Back when I reviewed the Nexus 7, I mentioned that I was disappointed with Chrome for Android. It often felt slow, would hang, and typing in the address bar and input fields on webpages would lag. Scrolling wasn't always optimal, and sometimes, it would simply freeze up altogether. We're several months down the line now - has the situation improved for me?
Post a Comment
Member since:
2010-01-24
I'm a huge fan of Opera but I switched recently to Dolphin by default... because I've noticed that in the browser selection dialog I almost always selected Dolphin "because I only quickly want to see this small page" and guess what? It's blazing fast and full feature... Other browsers (yes, Fx included) are just plain slow!
Member since:
2007-09-23
This is bad. I really hope they fix this before I decide to pick up a tablet.
I have a hard time moving away from Chrome. The killer feature is how Chrome can handle multiple users. I really hope that Firefox can add the convenient fast user switching that Chrome has had for so long.
I am actually looking forward to further integration with Android when it comes to the browser. As so many other I am left out in the cold with an old version of Android and cannot use Chrome. But I will not tolerate slowness just to get sync with the desktop browser.
Hope they will get their act together before I stumble upon some random pile of money and decide to buy a tablet.
Member since:
2009-07-08
Member since:2005-09-14
Member since:2006-03-08
I have both the galaxy nexus and the Nexus 7. On my galaxy nexus performance of Chrome is quite acceptable(although not as fast as the plain browser). On my nexus 7, it freezes during the initial seconds of loading any web page. Why would a quad core tablet struggle where my much older dual core phone not?
Been wondering this for a while...
Member since:2006-12-18
Also works fine on my quad core SGS3 (i9300), though I happen to use either Opera Mini or the stock browser most of the time.
FF seemed slow on first sight, but I didn't really give it a try.
Would ads on mobile become an issue, I might turn to it though, since AFAIK that's the only mobile browser with ad blocking (extension).
Never tried Dolphin.
Member since:2006-03-08
Member since:2007-03-14
Member since:2010-03-08
Perhaps that's an issue with Jelly Bean, considering that all devices on which Thom has encountered this issue ran Jelly Bean?
No major issue with Chrome on ICS for me either, I can only confirm the autocompletion lag. Actually, Firefox felt much slower on my "slow" 1GHz single-core phone with 512MB RAM.
I used to be a Dolphin user due to its wondrous performance and independence from Google, but for some reason it has started to freeze and crash a lot after some updates a few months ago.
Edited 2012-11-07 20:21 UTC
Member since:2005-09-14
Member since:2010-03-08
Member since:2005-07-20
I wonder if this is a Tegra 3 chipset problem because I see the exact same behavior on my Transformer Prime tablet.
Perhaps Chrome somehow triggers an expensive swap from the one low power core to the high power quad cores at a very unfortunate time.
Or perhaps the Tegra 3 is lacking RAM or mass storage bandwidth.
Member since:2005-06-29
Member since:2010-10-29
Member since:
2005-07-06
Actually I only recently started using Chrome on my tablet and phone (like in the last 3 weeks) because I've felt it's been improving and finally has made it to a usable point 
I really hope for the following features tho:
1. Better extensions support
2. Better options for home page on startup
3. Option to close browser on last tab close
I also think Firefox mobile has improved a great deal too, but I don't like the UI as much (I prefer the regular Android browser UI the most actually).
Member since:
2006-02-15
Opera Mobile: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.opera.browser
It's fast, stable, allows you to select between "desktop" and "mobile" websites, and it actually manages to almost always re-flow the content so that it can fit on a mobile-phone screen well. Sure, lacking sync is a bit unfortunate, but otherwise I love it. Atleast it's miles ahead of the competition!
Member since:2012-10-08
Member since:2009-08-18
Member since:
2008-06-03
Member since:
2009-11-05
2 devices, both CM10: Samsung Captivate & B&N Nook Tablet.
Dolphin has consistently been my go-to (though it can be slow-to-load too). Despite that, it's held up against everything else.
Lately, Maxathon Browser seems to be a better-for-low-end browser, but is can be crashy after prolonged use.
Opera & FF reminded me of the browser-as-a-platform days of keypad-scrolling feature phones. Don't get me wrong, I kinda miss those low-end spec'd, but still useful phones.
I've installed most of the others & nothing to write home about. I think I'm actually using the built-in browser for my Nook lately..
Member since:
2007-12-04
I used Chrome for Android both on my Galaxy Nexus phone and Asus Transformer Infinity tablet, and on both devices I find it robust and highly responsive. The only reason I haven't ditched the old stock browser on my tablet completely is that I am addicted to the "Quick Controls" feature that Chrome has not yet replicated.
I wonder if this may be exposing a weakness of the Nexus 7 GPU?
Member since:
2012-11-07
I've reported this since quite somtime:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?p=33814714
Please share your findings.
Member since:
2005-07-06
Unlike Apple and Microsoft, the Android App store is literally teeming with alternative browser choices and this is one of the big benefits of Google Play - they don't ban such browsers!
Hence, like I noted in a comment in Thom's original Nexus 7 review, I was quite surprised that Thom didn't try at least one of the many browser alternatives for Android during his original Nexus 7 review. I even suggested Firefox beta in my comment and he seemingly has installed that, albeit quite reluctantly.
There isn't much to choose between Firefox and Chrome on the desktop (though I think Firefox's extensions still give it an edge), but on Android, Firefox is a clear winner and it was obvious to me early on with my Nexus 7.
But that's what choice gives you - the ability to switch applications when one isn't to your liking. On the platforms I use, I tend to have 2 browsers installed - one for primary browsing and one secondary in case there's issues with the primary. It used to be Firefox and Opera, but now it's Firefox and Chrome.
Member since:
2005-10-19
Member since:
2011-05-11
Member since:
2010-05-28
I had hoped that Google releasing a Browser in the Play Store would mean frequent updates.
In reality, Chrome for Android still reports itself as version 18, while Chrome on the desktop is now up to 23.
I suppose it's nice not needing to download a 20MB browser every week, but it would be nice if Chrome for Android were able to keep up.
Member since:
2006-07-12
Now that Fennec runs smoothly and firefox team has the act together almost everything syncs over devices and even achitectures. Try fennec, it might surprise you. It is really good uses a full gecko rendering engine (not a crippled mobile version) and support addons* just as firefox does and if you want a web compatible browser that supports all new nits and grits you will have to pick FF for your pc usage anyways afaik. Syncing addons and extrensions is super easy: Just as in chrome you can use the online service or you could keep all of your settings by just backing up the .config/mozilla or AppData\Roaming\Mozilla folders depending on OS.
Also you can "get your sync on" even on obscure plattforms like AmigaOS and OS/2\Ecomstation easily.
FF for desktop and Fennec for mobile is just a winning sollution in my book.
Member since:
2012-09-23
Is it me or is Firefox scrolling on not mobile optimized web site a total failure? I mean, when I scroll vertically on a regular website, as my movement is not perfectly vertical (damn you, stupid human user), it scrolls vertically and horizontally, for a mainly vertical movement. It's so damn annoying when you read text to have to correct manually a thing as simple as scrolling that I always revert to android core browser or chrome.
I can forgive sluggishness, but failing vertical scrolling, for real, how could I cope with that?
BTW, I have had the exact same issue with Opera and firefox, on my 3 android phones and on my 2 android tablets. Only the android browser and Chrome do not fail to scroll in a perfect vertical way
Member since:2009-06-20
Member since:
2006-01-04
I don't have a tablet. I just use chrome on my phones.
The problem that I have with it is that only about 1 in 20 times can I go to a web site directly. Even when I put the URL into the address box and tap either "go" or the arrow and don't tap the magnifying glass or tap a dropdown entry that is labeled 'search' it still just goes to Google and I wind up selecting the web site I wanted to go to from the search results that get displayed instead of the page that I specified. This is on 3 different phones running 3 different versions of Android. Two are rooted and one is stock.
Annoying, inconsiderate and inappropriate. And to add insult to irritation it's not even consistent, since on rare occasions it actually does go to the site I want to visit!
Member since:
2006-04-14
I used to run a custom ICS Rom on my HTC incredible s. Chrome was my default browser and worked perfectly. I can confirm some of the input lag issues when typing an address, but as a whole it worked nice.
Now I installed a JB Rom and Chrome is not usable anymore. Drawing issues and a lot of lag when scrolling. However the default browser feels very very fast, so that's the default now. Scrolling large webpages feels responsive as it did on my iPhone.
Member since:
2005-11-16
Member since:
2006-04-22
I can't believe no one is complaining about the ridiculous amount of screen real estate chrome hogs for no reason. Why doesn't address bar scroll away like the old browser or fade out then you can bring it back by dragging down at the top? And why are there tabs even with only one tab open?
On my N7 in landscape mode it is a joke. I'm not an apple fan but I have to admit when they presented the mini and made fun of the android browser's use of screen, I had to admit they were right. Drives me nuts!
Member since:
2006-01-24
Member since:
2008-12-09
The only equivalent to Chrome on Android is Firefox.
Opera is a special mobile version. Most others are using the Android "builtin" webkit. Probably why you did switch to Firefox in fact. Like I did.
Only Chrome and Firefox deliver an "exactly same engine as desktop".
Except Firefox works, and is very fast, while Chrome is slow and annoying (even thus it has nice animations).
So yeah, ironically, the opposite as on the the desktop.
Solution to Chrome's issues? Just use Firefox. On top of that, you get to use something's that's actually supporting the free web.
Oh and, Firefox Sync happen to be working a lot better than I expected.
The only thing I'm missing is proper "full screen browsing". The UI doesn't annoy me, it's different, but not bad. Not exceptional either, it's just fine. And hey, there's full noscript and full adblock support.
Edited 2012-11-08 06:22 UTC
Member since:2005-06-29
On my Transformer, I got in the habit of using the built in browser for most sites, Chrome for certain sites that rendered better in it, and Firefox specifically for cherokeeforum.com as it automatically resizes forum images correctly. The other two had issues with that, though Chrome worked on a few other forum sites. The built in browser was terrible at most forums I frequent.
When I was testing a Nexus S with ICS and then JB, it was even worse. Chrome was terribly slow, and while Firefox wasn't any faster than the built in browser it did render sites better most of the time.
If I decide to get a Galaxy Note 2 next year to replace my WP7 phone, I'll be curious to see the state of Chrome by then. Everything I've read about the Note 2 indicates that I may not even need an add-on browser unless I want bookmark sync, and in that case I'd stick with Firefox.
Member since:2006-07-25
I have a Galaxy Note 2 on O2 in the UK on version 4.1.1.
So far ive found the chrome experience really good. I was an iPhone user so came from Mobile Safari. So far ive found chrome to be a lot more responsive, i like the tab handling and it's really easy to navigate.
Im not sure on what the performance hits are experienced by others. I don't know if the note2 having a quad core and 2GB RAM helps it.
Web sites tend to scroll quite quickly even on photo heavy sites, even silly animated gifs seem to work. I haven't installed flash so im not sure on the performance of that.
I also own a Galaxy Note 10.1 which is running ICS and chrome is very fast on that also.
I will say though when i got the note2 at the end of october odd, the version of chrome then was slow and not very good, im sorry but i couldnt find the version of chrome im using at the moment on my note2.
Member since:2005-07-06
Opera is a special mobile version. Most others are using the Android "builtin" webkit. Probably why you did switch to Firefox in fact. Like I did.
Only Chrome and Firefox deliver an "exactly same engine as desktop".
Though there are two mobile Operas. Opera Mini (which is essentially just a remote viewer, browser engine sitting on the servers of Opera, data pipe between them highly compressed) and Opera... Mobile (a full browser; though it also can utilise compressed connection - but here the rendering is still local)
Both using essentially the same engine as desktop browser (maybe it just lags a bit, usually, IIRC; anyway, not sure I want exactly the same engine in very different, mobile vs desktop, circumstances)
Member since:
2006-11-02
Member since:
2009-08-18
I probably get on my soapbox ... just about now.
Unfortunately for a mobile web developer webkit based browsers are the IE6 of web on mobile mainly because lazy web devs, that use the -webkit prefixes instead of the standard compliant syntax (and gracefully degrading on other browsers).
I wrote a whole blog post about it here. My personal belief is that CSS browser specific extensions should only function when the browser is put into "development" context ... but this will never happen.
Member since:
2005-08-29
Member since:
2005-11-01
You could write a similar article about Firefox on the desktop. They are just now learning how to only draw the parts of the screen that needs updating. That's one of the reasons MazeSolver was removed from TomsHardware's Browser Grand Prix benchmark. We can't have benchmarks exposing browser weaknesses can we? Conspiracy Condor, STRIKE!
Seriously though.. use Firefox on Android. Kicks ass!
Member since:
2012-08-12
Google seems to push Chrome on their new Nexus devices. I don't think it's ready quite yet. On my Galaxy Nexus, the stock browser gives a better exprrience. Sync is the only thing I like more about Chrome. As a web developer targeting mobile devices, I see many more bugs, stuttering, weird behaviour etc in Chrome than in the stock browser on 4.1. Why doesn't Google just use the stock browser to render web pages, and build the Chrome interface on top of that? They do it on iOS. To me, it looks like the Chrome browser uses a different engine, because it has different bugs.
By the way, I don't understand the buzz about Firefox. Try developing a modern touch friendly HTML 5 app for it. For instance CSS 3 animations stutters like hell. The more people thatuse it, and similarly bad browser like Opera, the more difficult it is to be a web developer.
Edited 2012-11-08 16:13 UTC
Member since:
2006-05-30
Chrome has often been quite slow on my Nexus 7 (16GB, bootloader is still locked, stock 4.1.2 JB, installing apps from other sources "on".) But honestly, that has more frequently been because of the other processes running on the tablet. If one looks at the app list and kills all of the running apps (third soft button, swipe them all away) and then check the running processes and shut down crud like Facebook and such like, Chrome can be pretty speedy. The issue seems to be multitasking related for me.
EDIT: just tested.. buttery smooth with no apps running. The other issue I've seen is having too many tabs open, as they all run as a separate process (well.. do on Windows) and all load when the browser first opens. I don't sync my tabs in any way (past what Chrome does when you're logged in.) maybe that's another issue that causes slow down??
Edited 2012-11-08 17:32 UTC
Member since:
2008-01-01
Member since:2006-05-30
Member since:2008-01-01
Member since:2006-05-30
To be clear - Google have removed the "Browser" from Jellbean on the Nexus 7, so there really *is* no other browser installed without any further user action. Consumers don't "go looking for other apps." Not before they give 1 star reviews. Don't assume that you are an average consumer if the first thing you do is look for other apps. Most consumers are buying the Nexus 7 after never owning a tablet device device, many without ever using Android before. You are the exception, not the rule.
Member since:
2005-06-29
Member since:
2006-06-22
You have the international Galaxy S2 - i9100 which runs the exynos chip which doesn't have HWA drivers to get project butter and GPU acceleration going. This is the reason why some apps that require Android 4.x will crash on your phone occasionally. No problem what so ever on the Galaxy Nexus or any other official ROM that has HWA drivers.