The popular 3rd party browser for android Dolphin HD has just updated today to version 5.0 after being in beta for a while. Along with the updated version comes some great new changes and improvements. One important note is the main app no longer has ads integrated. Before users needed an add-on that removed ads or had to pay for Dolphin. Version 5.0 is now ad-free.
Dolphin is to Android what Firefox and Chrome are to PC and Mac, a very versatile and feature complete browser. They have add-on support, bookmark folders, bookmark to sd backup/restore, tabbed browsing and more. Gestures can control the browser for all us touchscreen users. You can even restore a tab you’ve accidentally closed. They have added support for more themes, over 16 languages and more in this latest update to make Dolphin even more powerful. One of my favorite new features is the ability to copy all your bookmarks from the stock browser so the transition will be fast and easy for those that didn’t want to redo their bookmark collection.
They have updated the user interface with something they are calling the “Fire UI” and it sure looks nice, and clean. Personally I can’t help but feel like I’m using a blend of Google Chrome and the Android 3.0 Honeycomb browser, both of those are good things so I’d say that is a plus. It feels very comfortable and like something I am used to, the tabbed browsing on top with my Motorola Xoom was simple and smooth.
Pulling up your bookmarks is extremely easy with no tapping or hitting menu, simply swipe to the right and the bookmarks menu will appear (much better and smoother than Firefox Mobile’s implementation might I add). See the screenshot below.
Last but not least you have full-screen mode for those that want to use all of that screen real estate. On phones I use the full-screen feature, but on something like my Motorola Xoom or a tablet I feel that there is plenty of space to keep the bar up top for convenience.
I’m going to be enjoying Dolphin HD over the next few days and will report back anything I find or issues if I have any. For now feel free to get the latest and greatest ad-free Dolphin HD v5.0 in the Android Market by clicking here.
I’m a long time Dolphin user and v5 beta user. I’ve gotta say that this is a great browser on mobile. It scores 93 on the acid3 test which is not as good as chrome/safari but is much better than all but the most recent internet explorer revisions. In effect a score of 93 means it renders web pages pretty darn well.
Pro tip: If you don’t like the mobile version of a site and your phone has decent screen real estate you can change the user-agent setting of dolphin. Options are Android, desktop, iphone, ipad or custom. – nice!
Love this browser, but its still buggy under honeycomb.
I am getting artefacts the size of a mobile phone “flittering” on certain pages, like facebook. Just to mention the most obvious one I have seen so far.
Summery: Not. Quite. There. Yet.
I will continue using the stock browser for awhile yet.
I paid for an earlier version of Dolphin HD with several add ons, but took it of my phone because it seemed slow compared to the stock browser on a Galaxy S.
Downloading this now to give it a second look based on your review.