Which smart phones have as good a browser or better than the iPhone?

[oban14]

Apps, swappable batteries, camera, OS, interface, honestly... I don't care about any of it. All I care about is the network, the best browser and if it can make phone calls. Do any blackberries, the Nexus 1, or the Droid or anything else equal or exceed Safari for iPhone with the following:

1) speed
2) interface
3) real sites - I'm sick of special "mobile" sites that are watered down
4) fully functioning - flash preferred

I'm sure Firefox for Android will be great when it comes out, but what about right now?

Anyone out there like a mobile browser more than Safari, or at least as much?

 

[nerdish]

Nokia N900?

 

[kdarling]

Anyone out there like a mobile browser more than Safari, or at least as much?

I like the browser on WebOS (Palm Pre / Pixi) just as much. It acts and feels almost the same, perhaps even a tiny bit faster. And it's got visual bookmarks.

Its only downside is that it doesn't seem to have a way to quickly get back to the top of a page. Of course, Safari doesn't have a way to quickly get to the bottom, so it's no prize in that area either. (Throwing away scrollbars is the dumbest current UI fad. Flick scrolling is cute, but ridiculous for long pages or documents. Both methods should be available. Grrr.)

Anyway, even in its current form on Sprint or Verizon, it's a great browsing experience. If Palm put WebOS on a larger and quicker chassis like the Nexus or HD2, I think it'd be a runaway hit. It's just plain fun to use.

Btw, RIM bought up a company with a WebKit based browser and hopefully will have it available later this year. First looks are reportedly good.

4) fully functioning - flash preferred

Edit: Forgot to mention that WebOS is supposedly getting Flash 10 support soon.

 

[TwoBytes]

No phone is better suited to web browsing than an iphone if your 'sick' of watered down sites, you need a laptop, not a phone.

They don't have the battery/cpu to be that good yet.

 

[rtabdo]

I've used a Nexus One (couple weeks ago) and although the screen is nice, the browsing experience itself is not as good as the iPhone. It's somewhat glitchy and I noticed significant banding on images.

So far from the phones, I've used, the iPhone is the best.

 

[Consultant]

Just look at the acid3 tests. iPhone mobile safari leads.

Even RIM is moving to the same technology as Safari, but in the future, without the Apple expertise.

I like the browser on WebOS (Palm Pre / Pixi) just as much. It acts and feels almost the same, perhaps even a tiny bit faster. And it's got visual bookmarks.

Its only downside is that it doesn't seem to have a way to quickly get back to the top of a page. Of course, Safari doesn't have a way to quickly get to the bottom, so it's no prize in that area either. (Throwing away scrollbars is the dumbest current UI fad. Flick scrolling is cute, but ridiculous for long pages or documents. Both methods should be available. Grrr.)

Anyway, even in its current form on Sprint or Verizon, it's a great browsing experience. If Palm put WebOS on a larger and quicker chassis like the Nexus or HD2, I think it'd be a runaway hit. It's just plain fun to use.

Btw, RIM bought up a company with a WebKit based browser and hopefully will have it available later this year. First looks are reportedly good.


Edit: Forgot to mention that WebOS is supposedly getting Flash 10 support soon.

So speaks the anything but apple person. Do you realize the Palm WebOS failed in the market?

Btw the demo of Palm Pre flash showed that it did not work on Hulu.

 

[labman]

Simple?

the one that has the browser you like best! some people like bb some iphone it's all about what you like!

 

[dammyonline]

yeah, think the post above kinda nailed it...hard for anyone to make the decision for you just gotta go out and try em' all. The iPhone browser works for me though the lack of flash really grinds my gear (ying yang relationship)

Its only downside is that it doesn't seem to have a way to quickly get back to the top of a page. Of course, Safari doesn't have a way to quickly get to the bottom, so it's no prize in that area either. (Throwing away scrollbars is the dumbest current UI fad. Flick scrolling is cute, but ridiculous for long pages or documents. Both methods should be available. Grrr.)

regarding the down scroll...had that issue as well and quite frustrating with long pages or threads but managed to find a 'down scroll' script that solved that...... and 'no' my iphone isn't JB.

 

[Ab10la]

The nexus one has several browsers that are better in my experience. Opera mini beta seems to be the best.