Maxthon is
my new top pick for best Android web browser. The newest version
combines the best features of other Android browsers into a lightweight
package that can run on any version of Android from 2.2 and up. That
covers almost 98% of all Android devices currently in use today. One of
it's best features is Maxthon's Cloud Services that allow you to share
almost anything on the web with your other devices or your friends.
Additionally, it can sync your bookmarks, settings, passwords, and your
open tabs across different platforms.
It also features tabbed browsing, gesture support, a "speed dial"
for your favorites, a download manager, private browsing, text re-flow,
and even has support for add-ons (though the selection is very small at
the moment). You can also quickly switch between desktop and WAP
versions of a website along with disabling images to speed up loading
and reduce data usage. Additional features include a "night mode" for
dimming the display, multiple search engine selection, and a find in
page search function.
But the thing that set this browser apart from the rest is it's
full-screen mode. When you put Maxthon in full-screen mode the address
bar slides up and the menu hidden in a small blue dot on the bottom of
the screen. Pressing the dot will bring up a fan menu that is easy to
use and keeps all of your options within quick access while remaining
out of the way. The address bar is also easily accessed by simply
sliding down the top of the screen. This ability was something that
seemed to be missing from most of the other browsers I tested.
Given all of the options that Maxthon packs into an 8MB app and the
fact that it can run on almost every Android device I decided to give
it my top pick for the best web browser for Android.
Dolphin Browser has
long been a fixture on the Android platform and they have always tried
to keep ahead of the pack by adding features. They also supply Dolphin
Mini (see below), but this is their most powerful offering, with all the
features you would expect on a mobile browser and many you might not.
The app features easy multi-tab browsing, excellent bookmark and
browsing history support, multi-touch zooming, simple navigation, Flash
and HTML5 support, versatile add-ons, gesture control and a unique
'Sonar' voice recognition feature. The interface in particular is
excellent, with a swipe from the left side of the screen opening a
bookmarks/history menu, and a swipe from the right giving you immediate
access to installed add-ons.
Add-ons are where Dolphin really shines though. It currently has
more than 60 available add-ons to customize your browser however you
like. There are add-ons to convert webpages to pdf, upload pages and
photos to Box.com, and even a few themes to change the color of the
browser itself. Be careful, though, as adding too many add-ons will
cause the browser to slow down.
Chrome for Android has
finally come out of beta and if you have a strong device that's running
Android 4.0+ then it definitely worth checking out. It features the
same Omnibox that the desktop version has so you can search and navigate
right from the address bar. You can also sign in to your Google account
to sync your bookmarks or open tabs, send pages to your desktop, and
access your saved passwords and autofill information. Some of it's other
features include incognito browsing, preloading of web pages, and "Do
not track" options. If you use Chrome as your desktop browser then you
will feel right at home with Chrome for Android.
While it's a great browser for the newest devices, that does not
mean it is without its problems. One, it's big. It occupies over 50
megabytes of space on my phone. While this doesn't seem like much, on
devices with limited storage it can take up most of your space. It also
does not have extension support which is becoming a common feature among
Android browsers. While a lot of browsers have their tabs on a bar
above the address bar Google decided to keep them as a "card stack" that
is accessed through a tab button on the address bar. I found this to be
a little ackward to access with a big screen and actually had to use
two hands to hold my phone just to change tabs.
There are lots of reports on the Google Play Store that it simply
doesn't work or works very poorly depending on the device being used. I
didn't encounter any problems while testing it on a Galaxy S2 with
Android 4.0.4, but your mileage may vary. It is constantly improving
though and Google appears to be updating it frequently. I won't be
surprised when Chrome for Android becomes the default browser shipped
with the Android OS.
UC Browser is
consistently rated as one of the best on the Play Store and it's not
surprising. Like the other browsers I've reviewed here, it features
tabbed browsing and a plethora of other options to further suit your
needs. A lot of the standard features that are common to the others are
here such as being able to switch between desktop and mobile versions of
a site, multi touch zooming, and a speed dial start page.
The standout feature of UC Browser is its download manager. While
most Android browsers only allow you to access your downloads UC Browser
goes a step further by integrating a download manager that can resume
failed or stalled downloads. This can be very useful if you happen to be
in an area with a spotty signal. Another handy feature is voice
control. You can open websites, search for terms, and control browser
functions such as back, forward, and opening a new tab.
There are a just a couple of downsides to the UC Browser. There is
no add-on support and I found that while browsing in full screen there
is no way to access the address bar without exiting full screen mode.
But, these won't bother everyone and is still a solid browser.
Boat Browser has
been mentioned in the comments quite a few times so it definitely
warranted a review here. I have to admit that when I first opened it up I
was underwhelmed. It looked and felt like the other browsers I tested.
Then I opened the settings. I counted 34 separate settings for
everything from gesture control to private browsing. And a lot of those
settings had sub settings as well. It is a very customizable browser and
it hides it in a neat and uncluttered interface. It is very similar to
Dolphin's offering but its half the size.
It has all of the features that are common on Android browsers
recently such as tabbed browsing, gesture support, and bookmark
management. The difference with Boat Browser is that most of the
interface is customizable. You can change the color with one of the 4
included themes. Don't like the layout of the bottom tool bar? You can
change it and place whichever buttons you need in the layout that you
want. It also has voice control and support for a small number of
add-ons.
The only things I didn't like about Boat Browser was it's rather
large address bar and the fact that it's ad-supported which may put a
few people off. These are only minor issues though and it is still an
excellent browser that should be considered when looking for an
alternative to the stock browser.
Firefox for Android is
the mobile counterpart to Mozilla's very popular Firefox browser. It,
too, features tabbed browsing, the ability to switch between desktop
& mobile versions of a site, and excellent sharing capabilities that
uses the Android sharing intent. It is also one of the best when it
comes to supporting the newest web standards.
Firefox also has a great sync function if you happen to be using
the desktop version of Firefox. You can sync bookmarks, passwords,
history, your open tabs, and even your add-ons. The drawback with
syncing add-ons is that there has to be a mobile version of your add-on
in order for it to work. Firefox Sync is also completely encrypted for
the security concious among you.
While I am a longtime user of Firefox on my desktop PC I just
cannot use it on my Android. I found it to be incredibly slow at loading
pages and the inteface is a little clunky to me. There is also no full
screen mode and the large address bar stays on the screen at all times.
This could make browsing uncomfortable on smaller devices as it takes up
a lot of screen space. Also, Firefox for Android can only run on
devices with a 600 Mhz or greater processor.
Opera Mobile is
still one of the best browsers to use on Android, but I found that it
didn't really offer anything beyond what is standard in most Android web
browsers these days. It has a start page, tabbed browsing, the ability
to share using Android's sharing intent, and you can sync your bookmarks
with the desktop version of Opera. You also have the option of using
Opera Turbo which serves you compressed pages from Opera's servers to
increase page laoding and decrease data usage. Unfortunately, this is a
feature that is starting to show up in other Android browsers that offer
more features.
NOTE: While I don't review the beta versions of these browsers,
Opera has just released a new beta that is a complete redesign of the
popular browser. They have switched to using the Webkit engine (like
Chrome) and have changed the interface quite a bit. I'll redo my review
of Opera as soon as it leaves beta as it is shaping up to be back on top
as one of the best Android browsers out there.
Boat Browser Mini is
the browser I recommend if you have a low powered device or a small
screen. It contains almost all of the features of it's big brother, Boat
Browser. It still has themes, an excellent full screen mode, and even
gesture support. While it doesn't have a turbo mode like Opera, you can
still switch between mobile and desktop versions of a site to help
reduce loading times and data usage.
Opera Mini is
designed as a fast and light browser for those who have slow download
speeds or high data costs. As pages are browsed, Opera's servers fetches
them and compresses images to provide a faster browsing experience.
This does require accepting Opera's ability to protect your privacy,
although all the evidence is that they do (and https secure browsing is
always encrypted end to end). It doesn't offer Flash support, but if you
are in a poor connection area or want to manage your download then
Opera Mini is a good choice as it has most of the features of its bigger
brother and runs on practically any device of any age.
The drawback is that some more advanced pages will not render
correctly and Flash/video is not an option. You must also accept the
privacy implications of retrieving all your data through Opera's
servers, although this is unlikely to be a major issue for most.
Dolphin Browser Mini is
the little brother of the full featured HD browser, and is designed to
be lighter, simpler, and less resource heavy. Despite this, it still has
the same excellent multi-tab browsing, bookmarks management,
multi-touch zooming and Flash support with less of the clutter which
will appeal to some, especially on slower devices.1st Choice: Dolphin Browser
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