Google have finally released the much awaited Chrome browser for their Android operating system. The browser, which was launched Tuesday, brings the best of both worlds together in the form of a native Chrome browser for Android.
The app, which is currently in Beta and only available for Android 4.0, is available on the Android app store and has so far been received with positive reviews from Chrome desktop users who have been waiting for the mobile version for quite some time now.
Users will be pleased with the familiarity and similarity between the two as the mobile version sports a similar User Interface to the desktop version. In keeping with the Chrome philosophy, Google say they have designed the Android Chrome with simplicity and speed in mind.
Many Android users will be familiar with the native Android browser that comes front loaded on Android devices and the uninspiring user experience the browser, named “Browser”, offers.
The new Android Chrome browser features tabbed browsing, allowing users to switch between tabs effortlessly. It also supports gestures, a feature that allows the user to use touch gestures to perform tasks such as open new tabs, switch tabs and so on.
The browser also has the omnibox, which is a web address input slot that doubles up as a search tab. Users will also be pleased that Android Chrome also supports incognito browsing, a hugely popular feature on the desktop version.
One thing the Android Chrome will not support is Flash, something Google have opted to leave out in favour of HTML5, the new standard that most future applications will be built on. This was to be expected especially after Adobe announced they would not be supporting Flash development any more.
The major downside to the application is that it only runs on Android Version 4 or as it’s known Ice cream Sandwich, which currently accounts for a tiny slice of the Android ecosystem, standing at just 1% of total Android deployments.
This is however a Beta phase and it makes sense for Google to play it safe with a small group of users as they sort out any bugs and issues in the application. That said, we should see a roll out of the same for other Android versions in the near future.
