Today is our very first Web Browser Grand Prix on Android. Unlike iOS, Android-based tablets have real competition between browsers. So, how do Chrome, Dolphin, Firefox, Maxthon, Opera Mobile, and Sleipnir stack up against the stock Android browser?

The time has finally come to bring the Web Browser Grand Prix to Android. Google's scrappy little Linux-based mobile operating system enjoys massive success (particularly when you consider the first Android-based phone was sold in 2008). Although it started as an underdog to the iPhone's iOS, it's now the dominant smartphone platform.
At this point, the Android browser line-up is quite diverse. We have several familiar names from the desktop world, along with a handful of less-known contenders. Chrome, Firefox, and Opera all make the jump from the PC to Android. Mobile favorites like Dolphin, Maxthon, and Sleipnir also make an appearance.
Dolphin sports Jetpack, a new HTML5 engine in the form of a first-party add-on, which launched with some pretty outrageous performance claims. We're including the stock Android browser as well, since Chrome has yet to officially replace it on anything but the Nexus line.
How Will Android Differ From iOS?
Unlike Apple, Google doesn't impose a Draconian policy on developers. Third-party rendering and JavaScript engines get the green light on any Android-based device, jailbroken or not. This means that Firefox is free to use its Gecko rendering engine, and Opera isn't limited to a "mini" browser.
Except for Safari, Which Browser Should You Be Running On Your iPad And iPhone? had a ton of identical scores. Don't expect to see that under Android. This platform is as open as any current desktop operating system.
- Web Browser Grand Prix: Android Circuit
- Chrome, Dolphin, Firefox, Maxthon, Opera, Sleipnir
- Test Setup And Benchmark Suite
- Load Times
- HTML5 Performance
- JavaScript And DOM Performance
- Hardware Acceleration Performance
- Responsiveness And Security
- Standards Conformance
- Final Placing And The Android Winner's Circle
Each device manufacturer (Samsung, Asus, Lg, HTC) customise/modify the "stock" browser to match the SoC, the TDP, power saving, and specific browser benchmark targeted, for that device.
So this "Stock" browser is actually a modified browser, customised by ASUS to work better with a Tegra3 SoC, in some specifc benchmarks which Asus thinks are more important than others. Its not a representative of all android devices.
When you're running a Nexus device, it's a stock browser...
Each device manufacturer (Samsung, Asus, Lg, HTC) customise/modify the "stock" browser to match the SoC, the TDP, power saving, and specific browser benchmark targeted, for that device.
So this "Stock" browser is actually a modified browser, customised by ASUS to work better with a Tegra3 SoC, in some specifc benchmarks which Asus thinks are more important than others. Its not a representative of all android devices.
Each device manufacturer (Samsung, Asus, Lg, HTC) customise/modify the "stock" browser to match the SoC, the TDP, power saving, and specific browser benchmark targeted, for that device.
So this "Stock" browser is actually a modified browser, customised by ASUS to work better with a Tegra3 SoC, in some specifc benchmarks which Asus thinks are more important than others. Its not a representative of all android devices.
When you're running a Nexus device, it's a stock browser...
SunSpider is the next to go for sure, but I haven't heard a ton of criticism regarding Kraken yet. Between BrowserMark, Peacekeeper, and RIABench, we could withdraw all the vendor-developed JS tests.
Since Adobe themselves has ended Flash development for all mobile platforms, I don't think you will see many browsers keeping support for it for long. Likely in a year, maybe 18 months, you won't see any support for Flash as, well, what's the point.
- some kind of adblocking utility, like urlfilter.ini in Opera, adblock in firefox
- minimum font size. On my 8" 160dpi screen fonts are too small to be read comfortably. In Opera I can declare a minimum font size and have all webpages readable and well formatted.
- declare to be a desktop browser. I most browsers I have to declare this for every site I visit, in Opera I do it once and it is set
- smoothness on any hardware, not only Quad-core. Try stock browser or firefox on a single-core A10 machine and it will freeze for 10s when composing your webpage. Opera won't be butter-smooth, but it will let you scroll througn the page from the beginning.
So Opera is the worst browser according to Thg, but is the best for me, the average user.
This. A review of performance only is useless. Features are more important.
http://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/archived-flash-player-versions.html#main_Archived_Flash_Player_versions_for_developers
Scroll down a bit to get to the Android listings.
the ui is very minimal though so might not be newcomer friendly
but the responsiveness is on par with dolphin
My next buy will be a labtop Core i5 / HD 4000 with a SSD and a mouse with a wire. It will be set up so it is always on standby - and wakes up in 2-4 sec.
Tablets are for todlers and teens :-)