iPhones and Androids have kickass browsers, why do we even need a mobile version?

[Calidude]

Whoops, sorry. In any case, I'm running 4.0.4 (yakju) and it's definitely happening. Since I definitely have the Nexus and it's completely clean (I've disabled about 60% of the default applications) I don't believe your friend. Well, at least if he is running a stock ROM and the stock Android browser.

Well if you look at this video review at 2 minutes 41 seconds, this Galaxy Nexus displays and scrolls a pretty heavy website in desktop mode flawlessly, and this is when the Gnex first came out in reviewer's hands, with the stock firmware of course.

I'm usually the first to criticize a product like the iPhone or a crappy Android phone but to say that you can't view a simple thing like a desktop page on a phone with a dual core processor is just silly.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=VeZ8sfJjoRI#t=241s

 

[Rajani Isa]

I don't mind mobile sites if they follow three rules.

1 - No dumb (i.e. front page) mobile redirect. The above linked XKCD comic shos why.

2 - Same content. Local newspaper would violate this and number 3...

3 - Option to view the desktop site. Doubly important if number 2 isn't 100%. Too many sites don't have a non-mobile option for smartphones. I've downloaded mini-Opera (eh...) and Dolphin (still learning that) to get around it where needed, but it's annoying.

 

[Mochi Hana]

I have the same problem shown in the kxcd comic a whole lot. I just change the user agent in my browser and it works after that.

 

[SurferMan]

1) Readability
2) My Nexus chokes on desktop sites. When you try and type into any website, it lags unbearably. Not an issue on the iPhone.

Whoops, sorry. In any case, I'm running 4.0.4 (yakju) and it's definitely happening. Since I definitely have the Nexus and it's completely clean (I've disabled about 60% of the default applications) I don't believe your friend. Well, at least if he is running a stock ROM and the stock Android browser.

That's weird, I don't have that problem at all. Actually a lot of times from news sites to Amazon etc I switch to desktop view as hate the mobile layout on a lot of sites. Never had any lag typing or choppiness etc, that was on Dolphin HD, have a custom Rom now and using Chrome beta and it's so slick and fast, w/o a doubt the best mobile browser.

I would think the Nexus would be fine in that case, especially if my GSII never had those issues? Have you used Chrome beta since your on 4.0?

I don't have any issues with my S2 running Maxthon web browser. The only browser in Android land that is actually worth 2 craps and similar to iOS browsers.

Anyone that compares Android browsers to iOS browsers and says Android is just as good haven't used iOS. Atomic Web Browser on Android would blow every fanboi away and Atomic would become the number 1 browser overnight. Trust me when I say I tried every single browser I could find for Android and not one is good enough to make it into the app store, except Maxthon (barely).

Not sure about that, had iOS since 07' and have used Atomic which was def better than mobile Safari. Didn't care for the stock browser on the GSII but liked Dolphin HD. Tried Maxthon as well but liked HD a little better, didn't really care for Dolphin Mini though or Boat. But using Chrome now and it rocks, love the formatting and slickness, and the cool tab switching.

 

[matttye]

Android browsers have a "view desktop version" option which is handy

 

[w00t951]

That's weird, I don't have that problem at all. Actually a lot of times from news sites to Amazon etc I switch to desktop view as hate the mobile layout on a lot of sites. Never had any lag typing or choppiness etc, that was on Dolphin HD, have a custom Rom now and using Chrome beta and it's so slick and fast, w/o a doubt the best mobile browser.

I would think the Nexus would be fine in that case, especially if my GSII never had those issues? Have you used Chrome beta since your on 4.0?

Not sure about that, had iOS since 07' and have used Atomic which was def better than mobile Safari. Didn't care for the stock browser on the GSII but liked Dolphin HD. Tried Maxthon as well but liked HD a little better, didn't really care for Dolphin Mini though or Boat. But using Chrome now and it rocks, love the formatting and slickness, and the cool tab switching.

Maybe we have differing definitions of "lag". I define anything other than the silky smoothness of iOS scrolling to be "lag." When the page stutters - lag. When the scrolling framerate slows - lag. Don't tell me you don't get any of this. Google Chrome for Android is extremely buggy for me (and many of my Android toting friends), and ends up lagging much more than the stock browser.


Do this for me: Go to this website (it's Kotaku Mobile). Smooth scrolling, huh? Play the embedded video and watch your framerate take a dump. On iOS, that never happens. This sort of lag occurs on multiple websites, and it almost always occurs when typing into the browser.

 

[SurferMan]

Maybe we have differing definitions of "lag". I define anything other than the silky smoothness of iOS scrolling to be "lag." When the page stutters - lag. When the scrolling framerate slows - lag. Don't tell me you don't get any of this. Google Chrome for Android is extremely buggy for me (and many of my Android toting friends), and ends up lagging much more than the stock browser.


Do this for me: Go to this website (it's Kotaku Mobile). Smooth scrolling, huh? Play the embedded video and watch your framerate take a dump. On iOS, that never happens. This sort of lag occurs on multiple websites, and it almost always occurs when typing into the browser.

I don't get it, loaded fast and worked fine and smooth for me even with the embedded video playing on Chrome? I tried it in Dolphin HD and it stuttered for a second at first then it was fine. I'd try it on the stock Android browser but not sure where the file is as I'm running a custom Rom (shostock2) and don't recall what it was named, can't find it in titanium.

I tried it on my iPhone (3GS was the only one I had off hand) and noticed safari took longer to load the site and was more choppy till everything was loaded then was fine. Not sure how your getting the embedded vid to play though and scroll simultaneously on iOS as it only goes right to the video for me when clicking it?

I'd take a vid to show but not sure how thats done when I see people doing vids like it's a live screen shot on phones. The only issue I ran into Chrome with is when I logged into Facebook mobile from the browser to check something, and for some reason it keeps autoscrolling to the top lol, no other site does that and never had it happen on other browsers... no biggie though since I use the app anyway.

 

[w00t951]

I don't get it, loaded fast and worked fine and smooth for me even with the embedded video playing on Chrome? I tried it in Dolphin HD and it stuttered for a second at first then it was fine. I'd try it on the stock Android browser but not sure where the file is as I'm running a custom Rom (shostock2) and don't recall what it was named, can't find it in titanium.

I tried it on my iPhone (3GS was the only one I had off hand) and noticed safari took longer to load the site and was more choppy till everything was loaded then was fine. Not sure how your getting the embedded vid to play though and scroll simultaneously on iOS as it only goes right to the video for me when clicking it?

I guess our standards are just different. And I was referring to scrolling in iOS after you pause or close the video. On the Nexus, pausing the video leaves the top half of the page pixellated and the entire page laggy.

And why are you comparing an old single core phone to a recent dual core phone?

 

[SurferMan]

And why are you comparing an old single core phone to a recent dual core phone?

B/c did you see where I said the 3GS was the only one I had off hand? Gf uses the 4S for work, regardless that still stands for "they never used iOS" like you said.

I guess our standards are just different. And I was referring to scrolling in iOS after you pause or close the video. On the Nexus, pausing the video leaves the top half of the page pixellated and the entire page laggy.

I know what lag is as that was my main gripe with earlier experiences with Android, and sorry, but I don't have the issues your talking about, it opens and loads faster for me, no problem scrolling even with the video playing. No pixelation etc, no lag while typing. The only time I noticed any browser lag feeling on this phone was with the stock ginger bread browser that came on it which was replaced quickly with Dolphin HD.

 

[JMG]

Android browsers have a "view desktop version" option which is handy

Too band they don't have a "transform into an iphone" option

 

[cynics]

I'm absolutely loving Chrome on Android. Atomic isn't bad but I can make it crash a little too easily, plus I can't set as a default. I don't have a problem with mobile safari either, just prefer something else.

I prefer mobile sites on my iPhone due to screen size.

 

[chakraj]

I guess our standards are just different. And I was referring to scrolling in iOS after you pause or close the video. On the Nexus, pausing the video leaves the top half of the page pixellated and the entire page laggy.

And why are you comparing an old single core phone to a recent dual core phone?

I don't run a stock version of ICS but I can tell you my nexus has no such issues.

 

[blackhand1001]

1) Readability
2) My Nexus chokes on desktop sites. When you try and type into any website, it lags unbearably. Not an issue on the iPhone.

What nexus are you using. My galaxy nexus has no problems with desktop sites.

 

[SurferMan]

I guess our standards are just different. And I was referring to scrolling in iOS after you pause or close the video. On the Nexus, pausing the video leaves the top half of the page pixellated and the entire page laggy.

And why are you comparing an old single core phone to a recent dual core phone?

Don't know if you saw the other post..... but tried on the 4S last night with that site, no difference vs my GSII and Chrome, seemed like faster loading on Chrome but only by a bit. And still no issues like you mentioned, scrolls smooth even with the video playing and no pixelation pausing, no lag typing etc. Other Nexus owners say they don't have that issue so not sure there. On the 3GS that site took longer to load and scrolled choppy till everything was loaded.

Don't have the buggy issues with Chrome either like you mentioned, not sure what's up with your device but that kinda sucks, I'd be annoyed too if I was having that happen.

 

[oneapplegeek]

I prefer mobile version as well. Don't wanna navigate around big pages in the small screen.