Dolphin Browser HD now Version 8.0—the best browser is now better

[Brendan Hugo]

If you enjoy getting the most out of your Android devices, then Dolphin browser is probably your browser. In fact, with over 10 million downloads, it’s is also the browser for plenty of people who just want something better than the stock experience. The Dolphin team updated its app today, bringing a pair of new menus, some ubiquitous stability and performance enhancements, and some UI tweaks.

If you’ve never used Dolphin, then you’re probably not familiar with two of its huge features, Dolphin Sonar and Gesture. Sonar is a voice search/action app within an app, allowing you to open new pages, new tabs, navigate to a page, add bookmarks, and more. While the default browser does have voice search, it’s not at this level. Gestures allows you to do even more, and assign any shape or shapes you desire as shortcuts. The UI for both of these has been updated, and they are now easier than ever to access. Just tap in the lower left corner, and you are greeted with your choice of Sonar or Gesture, and only a swipe is needed to change between the two—very slick.

What would a custom browser be without add-ons? Boring, that’s what. Dolphin already handled add-ons well, and they now have full titles, instead of just icons, and while this does take up more screen real estate, it is a change I am glad Dolphin made. The main menu has also seen an overhaul, and when combined with your Android’s back button, all of your primary controls can be accessed with the push of your menu button.

Overall, I am extremely happy with this update, and I do not know of a better browser. In fact, I may just dare to say that I enjoy my mobile browser better than my desktop browser—is that blasphemy coming from a PC tech? I assume there are at least a few more people on this forum who are Dolphin fans—what do you think of this update? Better still, does anybody have a convincing argument for another mobile browser as “the best?”

[Google Play | Dolphin | 2]

[CrowdAds]

[JxK]

Perhaps I'll give Dolphin HD a try. At present I'm using Opera Mobile on my nook color. It's a fairly simple and straightforward browser, but it has prompt load times and very good page rendering. But maybe Dolphin will surprise me. Suppose I'll check it out. Thanks for the article.

[Marvin the Martian]

Dolphin HD is the only browser I've ever used on my Tab.... I am happy with it, and I have not even used the Sonar or Gesture features...lol.

On my SGP 5.0 I use Dolphin Mini, although I don't browse with it very often now that I have the Tab.

[Brendan Hugo]

JxK: You are quite welcome. I actually just recently had a "why not" moment and downloaded it myself. It grew on me quickly, very quickly. Better yet, since my wife and I share a phone, she now has her settings on the bundled browser, and I have mine on Dolphin.
Marvin: Why Dolphin Mini? Can the SGP 5.0 not handle the standard Dolphin?

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by Brendan Hugo

JxK: You are quite welcome. I actually just recently had a "why not" moment and downloaded it myself. It grew on me quickly, very quickly. Better yet, since my wife and I share a phone, she now has her settings on the bundled browser, and I have mine on Dolphin.
Marvin: Why Dolphin Mini? Can the SGP 5.0 not handle the standard Dolphin?

It's possible that it could. I remember reading somewhere that Mini was a little leaner features-wise but faster because of that, at least on older hardware....so it seemed the logical fit to me. My Tab, on the other hand is far more powerful than the SGP, so the HD was the logical choice.

[steinburger1109]

HD runs splendidly on the SGP 5.0. That said, I dislike the new add on view and gesture. I can't figure out how to make it be in the lower left corner instead of right as I had it before. And, cant use sonar because it requires Google voice, which isn't compatible. :angry:

[dfkt]

There's also no way to remove that annoying voice recognition icon in the bottom left corner - I would never use that, so I'd really appreciate it if it were removable.

[musichound]

I tried variousa browsers for my Android phone and I cannot think of any better one than Dolphin. Opera fetches graphics as blocky images to speed up the browsing. Dolphin doesn't, and I think it's just as fast. Unless if there's anything better to come along Dolphin will stay with my Android phone for good.

[3602]

I fail to see how an aftermarket browser can be better than the Android built-in one. This isn't Windows. So what are the advantages using such an aftermarket browser?

[steinburger1109]

Originally Posted by 3602

I fail to see how an aftermarket browser can be better than the Android built-in one. This isn't Windows. So what are the advantages using such an aftermarket browser?

You seem to be under the impression that Windows is the only platform worth upgrading. Dolphin is faster and I like the gestures function. I liked that more before, but that's a preference. There are also a lot of good add ons available, I just don't regularly use any.

[musichound]

Originally Posted by 3602

I fail to see how an aftermarket browser can be better than the Android built-in one. This isn't Windows. So what are the advantages using such an aftermarket browser?

Grasshopper, you have a lot of exploring to do.

[3602]

Originally Posted by steinburger1109

You seem to be under the impression that Windows is the only platform worth upgrading.

I am. I used several distros of Linux including Ubuntu, Fedora, Mandriva and the current OpenSUSE. I have not uninstalled/replaced any of the stock programs.

Even while operating Windows XP, I have only replaced IE with Firefox and the program uninstaller with Revo. Only modifications.

EDIT: The above statement is not entirely true. On all distros of Linux I replaced the stock e-mail program with Thunderbird.

[JxK]

Originally Posted by 3602

I fail to see how an aftermarket browser can be better than the Android built-in one. This isn't Windows. So what are the advantages using such an aftermarket browser?

The android browser has historically been pretty poor. Relatively slow, bad rendering, not as responsive as it should have been, etc. It's actually the reason all the aftermarket browsers became so wildly popular.

Now, for android 4.0 google is releasing (or has released, not exactly sure) chrome, so things may be changing. But if you're still on gingerbread or honeycomb, definitely go opera mobile/dolphine hd/firefox.

[3602]

^ Yeah I'm on Gingerbird. I find the stock browser to be fast "enough". Enough as in "no need for a replacement". Thus I fail to see the advantages of an aftermarket browser.

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by 3602

^ Yeah I'm on Gingerbird. I find the stock browser to be fast "enough". Enough as in "no need for a replacement". Thus I fail to see the advantages of an aftermarket browser.

I just briefly tried the basic Android browser on my Gingerbread-running device, and Dolphin Mini seemed noticeably faster to load...and both browsers had the equal benefit of AdAway running.

[musichound]

3602, if you can get by with the stock browser, that's all well and good. I prefer Dolphin because the stock browser produces a checkerboard pattern while launching sites that I expand before they finish loading. Dolphin doesn't do this, so this is one of the many reasons why I prefer it. Also, there is a built in process of clearing the cache. The stock browser doesn't have this functionality and can only be cleared as a seperate process.

[3602]

Originally Posted by musichound

I prefer Dolphin because the stock browser produces a checkerboard pattern while launching sites that I expand before they finish loading.

Huh. Interesting.
It might just be the little differences between devices but I have personally never experienced this problem. I'm on a Sony Walkman Z, Canadian version. My home Internet (Wi-Fi) has a DL speed of one mebibyte per second and an UL speed of about one hundred and fifty kibibytes per second. The Wi-Fi of my laboratory is about eight times this speed. At home, pages load on the Z as quickly as on Firefox 11 on my OpenSUSE. No, pages don't load any faster at the lab.

Maybe one day I will try an aftermarket browser once I judge the stock one to be no longer adequate. Our lab phased out the HP 5890 because it was no longer adequate. It's still there, though, and in perfect running shape.

[steinburger1109]

I suggest trying it even if stock is OK. I could get by with the stock browser (hell, I still browse on my slow as shit Zune HD), but dolphin is much faster and offers functionality that I never would have wanted before trying it. I'm glad I made the switch lol

[Marvin the Martian]

Originally Posted by steinburger1109

(hell, I still browse on my slow as shit Zune HD)

The horror....I think I only did that two or three times when I had mine....lol.

[3602]

Originally Posted by steinburger1109

I suggest trying it even if stock is OK. I could get by with the stock browser (hell, I still browse on my slow as shit Zune HD), but dolphin is much faster and offers functionality that I never would have wanted before trying it. I'm glad I made the switch lol

That might not be a bad idea. Will try that for a couple of days and report back.