The best Android browsers, 2014 edition: speed, design, and features
posted by Chris P.
/ Jul 23, 2014, 9:49 AM
Preface
We had to take shortcuts, though. Simply put, there are just way too many browser apps available right now, and that makes it practically impossible to examine them all well enough. So we had to pick. But instead of simply relying on popularity, or speed, or features, we thought it's best to cover the entire spectrum, and also include newcomers, that may not have yet won themselves massive audiences, but chances are, they will.
But enough with the disclaimers. Let's talk facts.
Note: The test device of choice is the OnePlus One.
Interface and design
Last time we explored mobile Android browsers, the focus was on speed. That made a lot of sense back then, especially considering that less than a year ago, poor performance was still an overarching issue with most low-to-mid range smartphones. Today, things are different, and even the cheapest devices out there are speedy enough to mostly swing the discussion in the other direction -- the design of the interface, and how easy it is to use.
In general, it's absolutely correct to say that this is an area that has seen pretty much zero change in a long time -- what we have on our mobile devices is, for the most part, a miniaturized version of our desktop browsers. We have an address bar on top, tabs usually sit there too, and a giant box of white space waiting to be filled with content. We found it absolutely strange that of all the browsers we've tested, including the ones that didn't make the shortlist, only Habit Browser had the address bar located on the bottom, thus making it easy to reach. We're not saying its implementation is perfect, but with the average Android phone now dangerously close to the 5-inch mark, this is becoming an issue. But let's talk about the contestants in turn -- go right ahead into the slideshow below.
Features
Now that you've gotten yourself acquainted with the browsers above and their design language, most of you will naturally wonder what kind of features they bring to the table (heh). It's hard to cover everything everyone is looking for, but there are definitely a few essential features that all of us can and do make good use of. If they're available, of course.
Now, some of these browsers (Firefox, UC Browser, Dolphin, for example) support extensions, but making these a part of the equation would equal a logistical and practical nightmare. Besides, the average user will mostly never make use of them, unless the browser app presents these options in an-easy-to-grasp (and install) way (like UC Browser).
So what features are important for a browser, then? Again, this varies, but we'd say that most would agree that synchronization with your desktop browser is a pretty wicked feature, and one that makes a lot of sense. Unfortunately, not all of the browsers on our list offer this feature, which is a bit sad. Moving on, most of us like to have a way to browse the web anonymously, so incognito tabs have become something of a standard feature, but also one that not all browsers offer. Lastly, data compression is also becoming more and more of a worthwhile feature, now that the world is consuming increasingly gigantic amounts of data, all the while on a limited subscription.
* Dolphin's Ad blocker requires JetPack (standard on Android 4.3-4.4 devices). Flash support only through an addon.
* Puffin's Flash support lasts just 7 days. After that, you need to subscribe.
Again, this isn't an exhaustive list, but it covers the main bases. As you can count for yourself, UC Browser happens to be the most feature-rich solution currently on the market, and that has been the case for a while now. Dolphin, on the other hand, has a number of other, fairly unique features, like gesture support, so don't underestimate it at all.
UPDATE: Dolphin has since pushed an update that has made Private Mode and Full-screen mode available once again. The table above has been edited to reflect these changes.
Performance: What do synthetic benchmarks say?
With design and features out of the way, it's time for the moment of truth. After all, even the most visually-attractive browser won't last long if it doesn't offer its users great performance.
The tests we've ran (more times than you'd care to know) are both synthetic and real world, but we'll start with the former. Before we go right ahead, a word, though. Sure, most of you have learned to doubt synthetic benchmarks, as they don't always paint a representative picture of real world performance (which we'll talk about in a bit). When it comes to browsers, however, synthetic benchmarks happen to be decent predictors of performance, especially since some of them are not just about measuring code-crunching speed, but also attempt to replicate real world usage scenarios, and watch how apps handle that (e.g. Browsermark). Let's see.
Performance: Page load times
Tired of synthetic benchmarks? Probably yes, meaning it's time to see how well these load and render pages in the real world. We'll be looking at load speeds under two different states -- with cache and all assets of the browser app purged (cold loading), and with those saved (hot loading). This will essentially give us the speed at which a browser loads a page it hasn't seen before (and knows nothing about), and one that it's acquainted with.
One ground rule: browsers need to load the entire contents of the page, and that's very important, as some stop their progress bar before that happens, which we think is kind of shady. In any case, to arrive at the below results, all tests were ran multiple times (three) and the score you see is the averaged time it took them to load the page.
Memory consumption
The last test we performed concerns memory consumption. Indeed, while most of us now have at least 1GB of RAM on our devices, a lot of people are still stuck with claustrophobic amounts, such as 512MB. For those devices, performance is already an issue, so a heavy browser is the last thing that's needed. We tested memory consumption on all browsers with just the homepage tab open, and then with 4 tabs loaded (Google.com, m.BBC.com, m.NYTimes.com, and a specific page of PhoneArena.com).
* in Megabytes (MB); less is better
As you can see, with the exception of Firefox, Puffin, Chrome, and Opera, the rest are fairly clustered together, with Lightning Browser proving to be the most lightweight of all. In other words, if your device finds itself memory-starved, causing it to shut down apps, then Lightning Browser is a decent choice -- it's simple, feature-rich, and speedy.
* Note: Keep in mind that memory consumption varies by device. The numbers above are for the OnePlus One. A device with 512MB RAM won't require over 400MB just to keep Opera running with 4 tabs.
Conclusion
We used the OnePlus One to test all of the browsers
As for us, through this entire process, we can say that we discovered CM Browser. This new app happens to suite our needs very well, and is plenty fast and easy on the eyes. On the other hand, Dolphin, despite its problematic speed, offers a very specific user experience, and if you're ready to learn, then you certainly need to give it a try. The same applies to UC Browser, which is actually decently fast.
Perhaps the biggest disappointment nearly a year later is Puffin. We can't help but feel the devs are missing out by not investing into a slicker, speedier interface. The browser certainly has that "I-am-the-fastest" appeal, and our tests prove it's true.
Overall, we feel confident in claiming that most popular doesn't necessarily equal better, and you never know when something great will come along. And if you're unwilling to spend your time looking for a great Android browser, it's certainly safe to say that none of those on the list will disappoint you (even Puffin, if speed is what you're looking for).
So there you have them, the very best browsers Android has to offer.
90 Comments
1. Duketytz
Posts: 534; Member since: Nov 28, 2013
We all know the most important column is 'flash supported'
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 9:52 AM 10
23. The-Sailor-Man
Posts: 1095; Member since: Mar 25, 2014
Dolphin has it.
Besides Dolphin HAS incognito and full screen modes.
What a misleading article. LOL
It has night mode too.
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 1:04 PM 3
47. Chris.P
Posts: 567; Member since: Jun 27, 2013
Hm, that's an input error. Dolphin indeed has full-screen mode. I've edited the table. Thanks to The-Sailor-Man for bringing this up.
As mentioned, Incognito mode is gone with the latest version of Dolphin. It used to be in Menu> More> Settings > Privacy & Personal Data, but the structure is now different (Menu > Settings > Privacy) and the option is missing.
posted on Jul 24, 2014, 1:17 AM 0
2. XperiaFanZone
Posts: 2277; Member since: Sep 21, 2012
Switching tabs is a hassle on all of the browsers tested/new browsers, compared to Opera Classic. Still sticking to it until switching tabs is efficient on the new browsers.
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 9:56 AM 1
4. ihavenoname
Posts: 1693; Member since: Aug 18, 2013
On Chrome: press button/swipe down search bar to go to tab manager. Not a "hazzle" if you ask me. Also switching between two tabs is just left or right swipe on search bar.
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 10:09 AM 0
5. XperiaFanZone
Posts: 2277; Member since: Sep 21, 2012
On Opera Classic, you press the tab menu and you can select tabs from there just by tapping. No need to scroll.
On Chrome you also have to stretch your thumb to the top of the screen and do more numerous actions.
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 10:18 AM 1
20. Furbal unregistered
Opera is my go too browser now. Just use tablet mode and it tabs just like a desktop. Very nice
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 12:31 PM 0
39. buccob
Posts: 2943; Member since: Jun 19, 2012
Also didn't Opera support Tab Sync by "Opera Link"???
I don't use it anymore so I am not up to date with the info so...
I used to love Opera but Chrome won me over on desktop and that leveraged mobile version...
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 7:42 PM 0
7. mocir
Posts: 23; Member since: Jul 13, 2012
Yandex browser also has the address bar at the bottom. What I like about Next browser (Yandex too) is that you can swipe left or right to switch tabs like we used to on Chrome. Firefox and Dolphin are not worth it. I discovered CM Browser, I'll definitely try it.
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 10:31 AM 0
8. mayur007
Posts: 592; Member since: Apr 10, 2012
firefox does supports flash..
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 10:33 AM 4
15. isprobi
Posts: 797; Member since: May 30, 2011
But I believe it and most of the other browsers that support Flash require you to have Flash mobile installed on your phone. That version is no longer supported by Adobe. Puffin on the other hand supports desktop Flash through its servers as I understand it.
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 11:51 AM 2
52. RandomUsername
Posts: 808; Member since: Oct 29, 2013
Also, Firefox has a reading mode...
posted on Jul 24, 2014, 12:06 PM 0
11. antmiu2
Posts: 548; Member since: Jun 19, 2011
hi phone arena, please add naked browser to your testshttps://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.fevdev.nakedbrowser
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 11:23 AM 0
12. alrightihatepickingusernames
Posts: 474; Member since: Dec 29, 2013
Puffin isn't super fluid in my usage as it loads full desktop pages so I only use it when I'm getting bad service and it's performance will outweigh Chrome.
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 11:29 AM 0
16. isprobi
Posts: 797; Member since: May 30, 2011
But if you want your phone to be like a PC why would you not always want a desktop web site? I find mobile sites are usually limited in functionality.
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 11:54 AM 0
42. alrightihatepickingusernames
Posts: 474; Member since: Dec 29, 2013
Well I don't want my phone to be completely like a PC, I can appreciate a few mobile sites. Most of the time I will lean towards a desktop site, (for example, I'm using desktop PA on my phone) but it just seems more fluid in Chrome. I have lackluster LTE in my area, that's where Puffin comes into play, when Chrome can't load the page I'll deal with Puffin's issues.
Overall the combo is great though. I'm definitely not trying to bash Puffin. I highly recommend it, if it's benchmark scores aren't convincing enough!
posted on Jul 24, 2014, 12:05 AM 0
13. sadiqahmed
Posts: 71; Member since: Oct 11, 2013
Dolphin does have Incognito mode known as "Private Mode".
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 11:32 AM 0
18. Chris.P
Posts: 567; Member since: Jun 27, 2013
Not available in the latest version, for some reason. I knew it used to have it, so I kept looking.
The settings menu where it used to be located is now different, and even the official Dolphin FAQ points to the wrong location. Which version of Dolphin do you use?
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 12:08 PM 1
31. SellPhones82
Posts: 569; Member since: Dec 11, 2008
I noticed a few weeks ago that Dolphin wouldn't load some sites and would error out. They'd load just fine on Chrome and they loaded just fine on Dolphin prior to the update. Going through the setting it appears they stripped a lot of setting/features out of it. Think it's time to uninstall and try some of the other you've listed.
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 3:59 PM 0
14. MarkArigayo
Posts: 240; Member since: Dec 18, 2013
Dolphin Browser. Lighter and faster on my G2.
posted on Jul 23, 2014, 11:33 AM 0
* Some comments have been hidden, because they don't meet the discussions rules.
Thankfully, this typical of Google approach also means that the browser is, honestly, completely problem-free. It does not lag when navigating pages or the interface. Panning, zooming, all of that is also done without a hitch, regardless if you're browsing an image-heavy page, or not (to the extent that your hardware can keep up, of course). None of that, however, gives Chrome a character -- you get the feeling that you're operating a tool, and that's not necessarily the case with the rest of apps on this list.