Dolphin Browser is a mobile browser for the Android operating system and iOS developed by Mobotap. It was one of the first alternate browsers for the Android platform^[1] that introduced support for multi-touch gestures.^[2] Dolphin HD uses the Webkit engine and the native platform rendering capabilities, which allows for a small disk footprint.^[3] It is capable of running Adobe Flash, but it can have problems with video streaming.^[4]

Features[link]

Gesture Browsing - Users can create custom gestures for individual websites, and Dolphin Browser also comes pre-programmed with Gestures for many popular websites. Ex: Draw a "T" with your finger to visit Twitter.com or an "F" for Facebook.com.^[1] Webzine – Webzine displays web content in a magazine-style format, providing select content from over 300 sources on topics including lifestyle, music, technology, business and many others. Webzine also caches content to be available offline.^[1] Tabbed Browsing – Users can open and switch between web pages with multiple tabs at the top of the screen.^[1]

Versions[link]

Both iOS and Android versions are free without advertising.^[1] There is an advanced version called Dolphin Browser HD for Android 2.0 or later.^[4][5]

Privacy concerns[link]

In October 2011, privacy concerns were raised about Dolphin browser after it was discovered that all URLs loaded in Dolphin HD were being relayed as plain text to a remote server,^[6] a process described by Ars Technica as 'an unambiguous breach of privacy'.^[7] This breach was patched in the next update.^[8]

Reception[link]

Since its initial release for Android, Dolphin has received generally positive reviews from both the media and the public.^[9] Both the Android and iOS versions have been particularly lauded for their gesture-based functionality, speed and ease-of-use.^[10] Business Insider claims “Dolphin Browser blows Safari out of the water.” ^[11]

As of November 15, 2011 Dolphin Browser iOS has maintained a 5 star rating across more than 6,500 reviews in the App Store.^[12] Dolphin Browser HD for Android has over 250,000 5 star reviews in the Android Market.^[13][14]

Awards[link]

Since its launch, Dolphin Browser has received several notable awards. The app was named one of PC Magazine’s Best Free iPhone and iPad Apps of 2011,^[15] was an Editors Choice at PC Magazine^[16] and was named to the CNet 100.^[17]

In November, 2011, The Street’s Tamara Chuang described Dolphin as a better alternative to Android’s Built-in Apps.^[18]

Dolphin is included in the top startups to watch in 2012 according to Networkworld^[19] and Appolicious^[20]

References[link]

External links[link]

• Dolphin Browser HD on the Android Market