Skyfire Browser - App Review

Skyfire Browser
Price: FREE

A few weeks back I reviewed the Opera Mini Browser.  To date this is still my go to browsers for daily use, but Opera Mini has it's limitations. So what if you have a page that just doesn't look right or work correctly?  Time to bring out the big guns, behold the SkyFire Browser.  The feature I like the most about this browser is the fact that it can trick webpages in to thinking it's a desktop computer.  So many times I have been stuck on mobile sites unable to get what I need, switching to SkyFire does the trick.  Scripts also seem to be more compatible with Skyfire compared to Opera Mini, and overall webpages look correct as the layouts seem to transfer better.  Sadly it's strong points are also it's weaknesses, as the fact that it loads the pages exactly as they should be seems to make it extremely slow compared to Opera Minis compressed pages.  Overall I find it a great backup when you need full functionality of the web.

Opera Mini - App Review

App: Opera Mini
Price: Free

Needless to say the browser included with Android leaves something to be desired.  Thankfully there are plenty of others to choose from.  Which brings me to Opera Mini.  Opera interestingly enough was originally developed for windows back in 1996.  It has now been ported to just about anything with a CPU (including the Nintendo DS).  Opera Mini for Android has a very unique design in the fact that all data is exchanged through Opera Software Servers.  Rather then your phone requesting the data directly from the URL you are looking at, instead it is requested by the Opera Server.  This server then compresses the data before passing it along to your phone, reducing bandwidth usage by up to 90%.  This alone makes it a great choice for those with limited bandwidth.  Additional options allow you to reduce image sizes, and even turn off images entirely.



Recent updates to Opera Mini
A new, refreshed interface giving it a sleek, modern appearance. The ever popular pinch zoom and smooth panning let you surf in a natural and intuitive way. You can also share web content with others on popular social networks.

The Pro's of Opera Mini
1. Fast load times
2. Smooth scrolling
3. Tabbed browsing
4. Full screen mode
5. Customizable to improve performance
6. Sleek UI
7. Share Content On Social Networks


The Con's of Opera Mini 
1. Some JavaScript forms are not compatible


Opera Mini - Closing Thoughts
Overall it's a great browser if your looking for something new to try.  It's sleek, fast, and fairly customizable. Plus if you've ever gone over on data usage it should save you a few bucks.