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Chrome beta update introduces a more responsive mobile browser

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Google has a new update for the beta channel of their Chrome browser that does away with a lingering drag on mobile browsers. Up until now, browsers for mobile devices have included an artificial 300ms delay to account for the familiar double-tap-to-zoom gesture. With an increase in the number of sites tailored to mobile, Google sees no reason to keep folks waiting.

If 300ms doesn’t sound like that big of a deal, watch the video demonstration above. That’s a pretty impressive improvement.

[via HTML5Rocks]

Kevin Krause
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26 Comments

  1. looking out for update now..I have been trying out other browsers, Firefox,dolphin,opera… and they all seem the same to me…

    1. The latest Dolphin beta is really fast. I would think it’ll release soon. I stick with Dolphin for a few features. With Dolphin I can set it to desktop and it’ll pull desktop sites until I change it. I also like that I can have links open in a new tab, and I can choose whether they open in the foreground or background.

      1. I love Dolphin becuase it’s closest to a Desktop browser. You can install add-ons and plugins, and you have the option to always go in desktop mode, like you said. If Chrome adds those features then I will switch, since I use Chrome on all my PCs.

        1. Another thing I like about Dolphin is that you can select the directory you want to download a file to instead of having to download it to the Download directory and then move it where you want it to be.

          1. Yep! I have an S4 so I have mine set to download on my SD Card

      2. Thanks for pointing that stuff out. I do have Dolphin installed on my phone but set everything by default to open up in Chrome. LinkedIn for example is a PAIN THE ASS to get to open as the desktop version on Chrome for Android so I will give this a shot on Dolphin and see if it works better.

  2. give me more speed!! :D

  3. I don’t get why the person doing the demonstration had to take their hand away each time

    1. Yeah the slow one would still work with the same speed of taps, it just wouldn’t registered them quite as fast, making that video comparison not quite so different…

    2. Yeah I wish that website URL was public so someone could do a rebuttal test! It doesn’t show the actual time difference but it does illustrate the upgrade.

      Plus… lots of people wait for the action to register before attempting another action. I usually do this (though don’t pull my hand away) because I have the cynical opinion that most things are buggy.

  4. It’s still worthless without word wrap.

  5. Whats the real difference between the regular Chrome browser on my phone and the Chrome Beta. I know Beta means experimental or testing. So is Beta eventually going to be rolled into the main Chrome browser ?

    1. Dumbest question of 2013!

      1. For someone that keeps commenting how theyre gonna stop coming here for Android news you seem to be finding it hard to leave. If you dont like the site, thats fine, dont take out your prepubescent frustration on me, Im not the one dude.

      2. I am sorry that you feel so little of yourself that you seek to feel like an internet tough guy.

      3. How dare you say that you nasty rascal.

    2. Beta features only make it to the stable channel after they’ve been stabilized. For this reason I prefer Chrome Beta, you always get the latest features first, and rarely if ever do I notice a bug.

      1. where do you get beta? i only see chrome in playstore….

        1. Try this link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.chrome.beta. Says it’s only for Android 4.0 and up in case that matters to you.

    3. If by that you mean they will stop offering the Chrome Beta due to it being incorporated into the regular Chrome for Android, then no. The Chrome Beta is basically a public testing platform. It allows consumers to experience features that Google is experimenting with for use in the stable version of Chrome should that wish to try them out at the expense of stability. Though like Scott said, I’ve rarely ever seen a bug with the Beta.

      1. Oh ok, well thanks for the answer. I was wondering if they would just roll it in. But it being a testing platform makes sense and its good that they roll the good features in while keeping the beta active.

        1. They do incorporate components of the Beta in a sense…just after those components have been properly tested. (and debugged if need be)

  6. Impressive!

  7. Why do people have to be so sensitive here

  8. Does this remove the ability to double-tap-to-zoom all together? One of my favorite features is the ability to double-tap and slide my finger to adjust zoom level. I have limited use of my fingers so pinch-to-zoom is very cumbersome and often not possible for me.

    1. No. The delay has only been removed on websites that didn’t allow zooming anyway.

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