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The fastest browser for iPad. IPhone browser - which is better?

For iPad you don't like it at all? Although Apple requires all web apps on iPad to use the WebKit framework, there are many options that can be used as alternatives to Safari.

One of the most common competitors to the default application is Chrome. It's a fast, tabbed browser for iPad that can sync with a similar app on your desktop or laptop. One of its useful features is the ability to open web pages on your tablet that are already open on one of your other devices. Moreover, it is completely free.

Another browser for iPad - ICAB - is designed for those who want to get more productivity while surfing the Internet. An important feature is the ability to download files - a feature that is missing from Safari and most other web applications for the tablet. This means you can easily upload photos to Facebook or similar sites without having to install additional software. ICAB can also be useful for bloggers for the same reason. We can say that this is the best browser for iPad, since it has the ability to save and restore forms, as well as support for Dropbox.

Photon is the best solution for people who want to watch flash videos or play games on iPad. Although not all such applications will be supported by the mentioned browser, this feature is useful. In addition, it is endowed with all the characteristics necessary for full-fledged work on the Internet.

Another good browser for the iPad, Mercury, has a number of interesting features that make it unique. For example, the ability to disguise yourself as Firefox. This is great if you're visiting a site that loads on mobile by default when you need the full web page. This browser can sync with Firefox, supports Dropbox and private browsing, and has performance options (like image blocking).

Another interesting all-in-one offering is Atomic. This browser for iPad has a wide range of features, including tabs, privacy mode, full screen with Dropbox and iTunes, features and the ability to save pages to read in. Another useful feature comes in the form of rotation lock, which is very convenient when you are holding the iPad under angle. In addition, you can connect your own search engine to this browser for iPad 4.

Opera Mini can't compete with some of the other browsers on this list in terms of features, but it does allow you to view compressed versions of websites, which will help you get the most out of limited data. Even though there is a short pause before the site loads, it is a very fast application. This is explained by the fact that all resources are loaded as a whole at once, and not in parts. In addition, this browser is completely free.

For a whole month we have been looking at browsers for mobile solutions running iOS. It is easy to calculate that the number of applications studied exceeded a dozen. This is a lot, because we have collected the most interesting and worthy options.

Some web browsers were good at working, others looked nice, others offered a lot of features... It's time to answer one specific question: which browser is the best to stick with an iPhone? The simplest solution is to collect them in a final article and clarify the situation.

Here is a list of the considered applications in alphabetical order:

The following device was used as test equipment:

  • Smartphone Apple iPhone 6 (operating system iOS 10.3.2 installed).

Apple Safari

Almost all software produced by Apple is more than usable and performs its intended purpose well. All this applies to the Apple Safari mobile application.

This browser is made in classic traditions and offers everything you need to surf the Internet. The developers tried to make the application as simple as possible, but they also did not forget about useful features and hidden goodies (such as the ability to close all open tabs with one click, open a full version of the site, and others).

At the same time, Apple Safari works great, loads web pages quickly, scales them smoothly and does not display artifacts. What else is needed? Possibly bookmark synchronization, which is currently only available with other Safari browsers.

Of course, there is no support for Adobe Flash, as well as reading mode, night mode and other useful functions. We can say that Apple remains neutral in this regard.

Apple Safari is a great standard browser, and if you don't expect super-useful features from it, it won't disappoint.

Google Chrome

There is hardly a person who has never heard of Google Chrome, except perhaps some Apple fan who does not want to know about products from other companies.

You don’t need to think that Google Chrome is intended only for Windows OS and Android OS; it’s even fine on iOS. Personally, I liked the functional panel that allows me to quickly reload a page, open a new one, and close it.

Even Handoff support has been implemented, but synchronization of bookmarks with other Chrome browsers and naive support for Google translator need not be mentioned - it is very convenient and functional.

Google Chrome works at full capacity: quickly, smoothly and there are no problems with scaling. True, on older devices (iPhone 5/5s and even iPhone 6), there may be stuttering when opening a dozen tabs. I have no other complaints about the application.

Fast and smooth operation, interesting and useful functions, as well as bookmark synchronization are the trump cards of the free Google Chrome browser.

The current situation in the mobile browser markets is very complex. After all, many strong companies strive to win the love of users. Undoubtedly, the Safari browser is an excellent option for iPhones. However, there are other worthy alternatives.

Browser called Opera Mini

This browser is now one of the most popular and discussed. It is free, and also very fast. And the secret to speed is that the page requested by the user is generated on the phone, but the text and images are very compressed. Thus, the data is obtained very quickly, but there is no loss of quality at all.

Browser called Aquari

The main characteristic of Aquari is safety. The launch of the application itself is protected by a four-digit password. There is also a guest use function. Aquari automatically clears all sessions, so you don't have to worry about privacy. This browser is completely free.

Browser called iBrowse2

In this browser, you can open two pages at the same time. There is also a function for full screen mode, bookmarks, and home page settings. iBrowse2 retails for 99 cents.

Browser called Incognito

This browser cares about privacy and security. Thus, you can surf the Internet without leaving traces anywhere. Closing the browser clears the entire session. Incognito costs $2.99.

Browser called Magic Browser

This browser saves documents for later viewing while offline. It also has a function for sending texts by mail. Magic Browser costs $1.99.

Browser called Safe Browser

This is the safest application for iPhone (almost the same as Safari, only with additional functions). This browser has an excellent filtering engine, making it suitable for teenagers and children. Safe Browser costs $4.99.

Browser called Private Web

The browser is able to clear cookies, cached pictures, and message histories. It costs 99 cents.

Browser called Wide Web

Wide Web is considered a full-screen browser that has rotation, screen capture, and bookmarking functions. In this browser, you can also enter the necessary search keywords directly into the address bar. This browser costs 99 cents.

Browser called Shaking the Web

The browser was designed to make life easier for users who like to read on the go. It has a special anti-shock feature and costs 99 cents.

Hot Browser

Very friendly, simple. It has a unique feature - if the iPhone is lost, the browser will open various news sites at random. The cost of such a browser is 99 cents.

A person always looks for an alternative when something does not suit him. Is Photoshop expensive? Hello Pixelmator! Not happy with Windows? You need to try OS X and Linux. And, as a rule, there are plenty of alternatives. So, from the very first days of its existence on the iPad, the standard built-in Safari browser had so-called alternatives.

Now I want to give a rather superficial but useful overview on the topic: “Why are alternative browsers needed?”

Safari gets better with every version of iOS. Now this is an excellent mobile browser with many useful features and settings. But there are a number of useful functions that iOS developers, for one reason or another, did not build into it. And the creators of alternative browsers are practically unlimited and therefore their solutions are often more advanced than Safari. The question is, does the user need it? I don’t encourage you to switch to them (I myself am a supporter of standard solutions and use Safari), but you need to know about other programs.

I will give examples of alternative browsers and point out some of their important advantages...

Apple doesn't like Flash, so Flash is not supported in Safari. The most popular and long-running solution is Puffin. Puffin allows you to not only watch videos in this outdated format, but even enjoy Flash games.

You can play with a virtual joystick.

Puffin also boasts loading acceleration technology. Visually, indeed, sites load much faster in it than in Safari.

Red Onion - Tor Browser

Are you paranoid? Got Ros thief surveillance that blocks sites?

Then Tor is coming to you.

Tor (short for The Onion Router) is free and open source software for implementing the second generation of so-called onion routing. This is a proxy server system that allows you to establish an anonymous network connection that is protected from eavesdropping.

The Red Onion Browser allows you to anonymously surf the World Wide Web. And you are not afraid of any blocking. Tor technology makes it easy and painless to bypass all restrictions. The main thing to remember is that Tor works slowly, this browser is only convenient for use for its intended purpose.

Also a nice bonus to Tor technology is the download manager.

Download Red Onion 75 rubles

iCabMobile

The oldest paid browser in the App Store. Huge functionality: from a built-in loader (able to work with archives) to support for a bunch of lazy reading services. No one else has such a huge number of settings...

This is a browser for those who want to control everything and everyone in the program. The developer constantly updates his creation.

Download iCabMobile 149 rubles

In one line mode about other notable browsers:

  • Mercury is not bad, but there are inadequate in-app purchases (1,790 rubles full version and subscription). Goodbye!
  • Dolphin is annoying with its constant crashes... But overall it was once good. We are waiting for updates. Now it's bad...
  • The Firefox web browser is only for unassuming Fox fans. In terms of functionality, nothing...
  • UC Browser - works VERY poorly on iPhone and iPad. I think the developers merged - there were no updates for 2 years. In terms of potential at the time of release, it was among the leaders.
  • Chrome - the rating speaks for itself :)

Here's a short review. I hope someone will take away something necessary and useful. What browsers do you use (survey below) and why (in the comments)? Are you satisfied with your choice?

What browsers do you use regularly?

  • Safari (47%, 383 goals)
  • Google Chrome (18%, 146 goals)
  • Yandex.Browser (9%, 75 goals)
  • Puffin (8%, 63 goals)
  • Opera Coast (4%, 29 goals)
  • iCab Mobile (3%, 28 goals)
  • Red Onion (3%, 24 goals)
  • Firefox (2%, 19 goals)
  • UC Browser (2%, 19 goals)
  • Mercury (2%, 18 goals)
  • Dolphin (1%, 8 goals)
  • Maxthon (0%, 4 goals)
  • Atomic Web Browser (0%, 0 goals)

Many fans of Apple gadgets still recognize only one product as a full-fledged browser for iOS - Safari. They are partially right, since all the alternative options are nothing more than graphical add-ons with Java scripts on the WebKit engine, on which Safari itself is built.

And it is even more interesting to observe how different developers, using the same source tools, the same platform, but achieve results that are very different from each other, both in design and functionality. Each of the following iOS browsers has a different set of features and unique controls. Their capabilities and usability also differ quite clearly.

Google Chrome

We'll look at Chrome first. It is considered the most popular alternative to Safari on iPad. Its main advantage is its integration with a Google account. Yes, among fans of the wealth of Google cloud services there are many iOS users. Mobile Chrome provides the user with tools for synchronizing bookmarks, passwords and other data from the desktop browser, so if you fundamentally prefer Chrome, then it will definitely not let you down on iOS.

Opera Mini

Minimized Opera is loved for its “turbo mode”, when activated, all user traffic passes through the Opera server, where it is compressed. This trick allows you to speed up the loading of many pages and improve their output speed compared to the original. A side effect of “turbo mode” is the inability to access resources blocked by local providers.

However, compression does not always work correctly: on some sites this leads to layout disruption, distortion of headings and fonts, and malfunction of some scripts. But if a person accesses the Internet via a slow channel or with a very limited traffic tariff, then this shortcoming can be easily forgiven.

Coast

Another free browser from the Opera team. It was developed specifically for the iPad tablet, for which it was recognized as the best in usability on the iPad. You can't call it just another modification of Opera Mini - it's a fundamentally new development. The user is provided with a single field for entering addresses and search queries.

Coast Browser always launches in full screen mode. When launched, a “tile” of popular sites is displayed on the screen. The browser supports simple gestures for navigating pages, saving them, and quickly accessing the Favorites panel. The browser is very fast and convenient.

iCab

The iCab browser is designed for active Internet users: it provides a very wide range of additional functions. In terms of design, iCab is very similar to Safari and fits perfectly with the graphic style of iOS 7. However, the iCab's similarities with the original Apple browser do not end with the design - it is also similar to it in terms of functionality. It is possible to launch it in full screen mode with translucent navigation buttons.

Puffin

This is the only browser for iOS that supports Flash Player. But in the current realities of the prosperity of HTML5, this support does not really justify itself, especially since even the most primitive flash games in Puffin are ungodly slow. In the free version, the browser is oversaturated with advertising banners, and Flash for the free “Puffin” only works from nine in the morning to four in the afternoon. In the paid version, these strange restrictions are removed.