Everyone has an opinion as to the best browser for their mobile device. And while we here at Mobiletweaks each have our own favorites, we know that you like to decide for yourself. So we’ve brought together a quick rundown of some of the market’s top browsers for your iPhone and iPad to help you decide for yourself.
Safari
Safari is the stock browser on an Apple device. A stable and well-rounded application, Safari is by far the most used and common browser on the iPhone and iPad. Safari comes with the ability to sync bookmarks with Safari on your home computer, if you happen to use that browser on it, and is built into the base functions of nearly every part of iOS, making it incredibly convenient and easy to use. Speaking of it’s ease of use, it carries with it an intuitive design that anyone familiar with an Apple product will instinctively know how to use. In addition to being as stable as iOS, Safari is the only browser available to iOS that uses an internal Javascript engine called Nitro. Apple disables the use of this engine in other apps and browsers, which makes Safari the fastest of any browser on the market.
However, the browser is a little boring. There is little customization to it’s features and some of the features it offers are not in the Safari settings itself, but in the phone Settings app. While good for people not concerned with customization, many users will find the vanilla feel of the browser a bit off-putting, but still very usable and convenient.
Chrome
The desktop version of this mobile newcomer is the most popular browser in the world is growing in popularity almost as fast as it’s bigger brother. Many people were clamoring for a mobile version and Google delivered a solid browser that feels much like the desktop version itself.
If you’re a Chrome user on your desktop, this is the mobile browser for you. The mobile version carries the ability to sync completely across any Chrome on any platform that you are logged into, bringing in bookmarks and settings quickly and efficiently. Packed with features that help personalize your browsing, such as swiping to switch to an unlimited amount of tabs, a recently opened tabs list from any platform that’s used the browser, and the well-loved Incognito Mode for private browsing, Chrome is a heavy contender in the mobile market.
Chrome for iOS has a slight learning curve due to an interface that can take some getting used to and the swiping between tabs gesture can cause the tabs to move by accident at times, though this is easy to get used to after some use.
Dolphin
Many consider Dolphin’s use of gestures for fast web navigation and browsing somewhat gimmicky. However, Dolphin’s developers were set on creating something different to make your browsing experience fun and different and they’ve done just that. With a webzine-style layout and quick access to many of it’s settings, Dolphin offers a different take on the mobile browser.
On the other hand, the iOS version of Dolphin is completely devoid of the add-ons that can make Dolphin for Android and Desktop so great. This, along with the odd look of the interface, can turn people not looking for a non-traditional way of browsing away from the app quickly, though with some use it can still be one of the more interesting way to interact with the internet on your Apple device.
