It should now be widely spread news that Sony have released Ice Cream Sandwhich for a number of platforms including the Xperia S. Whilst at this stage many of you will be waiting to receive the update, I can advise that the transition from Ginberbread to Ice Cream Sandwhich is a major one with many things you'll want to consider. If I get the chance, I'll write up a full transitioning guide later on in the week, however for now I wanted to focus on the available internet browsers.
In this day and age, browsing the internet is as important a feature of any smart phone, if not arguably moreso than making and receiving phone calls. Prior to ICS my prefered browser was always Dolphin HD, however the move to ICS sees the introduction of a brand new refreshed stock browser alongside support for Google Chrome for Mobile which recently left BETA and became a full release. Here, I'd like to compare the features and performance of Chrome, Dolphin HD and the stock browser.
1. General Performance
In terms of general performance, I have to say this is an instant flop for Dolphin HD. Whilst having favoured Dolphin HD in previous versions of android, I find that use of Dolphin HD on ICS has become the weakest of the crop. I find regular freezes occur, web pages not running so well with poor or laggy performance, and scripts failing to load properly. This is a huge dissapointment considering how this was previously a fantastic browser choice for android.
The stock browser starts off very fast and snappy when first installing Ice Cream Sandwhich and I have yet to notice any severe issues, however I have noticed that over time the browser does start to slow down a little. As is to be expected, clearing the cache has resolved this issue.
Chrome shines here. It's ultra snappy and responsive, clean and renders websites perfectly. I've experienced no lag at all and really don't have any critisisms to make in terms of performance.
Chrome: 3 points. Stock: 2 points. Dolphin: 1 point.
2. Extras
When deciding on what browser to use, the value add can make all the difference, and as ever Dolphin HD is a highly customisable browser with the ability to find and load third party add ons to truly enhance the browsing experience. Whilst maybe a little gimmicky, as a gimmicks fan I have personally had some fun playing around with the built in Sonar feature which I have to say does work quite well. It's not really one for use in a public place however through a combination of background noise and the little issue of monotonously yelling a bunch of keywords that barely string a sentense together. Back in the old days, Dolphin excelled in the market due to its inclussion of a tabbed interface and the ability to request the full desktop site. Whilst both Chrome and the stock browser have "tabs", Dolphin HD is the one one of the three to truly embrase the visually recognised tabbed interface and so gains points for familliarity. On the other hand, it makes a challenge of requesting desktop versions of websites, something the other two browsers handle really well and so looses points for that.
Chrome's major selling point is its tie in to google products. Whilst the other two browsers have minor elements of being tied into your device's google account, Chrome generally feels like a natural extension to your google life and so may prove advantagous to those who use their google accounts for a lot. Additionally there are many nice little annimations with Chrome - it's vissually lovely, and yet manages to run smoothly in the process. One critisism I would make is that Chrome includes the ability to switch tabs by quickly swiping in the correct direction at the right speed and right location. This is something I have found doesn't work when you want it to, and yet works when you'd rather it didn't and so I find is an annoyance more than anything else. I was going to include something about how Chrome's biggest downfall is the lack of support for Flash, however recent announcements would have it that Flash is being completely discontinued for android regardless of android OS, and so within a few months this will hold no real dissadvantage for Chrome.
There's not much to say about the stock browser. Like Chrome, it syncs bookmarks with your google account and like both browsers has a tab interface and the ability to request the full site, however in terms of unique features, the stock browser is more like the no thrills budget version compared to the other two, though if you look close enough there are a number of hidden gems such as labs and accessibility options (which I'll go into further detail later), however it could really do with making these features more apparent and practical for users.
Dolphin HD: 3 points. Chrome: 2 points. Stock: 1 point.
3. Speed
I initially wanted to provide speedtest results per browser for this one in addition to the general feel of the browser (allowing me to also comment on clunkiness, etc.), but it soon came to my attention that the only browser that would allow speedtest to run was Dolphin HD.
This said, the browser application for Dolphin HD does feel much more set back from the other two in terms of how well it performs. Going from task to task is effortless across both the Chrome and the stock browser, whilst Dolphin can tend to make a meal of things and find itself in a bit of a mess.
The stock browser is loosely based on Chrome for Android, and as such you'll notice a lot of similarities when using them. In terms of overall speed though, whilst Chrome is slightly slower in loading the main elements of a web page, the overall page including scripts tends to be faster at loading than the stock browser.
Chrome: 3 points. Stock: 2 points. Dolphin HD: 1 point.
4. Interface & Ease of Use
By far my favourite interface out of the three is Chrome. Not only does it look good and perform smoothly as I mentioned earlier, but it's entirely practical. From any screen you can see how many tabs are open, pressing the menu button shows you the back forward and favourite controls, web pages are displayed as 'card' like figures (the tabs screen is extremely intuitive) and all this is clean and tucked away.
As I mentioned earlier, the stock browser is loosely based on Chrome, however in terms of interface, things are done slightly different. Whilst controls are still accessed through the menu, these are not stand out obvious and beautiful like chrome and blend in with the rest of the menu. This was initially challenging immediately after using Chrome, though on a regular basis would be easily adaptable. The tabs screen here bases itself on the ICS interface with the swipe to close gestures (It is worth pointing out that Chrome also allows swipe to close).
Dolphin HD gives us more of a desktop experience, though this doesn't always work in its favour for a smaller device like a smartphone. When closing tabs, the tab bar will often dissapear requiring to scroll back up to get back to it. The menu button produces a 'toolbar' like menu, which can leave a lot of the other options hidden. The biggest flaw here is the requirement to go deep into a sub menu just to change the desktop agent, something the other two browsers do flawlessly.
Chrome: 3 points. Stock: 2 points. Dolphin HD: 1 point.
5. Accessibility
This is certainly where the stock browser shines, however lets discuss the other two browsers first. Now, this could be due to the issue I spoke of earlier where things are so tucked away they are hard to locate, but I could not locate any accessibility options for Dolphin HD. This could be an oversight on my part or an oversight on Dolphin's, but either way Dolphin looses points drastically for the inaccessibility of any accessibility options that may be present. This may be something where extensions can cover, but I am reviewing the basic browser apps and not their extensions.
Chrome does contain some accessibility options which is pleasing to see after the experience with dolphin - it allows you to set the default zoomed in text size, and also to over-ride any settings a website may have to prevent zooming.
Now for the stock browser. For anyone who is visually impared, I am going to say quite straight forward that the stock browser may be for you. There are a wealth of accessibility options including those offered by Chrome, however the preview screen for accessibility settings is much more featured, there are more font settings, contrast settings and the ability to 'invert rendering', allowing black to become white and white to become black. A clear worthy winner of the accessibility section. I'm almost tempted to steal the point for Dolphin HD and add it to the stock browser's total, but I shall reframe from doing so.
Stock: 3 points. Chrome: 2 points. Dolphin HD: 1 point.
6. Website Compatibility
This is a special unscored mention. Website compatibility is a hard thing to meassure due to the many many formats in use on the internet, and I don't want to flood you with the supported formats endorsed by the developer, which may not be entirely accurate anyway ('supported' can be a very loosely used term). Asside from this, keeping with the nature of Making Believe, the idea is not to provide anything too overwhelming and I believe a list of hundreds of formats may go against that very nature. I chose to include this special mention as I know some people may be looking for website compatibility and so I wanted to explain why I haven't included it.
7. Summary
Chrome has blown me away. Since moving to ICS I have used a combination of the three browsers in preperation for this challenge, however in all honesty I've used the stock browser much more for casual use purely down to initial familliarity after installing ICS. I believe that mentality may change now. Don't get me wrong, the stock browser is a worthy competitor and for some may be the better option, particularly the visually impared, however as a keen user of google products and a fan of simplicity, Chrome gets my vote.
As for Dolphin HD - has this Dolphin had its day? Dolphin once stood at the helm as the browser of choice to run on android. It contained many features which were new and unique to mobile browsing, however these days those features are present across the board, and Dolphin have failed to keep up with the competition, lacking intuitivity and accessibility options.
Overall Scores:
Dolphin HD: 7 points
Stock Browser: 10 points
Chrome for Mobile: 13 points
In this day and age, browsing the internet is as important a feature of any smart phone, if not arguably moreso than making and receiving phone calls. Prior to ICS my prefered browser was always Dolphin HD, however the move to ICS sees the introduction of a brand new refreshed stock browser alongside support for Google Chrome for Mobile which recently left BETA and became a full release. Here, I'd like to compare the features and performance of Chrome, Dolphin HD and the stock browser.
1. General Performance
In terms of general performance, I have to say this is an instant flop for Dolphin HD. Whilst having favoured Dolphin HD in previous versions of android, I find that use of Dolphin HD on ICS has become the weakest of the crop. I find regular freezes occur, web pages not running so well with poor or laggy performance, and scripts failing to load properly. This is a huge dissapointment considering how this was previously a fantastic browser choice for android.
The stock browser starts off very fast and snappy when first installing Ice Cream Sandwhich and I have yet to notice any severe issues, however I have noticed that over time the browser does start to slow down a little. As is to be expected, clearing the cache has resolved this issue.
Chrome shines here. It's ultra snappy and responsive, clean and renders websites perfectly. I've experienced no lag at all and really don't have any critisisms to make in terms of performance.
Chrome: 3 points. Stock: 2 points. Dolphin: 1 point.
2. Extras
When deciding on what browser to use, the value add can make all the difference, and as ever Dolphin HD is a highly customisable browser with the ability to find and load third party add ons to truly enhance the browsing experience. Whilst maybe a little gimmicky, as a gimmicks fan I have personally had some fun playing around with the built in Sonar feature which I have to say does work quite well. It's not really one for use in a public place however through a combination of background noise and the little issue of monotonously yelling a bunch of keywords that barely string a sentense together. Back in the old days, Dolphin excelled in the market due to its inclussion of a tabbed interface and the ability to request the full desktop site. Whilst both Chrome and the stock browser have "tabs", Dolphin HD is the one one of the three to truly embrase the visually recognised tabbed interface and so gains points for familliarity. On the other hand, it makes a challenge of requesting desktop versions of websites, something the other two browsers handle really well and so looses points for that.
Chrome's major selling point is its tie in to google products. Whilst the other two browsers have minor elements of being tied into your device's google account, Chrome generally feels like a natural extension to your google life and so may prove advantagous to those who use their google accounts for a lot. Additionally there are many nice little annimations with Chrome - it's vissually lovely, and yet manages to run smoothly in the process. One critisism I would make is that Chrome includes the ability to switch tabs by quickly swiping in the correct direction at the right speed and right location. This is something I have found doesn't work when you want it to, and yet works when you'd rather it didn't and so I find is an annoyance more than anything else. I was going to include something about how Chrome's biggest downfall is the lack of support for Flash, however recent announcements would have it that Flash is being completely discontinued for android regardless of android OS, and so within a few months this will hold no real dissadvantage for Chrome.
There's not much to say about the stock browser. Like Chrome, it syncs bookmarks with your google account and like both browsers has a tab interface and the ability to request the full site, however in terms of unique features, the stock browser is more like the no thrills budget version compared to the other two, though if you look close enough there are a number of hidden gems such as labs and accessibility options (which I'll go into further detail later), however it could really do with making these features more apparent and practical for users.
Dolphin HD: 3 points. Chrome: 2 points. Stock: 1 point.
3. Speed
I initially wanted to provide speedtest results per browser for this one in addition to the general feel of the browser (allowing me to also comment on clunkiness, etc.), but it soon came to my attention that the only browser that would allow speedtest to run was Dolphin HD.
This said, the browser application for Dolphin HD does feel much more set back from the other two in terms of how well it performs. Going from task to task is effortless across both the Chrome and the stock browser, whilst Dolphin can tend to make a meal of things and find itself in a bit of a mess.
The stock browser is loosely based on Chrome for Android, and as such you'll notice a lot of similarities when using them. In terms of overall speed though, whilst Chrome is slightly slower in loading the main elements of a web page, the overall page including scripts tends to be faster at loading than the stock browser.
Chrome: 3 points. Stock: 2 points. Dolphin HD: 1 point.
4. Interface & Ease of Use
By far my favourite interface out of the three is Chrome. Not only does it look good and perform smoothly as I mentioned earlier, but it's entirely practical. From any screen you can see how many tabs are open, pressing the menu button shows you the back forward and favourite controls, web pages are displayed as 'card' like figures (the tabs screen is extremely intuitive) and all this is clean and tucked away.
As I mentioned earlier, the stock browser is loosely based on Chrome, however in terms of interface, things are done slightly different. Whilst controls are still accessed through the menu, these are not stand out obvious and beautiful like chrome and blend in with the rest of the menu. This was initially challenging immediately after using Chrome, though on a regular basis would be easily adaptable. The tabs screen here bases itself on the ICS interface with the swipe to close gestures (It is worth pointing out that Chrome also allows swipe to close).
Dolphin HD gives us more of a desktop experience, though this doesn't always work in its favour for a smaller device like a smartphone. When closing tabs, the tab bar will often dissapear requiring to scroll back up to get back to it. The menu button produces a 'toolbar' like menu, which can leave a lot of the other options hidden. The biggest flaw here is the requirement to go deep into a sub menu just to change the desktop agent, something the other two browsers do flawlessly.
Chrome: 3 points. Stock: 2 points. Dolphin HD: 1 point.
5. Accessibility
This is certainly where the stock browser shines, however lets discuss the other two browsers first. Now, this could be due to the issue I spoke of earlier where things are so tucked away they are hard to locate, but I could not locate any accessibility options for Dolphin HD. This could be an oversight on my part or an oversight on Dolphin's, but either way Dolphin looses points drastically for the inaccessibility of any accessibility options that may be present. This may be something where extensions can cover, but I am reviewing the basic browser apps and not their extensions.
Chrome does contain some accessibility options which is pleasing to see after the experience with dolphin - it allows you to set the default zoomed in text size, and also to over-ride any settings a website may have to prevent zooming.
Now for the stock browser. For anyone who is visually impared, I am going to say quite straight forward that the stock browser may be for you. There are a wealth of accessibility options including those offered by Chrome, however the preview screen for accessibility settings is much more featured, there are more font settings, contrast settings and the ability to 'invert rendering', allowing black to become white and white to become black. A clear worthy winner of the accessibility section. I'm almost tempted to steal the point for Dolphin HD and add it to the stock browser's total, but I shall reframe from doing so.
Stock: 3 points. Chrome: 2 points. Dolphin HD: 1 point.
6. Website Compatibility
This is a special unscored mention. Website compatibility is a hard thing to meassure due to the many many formats in use on the internet, and I don't want to flood you with the supported formats endorsed by the developer, which may not be entirely accurate anyway ('supported' can be a very loosely used term). Asside from this, keeping with the nature of Making Believe, the idea is not to provide anything too overwhelming and I believe a list of hundreds of formats may go against that very nature. I chose to include this special mention as I know some people may be looking for website compatibility and so I wanted to explain why I haven't included it.
7. Summary
Chrome has blown me away. Since moving to ICS I have used a combination of the three browsers in preperation for this challenge, however in all honesty I've used the stock browser much more for casual use purely down to initial familliarity after installing ICS. I believe that mentality may change now. Don't get me wrong, the stock browser is a worthy competitor and for some may be the better option, particularly the visually impared, however as a keen user of google products and a fan of simplicity, Chrome gets my vote.
As for Dolphin HD - has this Dolphin had its day? Dolphin once stood at the helm as the browser of choice to run on android. It contained many features which were new and unique to mobile browsing, however these days those features are present across the board, and Dolphin have failed to keep up with the competition, lacking intuitivity and accessibility options.
Overall Scores:
Dolphin HD: 7 points
Stock Browser: 10 points
Chrome for Mobile: 13 points
I have noticed the decline in quality with Dolphin over the past few months especially. I have started using the stock browser, i simply cannot wait for my ICS update so I can try chrome!
ReplyDeleteI hadn't used Dolphin HD since before upgrading to ICS, so thought I'd throw it into the mix for the comparison and was quite shocked at where it stood. It will be interesting to see if the developers come back with a version of Dolphin fit to challenge the other browsers out there, but at this point in time it doesn't really rank in the competition...
ReplyDelete