• After 15+ years, we've made a big change: Android Forums is now Early Bird Club. Learn more here.

Best browser

lexluthor said:
So then what's the benefit of Dolphin mini over HD on a fast phone? Faster to open? Does it really load pages faster?

What are the negatives then of mini over HD? Javascript? Flash?
Click to expand...

Dolphin mini still handles flash and javascript. However, it's smaller, lighter and faster than HD. I actually have both Mini and HD on my phone, but I hardly ever use HD. It just feels "bloated" to me. Mini has all the features I need and just feels better. However, the only negative (IMO) is that Mini doesn't support plugins. I'd love to atleast have adblocking on it.

aysiu said:
The server-side compression applies to only Opera Mini, not Opera Mobile. Opera Mobile is just a normal browser and thus doesn't load pages any more quickly than Dolphin does.
Click to expand...

I was talking about Opera Mini. Sorry, there was one sentence in my post where I typed it wrong. I've corrected it now. Thanks for pointing out the error.

If you have a decent and recent phone with more than 192 MB of RAM, just use Dolphin HD--no real benefit for you in using Dolphin Mini.
Click to expand...


I'd actually suggest that people try for themselves. I like Dolphin Mini much better than HD, even though I have a high end phone. I'm always a fan of streamlined and simplified design.
 
I've been using Xscope and really like(d) it. I just tried Dolphin Mini and Opera Mini. Hated Dolphin, couldn't read anything or make the type larger. Now I really like Opera Mini. All the graphics seem much clearer, and UI is very nice.

My only question/problem is how to import default browser bookmarks into it? I turned on Opera Link or whatever it's called, but it appears you need Opera on your PC. I don't see an import link anywhere. I've Googled and found no easy way. Is there? It appears that once they're there, you can manage them very nicely.
 
Lately I've been trying most of the browsers for the Android devices and came up with my conclusion:

1. Stock browser
2. Firefox ( Although it's quite lazy and I had some crashes, i enjoy the account sync and other options)
3. Opera Mini ( can't say much about it, just that I like it, seems professional)
4. Xscope - under testing at this time.

No matter what browser is the best/fastest/slightest/etc, we can all agree we are using the one we got used to work with most of the times. ( Firefox for me ).
 
this two browsers are the best for me, but the problem with dolphin appear when you hit the back button the previous page start loading again from zero, in xscope when you go back, the previous page appears at instant without recharge, this is very important to me, and is a point very strong for xscope, for be the faster.

ricnar
 
ricnar456 said:
this two browsers are the best for me, but the problem with dolphin appear when you hit the back button the previous page start loading again from zero, in xscope when you go back, the previous page appears at instant without recharge, this is very important to me, and is a point very strong for xscope, for be the faster.
Click to expand...

I almost never use the "back" button in my favorite browser (Boat Browser Mini); it's so easy to open links in a new window and just close them when I'm done, which leaves the previous page exactly where it was, with the position and zoom level unchanged and with no delay. Boat Browser Mini lets you choose at the time you click on the link whether to open the target page in the same window, in a new window, or in a new window in the background so you can continue on the current page. It also lets you map the volume control buttons to move through the open windows. It's very handy.
 
I must say that this has been a very helpful and interesting thread. As previously stated, a lot is based upon what you have gotten used to.

I have decided to give dolphin a try for a while, having used stock, opera and firefox in the past.
 
Too many browsers out there! I went from default, to Skyfire, to Netfront Life, to Xscope, to Opera Mini, and now trying Boat. They have good and bad things about them. I really like the bookmark handling of Opera Mini (once they are imported), and the no cache build up, really like it's search engine choices (add as many as you want); but after trying Boat browser just now, the graphics/text in Opera are sub-par. I can actually read very fine text in Boat. Boat also plays animated pages much smoother, clearer and sharper (without the pixelation in Opera).

I was going to complain about the blue skin in Boat, but I just found the settings to change it to black, looks much better. I just wish it had a more permanent setting for full screen, you can go fullscreen but it takes 2 clicks. Will play with Boat a few days and see what I end up keeping... got to try them all to know what you're missing!
 
amlothi said:
After all these kind of suggestions in this thread, I downloaded Opera Mini and gave it a shot. My usual browser is Dolphin Mini, for comparison.

Some observations:

  1. For some websites, the layout is not correct on Opera Mini. I've never had this problem with Dolphin Mini. In particular, one forum I go to automatically loads a mobile skinned version of the forum which is easy to use. On Opera, I get a mangled more-traditional "text only" mobile site, not the skinned version. I have to click a link to activate the skin, and then it still just doesn't look right.
  2. Speed... I don't see much difference honestly. Possibly because I'm not in a Western country (not sure where Opera's servers are located), so I don't get any faster connection to Opera's server than to the website directly.
  3. Battery usage: Used Opera for 5 minutes, and it showed up as using 2% of my battery (phone on 10 hours, so 2% of the battery that my phone used in 10 hours was from 5 minutes with Opera browser...WTF! I've never seen Dolphin Mini show up in battery life.
  4. Tabs - Just a personal preference, but I like seeing the tabs that I have open (like in Dolphin at the top of the screen) and not having to press a button to see what tabs I have and switch to them. I use tabs a lot, and it's an extra tap everytime.

Looks like I'm going back to Dolphin.
Click to expand...

Oh man, by Opera I meant Opera Mobile. I haven't tried any of the mini browsers. Dolphin is nice too, you're right, I just couldn't stand the look.

But, to each his own.
 
tcat007 said:
I just wish it had a more permanent setting for full screen, you can go fullscreen but it takes 2 clicks.
Click to expand...

I do lots of my browsing in landscape mode, and they do have a sticky setting for full-screen in landscape. They solicit user feedback, so you might send them a suggestion (boatbrowser@gmail.com).
 
wmm said:
I almost never use the "back" button in my favorite browser (Boat Browser Mini); it's so easy to open links in a new window and just close them when I'm done, which leaves the previous page exactly where it was, with the position and zoom level unchanged and with no delay. Boat Browser Mini lets you choose at the time you click on the link whether to open the target page in the same window, in a new window, or in a new window in the background so you can continue on the current page. It also lets you map the volume control buttons to move through the open windows. It's very handy.
Click to expand...

When you are reading a extensive page full of links and open in a new window for read, the original page go up to the first line, and when you return you need find the point to continue, in xscope when you go back, return to the exact point where you was reading.

ricnar
 
i have installed the Dolphin HD browser.
I like the way it is customizable and updated frequently.
But also give a try to firefox.
 
Dude2 said:
Do any of the browsers sync with MS Internet Explore 8?
Click to expand...

No, for obvious reasons
thumbsdown.gif
 
What is the best Browser in 1Q12 with Sync capabilites to laptop. Capable of syncing with sister browser on laptop or MS Internet Explore?
 
Nothing's going to sync with Internet Explorer 8.

Your best options for sync are Opera Mobile or Firefox Beta.
 
I was a Boat fan for a long time, but recently switched to Dolphin HD and like it better. I keep a "best of" HTML file based on bookmarks from my Firefox PC, on my SD card, and use it as a speed dial link in Dolphin. Also use Fox to Phone to send any pages from my PC to my phone.
Bookmarks.png
 
Will have to try Dolphin at some point. Firefox is really behind Opera and Dolphin right now.

Opera has a very good sync and very customizable from Passwords to several levels of Bookmarks. Opera sync is over the cloud using Opera Link. I was hoping to have a simple PC to smartphone sync without the cloud. Not sure why a local/simple sync is not used.
 
I remeber way back when I posted this thread. I have since settled on Dolphin HD and Dolphin mini.
 
Went from Xscope to Boat to Dolphin HD, and now back to Xscope. Decided Xscope is the only one that lets you pinch-zoom all mobile pages and re-wraps text very well, very fast. For me it's by far the easiest to read, and just as fast as any other I've tried. It also seems to use less CPU that Boat or Dolphin while browsing for same lengths of time.
 
yup - Xscope is the best :)
ive tried them all at different times
and since Xscope rewrite a while back - it is super quick on my desire
 
Agreed this thread is amazing!

I'm getting my Droid this saturday so i'm doing some prep work now. (LG Optimus 3D)

Looks like i'll be checking out the following (in no particular order);

1. Opera Mobile/Mini
2. Dolphin Mini/HD
3. Xscope

I won't bother with firefox since most of you suggest against it. Plus, I don't like it on my PC either.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom