see generic mobile pages...
personally, i use both, Opera for default and stock for those things that Opera can't handle well! =oP
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I agree. For more examples, anandtech.com is horribly slow in stock, but ESPN's baseball recap pages do not display correctly in Opera. I'm trying out the latest Firefox, which seems like a compromise: not as fast as Opera, but more accurate rendering.
Honestly, when HTC and Samsung branded phones have stock browsers with superior scrolling and pinch-to-zoom, I don't quite understand what's supposed to be so great about the "pure Google" experience. This phone has been out for almost a year and its browser is still terrible. So we get updates direct from Google, but if none of them improve the browser, who cares? It would be great if this improves with ICS, but I still haven't seen any official word on that.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
dwielunski said:
Honestly, when HTC and Samsung branded phones have stock browsers with superior scrolling and pinch-to-zoom, I don't quite understand what's supposed to be so great about the "pure Google" experience. This phone has been out for almost a year and its browser is still terrible. So we get updates direct from Google, but if none of them improve the browser, who cares? It would be great if this improves with ICS, but I still haven't seen any official word on that.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
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Click to collapse
that is a thing i REALLY miss in my old HTC devices, browser experience is far far far better. I like Android and all, but ICS is the last chance for Google to me, there is always a tiny thing is not great as it should, in all android handsets i owned! Nexus is amazing, but this browser sucks, i can't understand why google made it that way, just can't. They are mostly a internet company, for god sake, and Chrome is great for Desktop....
For me, Nokia + WP7 or ICS will be a 'watershed'... =o\
The best one I've found is Miren Browser.
I personally enjoy Firefox mobile (it is on market). Though I use the nightly build (https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/Platforms/Android#Download_Nightly)
It does not do flash sadly however I love the sync since I also use it as my desktop
I was thinking about this earlier myself; but, seeing as I tried most of them I knew the answer. To me at least.
I currently just use the stock browser. As much as it bugs me. They need a serious overhaul on this thing. I want Chrome FOR phone. I fee like that team could do a better job at building a browser. Not sure why they haven't.
Anyways. I use stock because it's stock; and, if I'm not 100% happy with another browser I don't keep it because I hate having 2 apps installed that do the same thing. Just the way I am.
Dolphin is my favorite UI. Gestures are cool. The tab interface is better, etc. But, like mentioned above it's really just like the stock browser skinned. However, you don't have to type in about:debug to change to desktop rendering for sites without links on the bottom. Button built it.
Skyfire: I wasn't thrilled with the UI but did like how the Desktop/Android rendering button was right there on top. Again, just like the stock browser though.
Firefox is atrocious.
Opera is by far THE best alternative as far as web experience goes. However, I despise how it doesn't render certain websites "correctly". For example Google and Facebook. It has that "old" look to it. Basic if you will. However, it does load desktop pages a lot faster than the stock browser. So it's not bad if you don't mind waiting a LITTLE loger for the desktop site. In comparison it will load a desktop site ALMOST as fast as the stock browser loads a mobile site. Depending on what;s going on - on the site. But it's very fast and snappy. The way the stock browser should be.
So bottom line if your going to chose a browser other than Opera (if your happy the way it renders) the only advantage the other browsers have are features, plug-ins, ui, etc. The web experience will be the same.
Edit: I was messing with Opera again after reading this. I love how when you click on something (we'll use a link here) that's close to another item: it will highlight both to indicate you pressed both of them and it wasn't sure which one your big finger hit, lol. Instead of "guessing" like the other browsers.
What's your preference between Opera and Opera Mini?
irishrally said:
What's your preference between Opera and Opera Mini?
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Click to collapse
I always go for the "bigger one" mini is always a lighter app. Smaller. Missing features from the "Regular" one. Correct me if I'm wrong; but, doesn't Opera mini not support flash where the regular one does?
irishrally said:
What's your preference between Opera and Opera Mini?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If you check "Turbo" in Opera Mobile it will use the server compression stuff just like Opera mini. Then if something doesn't look right you can long press on it to "load image in full quality" or something like that. Basically Mobile gives you all the capabilities of Mini + more, since space is not really an issue with this phone you should just use Mobile.
Sent from my Nexus S 4G using Tapatalk
i would recommend for opera..
but one thing i dont like is while you using opera, and switch to another app or just back to home sceen, the internet connection then lost.. so you must loading or refresh it again..
how about soon to be Google Chrome
http://androidandme.com/2011/10/news/google-chrome-is-finally-coming-to-an-android-device-near-you/
wait for chrome. it's coming in october
Drzfr3shboialex said:
how about soon to be Google Chrome
http://androidandme.com/2011/10/news/google-chrome-is-finally-coming-to-an-android-device-near-you/
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Wow, that is a great great news...
Cant wait for it..
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
Careful using Dolphin or other browsers that may have a user string that looks like a desktop.
If you have grandfathered unlimited data on AT&T, this string will flag you for tethering and you will get a nasty text warning that you need to change your plan (thus losing unlimited data). I personally just use the stock Android browser 100% of the time due to concern that I'll lose my grandfathered data. Especially since AT&T will yank your data even though you aren't really tethering...and it's gone forever.
Just a thought.
Thanks all for that healthy, fruitful discussion.
I have tried both Stock and Miren.
Initially Stock was acting good but then it started hanging. Miren also left unimpressed.
Now I am on Dolphin, it seems to be good. Let us see!
Sent from my Nexus S using XDA App
It's not bad at all. I have switched to it from the stock and opera browsers. It does play flash too.
I, TF, sent this on behalf of my owner
really? i tried it sometime back on my motorola defy and found it to be laggy. will try later and post my results
ok just installed it. seems to be quite stable, i can really see this as a permernant replacement for the stock browser. best thing is that most of the flash ads are not loading
---
bah after opening 5 tabs it keeps asking me to close them =_=
Hmm, I have nine tabs open easily for me. No crashes or request to close.
I, TF, sent this on behalf of my owner
I've been using Maxthon exclusively since I heard about it on some other website. I never used any of the older incarnations, so I can't speak to the quality of them, but the current version is really quite nice. I like it even better than Dolphin and Opera.
Adding the Gesture plugin is also a huge help. You can define gestures for common browsing tasks, and also assign "bookmarks" to gestures. There are a couple of other plugins that I don't use.
I have found that Flash works as well in Maxthon as it does in any other browser, and I feel as though the sites that I visit that utilize Flash tend to be less buggy in Maxthon than they do in other browsers.
I'd imagine that this is really just another case of "Which browser functions best for the specific things that you do on the web?", though. I'd imagine that there are settings, idiosyncrasies, and bugs that may cause people to prefer other browsers over Maxthon, just as some people prefer Opera, Dolphin, Stock, and Firefox. If you find nagging issues with other browsers, though, I definitely recommend giving Maxthon a shot. It solved the troubles that I had that caused me to go from one browser to the next depending on which site I was visiting.
well i admit it is able to load sites considerably faster then opera *for me anyway*. i just cleared the cache data on the app and its working fine so far
Only problem I found, that it can't download from FS, HS, RS etc. sites correctly - Only Opera works for me.
I can download pdfs with it, which crashes the stock browser when I attempt it, so that alone has made it worth keeping, nevermind the rest.
I've been using maxathon mobile for about 6 weeks, switched from dolphin to this. I must say it crashes much less than dolphin, and I like the interface better. Browsers have always been lacking on tablets imo, but this one is the best I've used so far.
My problems -
-havent figured out how to get favorites to work.
-lets mobile web slip on occassion, even in desktop mode - not often however.
-when downloading music it will not give me a "save target as" link, and asks if I want to open my music player instead.
other than that its a nice little browser.
I tried this and thought it was really slow! (sometime last week).
Skyfire is much faster and smoother scrolling - better than stock browser but not as smooth as Opera.
personally i use and love the stock...tried all browsers,but i return to stock,wonderfull ui,good flash and good speed.only scrolling isn't how opera\dolphin but in live with it!
sert00 said:
personally i use and love the stock...tried all browsers,but i return to stock,wonderfull ui,good flash and good speed.only scrolling isn't how opera\dolphin but in live with it!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'm with you mate. Thought Maxthon was pretty awful. I keep going back to stock although every now and then I do take Dolphin HD for a spin
I was really disappointed with firefox beta 9.0.
After been trying most browsers for Android, my findings is that UC is really the only browser that takes good advantage of the weak GPU on mate 7. It is the only browser that runs smooth with flawless scrolling and pinch to zoom.. On all other browser there is visible stutter.
My conclusion is that if it wasn't for UC the mate 7 would had been a much more unsatisfying experience since my allergy to laggy browsing.
Try mercury browser.
Has ad block and runs smoothly.
With uc in desktop mode I found links were not clicking when pressing them like it was not using digitizer correctly.
No issues with native and mercury.
Edit: tried uc browser hd definitely is faster but same issue links not clickable in desktop mode. Have emailed them hopefully they fix it.
Have not tried HD version because it is made for tablet devices only not phones.
blackinfinity said:
Have not tried HD version because it is made for tablet devices only not phones.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
The hd version is very clean and contemporary and I am liking it in desktop mode.
The issue is with www.gsmarena.com in desktop mode links of news stories don't click for some reason. Could be the ad block is shifting the links not sure hopefully they fix it cause it's a very clean browser.
Uc is best and mercury browser is also good but UC is only best I find next is chrome and next is firefox
Scrolling and pinch to zoom is superior on UC browser. Rendering is not fastest but on heavy sites with a lot of ads UC Is typically faster. UC gui is much faster especially the super fast loading of previously loaded pages which is very useful. CM BROWSER have superior rendering time non-heavy and mobile optimized sites and not good for videos. Cm browser have slow scroll and zoom and mate 7.
Thanks for recommending UC Browser HD. I was look for a better browser and this looks great, it has a smaller ui than most browsers which is needed on such a big screen. I've not had any problems clicking links in desktop mode either.
Privacy nightmare
http://www.ucweb.com/company/privacy/
They track all your web traffic with injected cookies. I ll deal with a little lag.
gn0s1s said:
http://www.ucweb.com/company/privacy/
They track all your web traffic with injected cookies. I ll deal with a little lag.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I'll take that risk as the speed is superior than other browsers including native.
Also discovered with the gsm website to click photo on left of news story and link opens.
:good:
Am using normal chrome and no lag at all..
xlr8me said:
I'll take that risk as the speed is superior than other browsers including native.
Also discovered with the gsm website to click photo on left of news story and link opens.
:good:
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I dl'd UC just to see the diff in speed between it and Chrome beta... and the way it loads in, its much slower for a full page load, than chrome or opera is. And the zoom in out isn't noticeably smoother, unless you zoom pinch zoom in and out like crazy, but who browses web pages like that lol. So not seeing any advantages to using it. Privacy not an issue, until your employer or bank buys a history report on you from a third party, that has browsing history and web habits bundled... then its a big issue.
I am using chrome too
Nothing worng with it so far
gn0s1s said:
I dl'd UC just to see the diff in speed between it and Chrome beta... and the way it loads in, its much slower for a full page load, than chrome or opera is. And the zoom in out isn't noticeably smoother, unless you zoom pinch zoom in and out like crazy, but who browses web pages like that lol. So not seeing any advantages to using it. Privacy not an issue, until your employer or bank buys a history report on you from a third party, that has browsing history and web habits bundled... then its a big issue.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
You do realise that one ad blocks whilst the other does not.
Each to their own I guess but we all have different needs. :laugh:
:good:
I'm using CM Browser without any issues.Particularly likes the auto full screen and night modes.
Simona Simmy said:
Am using normal chrome and no lag at all..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too
nessqn said:
I'm using CM Browser without any issues.Particularly likes the auto full screen and night modes.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same here, i like it, night mode, desktop, pop up, threats blocker ecc...Everything working smooth and fine, also very light! Love it!
Simona Simmy said:
Am using normal chrome and no lag at all..
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Me too.
Opera has recently gone over to chromium on opera android platform since it is now open source for Android now. I was surprised how was opera has become totally superior or UC browser it is also faster then chrome because of less Google Bull**** under the hood.
vince_junior said:
Me too.
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Same no lag on chrome for me
Sent from my HUAWEI MT7-TL10
Try opera you will experience it to be faster