The Windows Mobile browser market is getting awful
crowded lately, and the latest entrant brings a little Apple to the mix -- the Iris browser, from Torch Mobile, is based on WebKit, the same KHTML-derived rendering engine in Safari. We won't know how it compares to the iPhone's Mobile Safari until we get a chance to play with it, of course, but with support for touch, rotation, tabbed browsing and multiple windows, a customizable interface, and Netscape plugins, it's safe to say that we'll be keeping an eye on this one. If you're feeling brave, the preview release is available just beyond the read link.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kyle @ Feb 11th 2008 2:33PM
Just installed it, not loving it. Definitely gonna wait until it gets to a more polished state. In the mean time sticking with my other beta browser Skyfire. The only thing I am certainly not using is Pocket Internet explorer.
pdaWAITING @ Feb 11th 2008 3:01PM
i submitted a request to get the skyfire beta but haven't heard anything. when did you get it? can you send me a beta code or something so i can get the jump too?
patsy @ Feb 11th 2008 4:13PM
You dog, when/how it you get it?! The rest of us signed up for the "private" beta and never heard back...
Kyle @ Feb 11th 2008 5:01PM
You know, Im not sure if the company liked me or what because I got the link last Friday night, before engadget mobile had even posted that people were starting to get the betas. I wish I could send everyone a copy of the cab file, but it initially makes you register based on e-mail and mobile telephone number. So short of me sending along my e-mail, telephone number, and commonly used password Its pretty much locked down.
That being said when you do get it its pretty much everything that it is chocked up to be. I didn't quite realize that I was one of the few lucky ones to receive it. That being said I was contemplating posting up a great video of it in use. The zoom is fast, the loading is faster then safari over edge, and beautiful over 3g (HSDPA) I am testing this on a Tytn II, and the ability to stream youtube or any other flash animations is spectacular. This is really the browser to get excited about.
pdaWAITING @ Feb 12th 2008 10:50AM
kyle, i would love to see another video of skyfire in action if you can get to it.
Pete @ Feb 11th 2008 2:39PM
Yep, not even close to ready for prime time. Buggy, slow, and frequent crashes. I know its just a preview, but I don't know why the company would want to show off something that only shows flaws. Access Netfront 3.5 http://www.access-company.com/products/netfrontmobile/browser/index.html puts a much better foot forward though it, too, is also not ready for prime time. I can't wait for Opera Mobile 9.x
Franky G @ Feb 11th 2008 3:15PM
I just tried it on my SCH-i760 and it didn't even work. Disappointed, I eagerly await skyfire and opera's new released.
slamEVIL @ Feb 11th 2008 3:20PM
i agree with you all. slow and buggy. and i too haven't received my skyfire sms yet. ;_;
Tush @ Feb 11th 2008 5:37PM
Pete,
I'm liking the netfront 3.5 beta. The menus are a bit confusing and there are a few things I'd change about the layout but otherwise it seems pretty nice.