Do you find yourself regularly browsing your favorite websites on
your smartphone? Many people around the world are spending more and more
time browsing on mobile devices as opposed to desktops. A good mobile
browser has therefore become a key consideration when browsing the
Internet.
While there are many browsers on the Google Play Store,
only a few provide an overall great experience. Here are five of the
best browsers for Android.
Chrome
has direct support from Google and shows up on the features list. One
of the best features is the ability to sync tabs across all devices.
Chrome for Android is regularly updated and offers fixes on a consistent
basis.
Pros
- Google has reputation for high quality products and they have not let us down with their browser.
- One box for both search and URL.
- Data compression in the latest version reduces data usage by up to 50%.
- Gesture support for navigation.
- Incognito browsing.
- Seamless synchronization with the Desktop version via your Google account.
Cons
Bottom line:
Chrome is ideal for anyone who uses the desktop version frequently and
would like to sync with the mobile version. This way, you can access all
your bookmarks and tabs on both mobile and desktop versions. The data
compression feature is also useful if you are on a limited data plan or a
plan that gets throttled
once you reach certain bandwidth limits. It is regrettable that such a
good browser is only available on Android 4.0 devices and higher.
Sometimes
you need an incredibly fast browser and you just don’t care about data
usage. For those times, Maxthon is the perfect browser. Maxthon has been
around for a long time but hasn’t been able to garner the type of
attention it rightfully deserves. It is a fast and reliable browser with
some nifty features which were covered in an earlier
review by Jessica. Maxthon relies heavily on cloud-based services which makes the experience all the more user-friendly.
Pros
- Advanced gestures for navigation, you can actually customize and set your own gestures for tasks.
- Cloud tabs allow you to pick up right where you left off, regardless of the device you use.
- Reader Mode makes reading a lot easier by making the text prominent and removing ads.
- Numerous personalization options.
Cons
- Runs a little slow on older devices, which is expected.
- Uses a little more data than other browsers out there, recommended for unlimited data plans or Wi-Fi connectivity.
Bottom line:
With Maxthon, the cloud tabs are a great feature if you use several
different devices in a day. So if you are constantly shifting between
your smartphone and tablet, Maxthon is definitely the browser for you.
The distraction-free reading mode is also ideal when you want to focus
your attention on some important text. However, if you are on a limited
data plan, you may want to consider another browser due to the high
bandwidth usage.
Opera
Browser is the best browser to have if you have a limited data plan.
The Off-Road mode compresses data, reducing your usage and making Opera
one of the fastest Android browsers. Many of the cool Opera features
found in the desktop version are also available in the Android browser.
Pros
- Data compression conserves your data plan.
- Compresses images to save bandwidth.
- Off-Road mode allows you to stay online even when the connection is slow or congested.
- Easy to use user interface.
- Separate download window to track and pause.
Cons
- Some videos won’t open in-browser.
- The latest browser is not compatible with older devices.
Bottom line:
The best feature of Opera is the Off-Road mode. Opera is the ideal
browser when traveling to remote areas with shaky Internet or when you
are in a congested network area. Apart from Chrome for Android, Opera is
also the only other popular browser to use data compression to save on
bandwidth. In some cases, data savings can be as high as 85%.
Firefox
is the on most popular desktop browser. The desktop version is very
stable and can handle anything you throw at it. While the Android
version comes with a host of features fans are accustomed to, it lacks
the stability needed to match the popularity of the desktop version. The
Firefox browser for Android is fast, there is no doubt about that, but
it is also resource hungry.
Pros
- Great user interface which makes browsing a breeze.
- Incredible load times, even for heavy sites.
- Has support for WebRTC to match Chrome and Opera.
- Supports almost all video formats and runs them well.
- Sync it with your PC for seamless experience.
Cons
- Becomes unresponsive sometimes on slower devices.
- Is not stable on every device.
- Crashes are frequent with increased loads.
- Hogs resources.
Bottom line:
With the exception of Chrome and Opera, Firefox is the only other
browser in this list to offer Web Real-Time Communication (WebRTC) which
enables P2P file sharing, video chat and voice calling all without the
need for plugins. The user interface is aesthetically pleasing; one of
the best looking browsers no doubt. However, it crashed a few times in
tests and hanged on slower devices.
This is one of the most robust browsers on Google Play, with millions of fans.
Tina wrote about Dolphin back
in 2011 when it had slightly over 250,000 downloads. The browser was
the first to introduce gesture-based navigation which made web surfing a
fast and easy experience. It was designed for touch screen devices from
the ground up and it clearly shows this in its simple yet great looking
design.
Pros
- Gestures allow you to associate sites with symbols.
- The Sonar feature allows you to voice search, very useful if you have your hands full.
- Themes make the Dolphin Browser customizable according to your taste.
- Wi-Fi broadcasting allows you to share links with friends on the same Wi-Fi network.
- Compatible with Android 2.0.1 devices.
Cons
- Can stutter from time to time on low end devices.
- It may be compatible with older devices, but it is certainly not fast enough.3
Bottom line:
As far as features are concerned, Dolphin goes beyond the call of duty.
If you are in a profession where you are very busy with your hands, you
will definitely find the voice search useful. The unique gesture
support is also a real time saver especially for busy professionals. For
example, you could draw a face to access Facebook or flick the screen
to visit Flickr.
Conclusion
There are many other quality
browsers but these are some of the best; they have great ratings and a
huge following. The beauty of Android is in the wide range of choices
available. It’s tough to come to a conclusion on which of these browsers
is king because it really all depends on individual browsing habits,
feature preferences and the Android version you are running. If I had to
make a choice, I would probably settle on Chrome due to the fact I have
used Chrome desktop for a while. In the process, I got attached to its
nimbleness. The fact that I can synchronize my Android browser with the
desktop version is a real plus. The cherry on top with Chrome is the
data compression feature that can reduce data usage by over 50% and
significantly improve page loading times. The only other browser with
this feature is Opera browser for Android which would be my second
choice. But, like I said, all of these browsers are excellent choices
and at the end of the day it comes down to personal preference.
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