[Android General] tehsprayer:
Stock Browser

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Not much to say about this browser. This browser comes with the phone and is not on the play store.

Dolphin Browser

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PROS

Intuitive interface. Supports LastPass password manager, Evernote, screengrab taker. Syncs to Google bookmarks. Supports voice- or gesture-based navigation.

CONS

No desktop version. Slower than stock Android browser.

BOTTOM LINE

Dolphin Browser 8.8 isn't the fastest Android browser in Google Play, but the latest version retains its Editors' Choice designation for balancing performance with a thoughtful collection of mobile add-ons.

Credits: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2383132,00.asp - More information about Dolphin Browser here.

Opera Web Browser

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PROS

Clean interface. Flash support. Opera Link syncs bookmarks, Speed Dials, search engines. Scrolls "like butter."

CONS

No Add-ons. Separate search, URL fields a cavalier use of mobile real estate.

BOTTOM LINE

Although it cannot be customized to the degree of Dolphin or Firefox, Opera 11 is a svelte mobile browser with full-throated multimedia support.

Credits: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2383239,00.asp - More information about Opera Web Browser here.

Skyfire

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Interface

The interface itself is clean and familiar. The new social buttons seem to load up with slight lag. The twitter social but did not recognize me the second time I loaded it but the facebook remembered me so it might be a cookie issue. Other than that transitions and menus is fluid and everything else just work beautiful and it is just so nice. You will be up and running with this browser in no time if you are coming from different browsers.

Performance

I usually click a lot of links in twitter that takes me to website that take a while to load especially in dolphin browser mini. but Skyfire browser loaded up those usual pages in lightning quick speed. One site in particular that I visit often is Android Central and it usually takes longer with my previous browsers. Skyfire cut that loading time in nearly half. I must also point out that I am using Verizon 4g lte and that is why most sites load faster, your results may vary. Pages also render very quickly thus giving the illusion that everything is just faster.

Functionality

The app functions as a browser should; it takes you to websites the user directs it to. The difference here is that it does it better. I didn’t crunch any numbers to compare load times with other browsers, but it’s exponentially faster based on my experience with the stock Android browser, Dolphin Browser HD, Dolphin Browser Mini, and Mozilla Firefox Web Browser. The app itself is a bit heavy, and feels like all these features slow down the app itself, but not the browsing. Switching tabs, and user agents is pretty slick, and the app does it’s best to make everything quicker by laying out many shortcuts to help you out. I do wish the initial app load time was as quick as Dolphin Browser Mini, but by the time that app loads and then loads a page, it’s just about the same with Skyfire.

Credits: http://androidappreviewdaily.wordpress.com/2011/04/23/skyfire-4-0-4222011/ - More information about Skyfire browser here

Maxthon​

Mention the word "mobile browser," and most people will think that you are going to start talking about the likes of Opera Mini, Opera Mobile, Skyfire or the mobile avatars of Chrome and Firefox, or maybe even some of the very good default browsers installed on some phones and tablets (such as the versions of Safari and Internet Explorer on iOS and Windows Phone devices). But there are other browsers in the mobile world as well and some of them every bit as good and in some regards even better than these worthies. And one of the very best is Maxthon.

Tech veterans will be familiar with Maxthon which started out as a desktop browser and has since also come out with mobile versions for Android devices (both phones and tablets). The browser is available for free download from Google Play. It works with all Android devices running version 1.6 and above and at about 2MB is not the heaviest around. However, it is when you start using the browser that you get an idea of what's so special about it.

Maxthon's interface is on the stark side - the launch screen will show you a row of icons linked to some popular websites, giving you one touch access to them. You can of course add to or subtract from the list, depending on your inclination. In a very neat touch, the browser comes with an App Center that gives you access to shortcuts to a number of popular websites classified according to subject - all you need to do is check the ones you want on your launch screen. You can also simply add sites by just entering their URLs Tabs are arranged neatly at the top of the browser window and the navigation toolbar at the bottom is relatively unpopulated with just forward, back, home, boomark, other options and full screen icons. The app has no ads whatsoever and best of all, browsing seems to be incredibly brisk, especially as compared to some of the other browsers we have seen.

Beneath this relatively interface are lurking a number of very powerful features. There is a download manager, support for gestures (write a 'C' on the screen to close a tab), the ability to sync bookmarks between the desktop version of the browser and its mobile avatar, to select and copy text and images, to share links across social networks, and in a vey neat touch, the option to view a web page as it would be rendered on a desktop, on Android, and even on an iPhone or an iPad. You can customise the look and feel of the browser by using themes and if you are the types that likes messing around with add-ons, there is a fair collection of them as well, including ones that let you take screenshots, read RSS feeds, kill tasks, look at missed calls and so on.

The best part of Maxthon is, however its relatively clean interface and speed. At no stage do you feel overwhelmed or confused by options. In fact, this is the kind of browser that one can simply start using in the most basic manner and then slowly start discovering new features. Its earlier editions were a tad buggy but recent updates have proved to be more solid. It looks simple, packs in lots of features, works incredibly fast, and it costs nothing. If you have an Android device and have not at least tried Maxthon for browsing the Web, you have missed out one of the best mobile browsing experiences you can have. It is the default browser on our Motorola Xoom and Desire HD already.

Credits: http://news.efytimes.com/e1/Daily App Review Maxthon Browser Android/82894 - More information on Maxthon here.

Firefox​

Choice in browsers has been an integral part in the history of computing. Mozilla has been at the heart of the push for choice in browsers from its inception out of Netscape to the introduction of Firefox in 2004. Since 2004, Mozilla has been dedicated to giving users a choice in browsers not only on the desktop, but on mobile.

The latest version of Firefox for Android, available in Google Play today, comes in the midst of heavy competition in browsers for Android with Dolphin HD, Opera Mobile, Opera Mini, and Firefox each having been downloaded more than ten million times. Perhaps even more dauntingly, Google is in the process of making Chrome the default browser in Android. Chrome made headlines in the last six weeks as it surpassed Internet Explorer to become the most used browser internationally on desktops. Mozilla is keenly aware that by developing Firefox for Android they are competing with Google in a way that is much less obvious on the desktop.

Credits: http://www.droid-life.com/2012/06/26/review-firefox-for-android/ - More information on Firefox here.

Chrome​

PROS

Fast. Streamlined interface. Easy navigation. Voice search. Excellent tab implementation. Quickly syncs between all platforms and devices.

CONS

Requires Android 4.0 and higher. No Flash. No plug-ins.

BOTTOM LINE

Chrome first full release on Android is a speed demon of a browser, combining a minimalist interface with advanced HTML 5 support.

Credits: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2406535,00.asp - More information on Chrome here.