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Google stopped innovating the "Browser" for legacy versions of their operating system. Just like Microsoft. However, the Marketshare of legacy Android is still

by eiji 14y ago

Google stopped innovating the "Browser" for legacy versions of their operating system. Just like Microsoft. However, the Marketshare of legacy Android is still huge, all stuck with the old "Browser".

cpeterso 14y ago
Chrome only supports ICS, which accounts for only about 7% of Android devices. Firefox for Mobile supports Froyo (Android 2.2) and above, which accounts for about 87% of Android devices. https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/ https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/ ARMv6 builds of Firefox are coming soon: http://armenzg.blogspot.com/2012/06/initial-automated-armv6-builds-for.html http://armenzg.blogspot.com/2012/06/initial-automated-armv6-...
- untog 14y ago
  The disappointment is that you can't do the same for WebViews inside an app- I like to make apps using HTML5, and it would be very easy to make cross-platform ones if the Android built-in browser was any good. Sadly, it's not, and I don't have any means to embed a Firefox WebView.
- fratido 14y ago
  There are already builds available! The latest nightly runs nicely on my armv6 device: http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/mobile/tinderbox-builds/mozilla-central-android-armv6/ http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/mobile/tinderbox-buil...
stanleydrew 14y ago
I think the problem is that in all versions of Android the stock browser is distributed with the OS. It's not an installed application that can be upgraded independently. As I recall Google went through some pain to separate the GMail app from the OS so that it could be updated on its own schedule, and the pace of innovation in that app has increased. I would have liked to see them do the same for the browser app a long time ago, but in a way having Chrome as a separate app achieves the same goal going forward if it becomes the default.
rplnt 14y ago
I wouldn't say they are stuck with that browser... huge part of Opera's lead[1] comes from Android. Or they can always get the Chrome or Firefox. 1. http://gs.statcounter.com/#mobile_browser-ww-monthly-201105-201205 http://gs.statcounter.com/#mobile_browser-ww-monthly-201105-...

by eiji 14y ago

Google stopped innovating the "Browser" for legacy versions of their operating system. Just like Microsoft. However, the Marketshare of legacy Android is still huge, all stuck with the old "Browser".

cpeterso 14y ago

Chrome only supports ICS, which accounts for only about 7% of Android devices. Firefox for Mobile supports Froyo (Android 2.2) and above, which accounts for about 87% of Android devices. https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/ https://developer.android.com/about/dashboards/ ARMv6 builds of Firefox are coming soon: http://armenzg.blogspot.com/2012/06/initial-automated-armv6-builds-for.html http://armenzg.blogspot.com/2012/06/initial-automated-armv6-...

untog 14y ago
The disappointment is that you can't do the same for WebViews inside an app- I like to make apps using HTML5, and it would be very easy to make cross-platform ones if the Android built-in browser was any good. Sadly, it's not, and I don't have any means to embed a Firefox WebView.
fratido 14y ago
There are already builds available! The latest nightly runs nicely on my armv6 device: http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/mobile/tinderbox-builds/mozilla-central-android-armv6/ http://ftp.mozilla.org/pub/mozilla.org/mobile/tinderbox-buil...

stanleydrew 14y ago

I think the problem is that in all versions of Android the stock browser is distributed with the OS. It's not an installed application that can be upgraded independently. As I recall Google went through some pain to separate the GMail app from the OS so that it could be updated on its own schedule, and the pace of innovation in that app has increased. I would have liked to see them do the same for the browser app a long time ago, but in a way having Chrome as a separate app achieves the same goal going forward if it becomes the default.

rplnt 14y ago

I wouldn't say they are stuck with that browser... huge part of Opera's lead[1] comes from Android. Or they can always get the Chrome or Firefox. 1. http://gs.statcounter.com/#mobile_browser-ww-monthly-201105-201205 http://gs.statcounter.com/#mobile_browser-ww-monthly-201105-...