When you browse the Web on a cell phone, you want it to be fast. You may think that all you need is a faster connection to speed up browsing, but it could be something as simple as downloading a better Web browser built for mobile. This review of the Dolphin browser is for the increasingly-mobile business owner who wants to be more productive and is looking for lifehacks to get there.
I’ll start out by saying that I love the Dolphin browser on my Samsung S3 (courtesy of the fine folks at the no-contract cell phone team at Ting for Business who provided me with a long term loaner phone). I tried Chrome and other default browsers, but they were marginal at best. As a completely free browser, Dolphin delivers for Android, iPhone and iPad. You can even download extensions for Chrome, Firefox and Safari which will allow you to sync stuff with your mobile device.
It is hard to take a photo of your phone when that’s your only camera. So I’m using a press kit photo from the company’s website.
What I Really Like:
- Has gesture and voice control. For gesture, you click in the lower corner of the screen. You create your own custom scribbles or sketches or shapes to serve as shortcuts to specific websites. You click and draw that gesture to get to the site. For voice, called Sonar, you shake the handset and up pops a microphone icon. Start speaking and it takes you there. Sort of like Apple’s Siri or Google Now.
- Evernote add-on that lets me clip pages to my Evernote account.
- They have a battery saver app to help you conserve battery usage on your smartphone. I guess it is in their best interest to ensure you have plenty of battery for surfing the Web.
What I Would Like to See:
- Something that lets me know there is a history list to the left and an apps list to the right of the main browser window. Essentially, you have to grab the far side of your window and slide left or right to find these admin type areas. Useful to know, but I happened upon it.
- I honestly don’t have anything else. I think it is one of the best browsers on the market.
If you are on a mobile phone and find yourself waiting for websites to load, test out a different browser like Dolphin. Again, it is a free browser and you can get it for your Android-powered phone, the iPhone and iPad.
