Android users who’ve managed to install Fennec onto their devices thus far have probably come to the general conclusion that it’s slow, buggy, and simply not that great. It’s not without reason though — Fennec was never officially released for Android in any form. But good things come to those who wait.
According to Mozilla/Fennec team member Matt Brubeck, this fall will see the release of Fennec 2 for MeeGo….and Android. Obviously, major performance and reliability improvements are slated for release, namely new features called “electrolysis” and “layers” as well as Firefox Sync. The first, Electrolysis, is simple a splitting of one major resource (as Fennec operates currently) into several smaller resources, which greatly improves performance and is more resistant to crashing. Along the same lines, the GPU of your device will also be called into action with Layers, helping with the aforementioned performance increase by relieving the CPU of being the only worker on the job. The same offloading of tasks to the GPU is finally gaining steam on the desktop front, so it’s nice to see the mobile sphere following the same path so quickly.
Lastly, Firefox Sync is a simple tool to keep your Mozilla favorites, bookmarks, etc. organized across browsers, platforms, and computers. It’s a useful tool that truly doesn’t show it’s real value until you being using multiple computers daily.
With waning market share on the desktop front, can Mozilla’s mobile efforts make up for that slack and win you back over? Or, are other platforms/browsers (iOS and Safari, Android and mobile Chrome etc.) too far ahead for you to care?
It’s no secret that RIM has been lacking as of late in the mobile OS war. When compared to the likes of Apple, Android, Palm, (and even Nokia in some aspects), RIM has remained fairly stagnant. But OS 6 looks to change that all — or at least try. There’s been several videos released so far, showing off a fair amount of the upcoming OS. Though one feature in particular — the webkit browser — is probably one of, if not the most important updates heading to CrackBerry users later this year. One video showing off some of the new OS 6 and webkit goodness would be fine and dandy. But three…? But even better, the three videos inside show off not only RIM’s OS 6 and new browser, but compare them against the likes of iOS and Android, as well as a healthy dose of Acid 3 testing to round it all out.
Give your thanks to Salomondrin for the videos and and hop on in…
One of the weakest points on any BlackBerry new or old is the browser. In today’s mobile content buffet, the quantity and quality of mobile data are both very important, hence the BlackBerry’s continuing decline as a hardcore consumer device. But after RIM purchased a third party browser developer called “Torch Mobile”, things took a quick turn for the better.
So far, the latest BlackBerry videos we’ve seen that highlight unreleased hardware have shown us all the ins and outs of the new BB OS 6.0, except for the highly sought after webkit browser that will now be coming standard. Happy to oblige, the folks at Driphter took the new browser for a little spin on a BlackBerry 9800 Slider running OS 6.0 in order to give us all a taste of what we can look forward to.
To be sure, performance drastically improved (as the reviewer notes) over the old java-based browser that’s stubbornly clung to BlackBerry devices up until now. Though, the fit and finish could still use a touch up here and there. All in all, it looks like a very compelling upgrade that many Berry users will lust after even more-so after seeing the video right after the jump
BlackBerry users will want to take a minute or two out of their hectic schedule today in order to fulfill one app update that’s worth grabbing. The popular Bolt Browser has been updated to 2.1.
With it comes enhanced Facebook integration as well as an updated webkit engine. The latter of which is always considered a good thing as such updates usually beget speed. And we all know how much rendering speed means in the mobile sphere.
But speed isn’t everything. Namely, tabbed browsing, better page rendering, and HTML5 are now part of the game. What are you waiting for?
BlackBerry fanatics, today is quite a special day. OS 5.0 may have been somewhat of a letdown, lacking in new features that the “5.0″ moniker would otherwise seem to suggest. But 6.0 has been promised to take the BlackBerry OS deeper into the mainstream consumer markets. Of course, it’s all talk until RIM actually steps up and produces. On that note, judging by the 6.0 screenshots BGR scored from one of his sources, I’d say that at least considering the UI department, RIM is finally starting to get it.
Of all the tech brands to sport and “how” to sport them, taking the popular webkit browser, Firefox, and transforming it into a foot warmer is borderline odd/funny/weird. Ok, foot warmer isn’t quite accurate. Socks is a better classification. Choosing socks is an odd one though. If you’re really proud of your geeky lifestyle, why put in on an article of clothing that few will ever see?
So how about it: Would you wear Firefox-esque FireSox? (Say that 5 times fast….)
Ask any consumer minded BlackBerry user what they think of the BlackBerry browser as they sit there and look on at other much more capable browsers from companies such as Apple, Google, Opera, and so on. The BlackBerry browser has for many years, been regarded as one of the weakest links in an otherwise rock solid mobile platform. That all changed last summer when RIM boughtTorch Mobile, a company who’s webkit based mobile browser performed favorably on it’s own. Since the purchase, the BlackBerry world as a whole has been impatiently waiting for a revamped webkit based BlackBerry browser to replace the awful, old, and slow Java based variant that currently resides on RIM’s smartphones.
For many CrackBerry users alike, today is a day to write in the history books as RIM has finally taken off the covers the webkit BlackBerry browser. From the video below, we can gather that it is leaps and bounds faster and more accurate than previous BB browers, rending complex sites in 10-15 seconds tops and also scoring a perfect 100/100 on the acid 3 test — quite the task for any mobile browser (and apparently impossible for the IE team to fully grasp till this day…). Besides the increased speed and rendering accuracy, other new additions to the BB browser center around both native BlackBerry widgets and java based widgets that will display within the browser window.
The only disappointing announcement is that at this time, RIM doesn’t have a firm date set as to when we will see this rolling out to BlackBerries en mass. Also up in the air is if RIM will incorporate this into the OS outright or simply make it available in App World. The only reason I see them keeping the old browser as the default browser from the factory is for compatibilities sake. Even then, if a company relies on a browser that has remained fundamentally unchanged for many years, it’s that companies problem to adapt to modern technology. As we all know, time moves quick in this sector of society. Either way, the finish line is almost here CrackBerry users. Modern, rich, and speedy web browsing via the native BB browser is almost here.
BlackBerry users: Have you since moved on to bigger and better browsers such as Opera Mini or BOLT? If so, after watching the video below and hearing of the vast improvements in the BB browser, would you be willing to return to the native browser over the various 3rd party options? Leave your votes below.
Make no mistake, RIM’s current BlackBerry browser sucks and sucks big time. It’s always sucked. Those who disagree obviously aren’t using the internet as it was meant to be used — flash, javascript, ajax, and so on. Flash is still a sticking point for many other mobile browsers in the market but the rest of that list is a rather common affair now.
After acquiring Torch Mobile last year, rumors and speculation of a completely revamped BlackBerry browser almost immediately began. After a solid two years of complaints centering around the archaic browser, it seemed RIM had finally opened up their ears to their customers. So what’s the current status on this new browser?
The latest info we’ve heard has the browser being completely re-developed from the ground up and based on Webkit — a far cry from the POS Java relic BB’s currently run. RIM is gunning to take it even further than “just a webkit” browser however. Previously leaked documents and other claims from various sources have RIM tightly integrating their BIS/BES services and server side technology into the mix (which any Opera Mini users should know…) greatly speeds up browsing speeds, rending accuracy, and manages to drastically cut down on bandwidth.
RIM is pretty damn good at doing some big things over limited bandwidth allotments so this frankenstein browser has to be good.
Even though I don’t use a BlackBerry day to day, I have connections and Berry’s available to test if need be. This new uber BlackBerry browser will certainly be one of the biggest updates for the BlackBerry OS in recent memory (if ever). Keep checking back for more info as the story develops.
Think RIM’s hybrid webkit/server cached browser combo will jump ahead of the competition (read: Android and iPhone browsers)? Electronista
I remember the day that I read about the rumors of a touchscreen BlackBerry. I was sitting in Chicago O’Hare Airport waiting for a flight to Houston. At that time, scouring the specs on BGR’s site left my jaw dropping and my heart racing. That was the pinnacle of my CrackBerry days. I have since moved on to many different platforms though my enthusiasm for the BlackBerry platform has never truly waned. All it will take is one breakthrough device (with better software of course) and my lusts will again be turned to the Canadian born giant again.
Rumors of an end all be all BlackBerry are nothing new. Well over a year has gone by since they first started circulating. But this time, a research note by Shaw Wu, a Kaufmen Bros. analyst, cites various “contracts in the industry” and parts suppliers who all claim or depict a touchscreen + sliding qwerty Berry. A phone just like the Droid but with a better keyboard and who knows what else? I’d love to see one.
Along with the obvious excitement over a touchscreen + qwerty BlackBerry, this new rumored BlackBerry (Is this the often rumored BlackBerry 9900?) device will surely come with a completely revamped WebKit browser. A new browser also isn’t a surprise per say as RIM’s recent acquisition of Torch Mobile — a company that developed a webkit browser — all but confirms it’s coming to BlackBerry devices in the not too distant future. RIM knows they need a new browser. Their current one sucks. With the iPhone and Android browsers being two of the top mobile browsers, both based on webkit, means RIM can’t afford not to. The device is currently in “prototype state” so any immediate release is out of the question. But next year its on…
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Android users who’ve managed to install Fennec onto their devices thus far have probably come to the general conclusion that it’s slow, buggy, and simply not that great. It’s not without reason though — Fennec was never officially released for Android in any form. But good things come to those who wait.
