RIM soon launching a new web browser (WebKit) for BlackBerry

Will this new BlackBerry web browser compete against the browser found on the Apple iPhone?  How about Opera Mobile or Skyfire?

Research In Motion Ltd., maker of the BlackBerry phone, unveiled an overhauled Internet browser for its devices today to attract more non-business customers.

You can read about the details at BusinessWeek.

I wish I could be at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, Spain. 

Are you waiting for Windows Mobile 6.5?

If you're using a Windows Phone that's running Windows Mobile 6.1, are you waiting to upgrade/update to 6.5? I've used 6.5 and I wasn't really that impressed. I think HTC and Samsung have both provided custom interfaces that improve touch-based input and navigation, so the update to 6.5 probably won't add much. The improved Pocket Internet Explorer (or Internet Explorer Mobile) won't compare against Opera Mobile 10 or Skyfire 1.5. So at the end of the day, maybe you're like me. I know that my HTC Touch Pro2 will eventually get an update to Windows Mobile 6.5, but I'm not anxiously waiting for it.

Skyfire 1.5 is great!

The latest version of Skyfire (1.5) is a great mobile browser for Windows Mobile. You get full-screen functionality plus FLASH support. I've been using Skyfire for a while and I have to say that version 1.5 is the best version yet. In the past, the images used to appear distorted as they passed through a proxy server. Now, the images are much better (thanks for changing that Skyfire!). You can get it by directing your mobile browser to m.skyfire.com

So, now I'm mainly using Skyfire 1.5 and Opera Mobile 10 beta on my HTC Touch Pro2.

Very impressed by Opera Mobile 10 so far

I haven't spent a lot of time testing the new Opera Mobile 10 (beta), but I'm very impressed by the results so far. I'm testing this beta software on my HTC Touch Pro2 running Windows Mobile 6.1 and it's far better than Opera Mobile 9.5 or 9.7. If it supported Adobe Flash, then it would be a true winner. Over the next several days, I hope to spend more time testing this new mobile browser and comparing it against others such as Skyfire.

Refreshed Internet Explorer Mobile (Pocket Internet Explorer)

Pocket Internet Explorer (Pocket IE) should really be called Internet Explorer Mobile or IE Mobile. I'm still in the habit of calling it Pocket IE (that's how long I've been using Windows Mobile)

The refreshed version of IE Mobile in Windows Mobile 6.5 is a considerable improvement than the browser found in 6.1, but I still prefer using either Skyfire or Opera Mobile. I'm eager to see Firefox Mobile (Fennec) when the final release gets out there. The refreshed version of IE Mobile allows you to zoom in and out of web pages much more effectively. Since the majority of Windows Phones use resistive touch screens (passive) as opposed to capacitive touch screens, we won't see any multi-touch gestures that allow you to zoom in and out by pinching or spreading your fingers in the current generation of Windows Phones.

So, if the one major benefit of upgrading from Windows Mobile 6.1 to 6.5 is to get the newer, more functional IE Mobile. Is that a real benefit if you're already using Skyfire or Opera Mobile?

HTC Touch Pro2 (Verizon): initial impressions from day 1

I got my HTC Touch Pro2 (HTC Rhodium - CDMA version) from Verizon Wireless today. Here are some of my initial thoughts after using it for a few hours:

• What? No LED flash for the camera? (I need a flashlight!)
  
• This thing is HUGE! (of course, the screen is 3.6" and I'm used to the old Windows Mobile smartphones that had 2.8" screens). Actually, the phone isn't that big. It's just taller than most.
  
• I love the big screen. The 480x800 resolution can be good and bad. This may cause some problems with some software.
  
• My TomTom navigator software doesn't work (must be the display setting)
• I don't really need a world phone...
• This thing is fast, even with TouchFLO 3D
• Love the chiclet keyboard (think of Chiclets gum)
• Thin and wimpy stylus, but who needs it?
• Very finger-touch friendly (thanks to TouchFLO 3D)
• I wish it had a 4-way directional pad (or D-pad)
  
• Great sound and speaker phone quality
• Love the tilting screen when I have it on my desk.
  
• Thank you for staying with a mini-USB connector. I can use all my old USB cables and chargers!
  
• Opera is very stable (no crashes, although I mainly use Skyfire)
• Can't wait to load a custom ROM
  

When I set the HTC Touch Pro2 next to an Apple iPhone, the screen sizes look very similar. The height and width are also very similar. However, the iPhone is much thinner. My old HTC XV6800 (HTC Titan) seems small compared to the Touch Pro2 (it's actually shorter, but thicker). For the last few days, I've been using the XV6900 (HTC Touch/Vogue) and that phone is tiny.

So, my overall impressions are a bit mixed. I think this is one of the best smartphones that Verizon has ever carried. If I could change a few things on this device, I would add some type of compatibility mode to change the screen resolution so that older software will run on it. I'd also bring back the LED flash (I used that all the time as a flashlight). The hardware keyboard adds bulk to this device, so that's unavoidable unless you get a different phone that lacks the keyboard. 

Consumer trends with smartphones

Have you noticed that more people seem to be using smartphones these days? The days of the feature phone may be shortening. Some smartphones are very easy to use and so more consumers are gravitating towards them, even if they don't need Internet access on a mobile device. Soon, the term "smartphone" will evolve to mean different things.

For instance, some phones out there have a QWERTY keyboard and they run a very basic operating system. Users can check their e-mail, send SMS (Short Message Service) - also known as "texting," and may even browse the web on a rudimentary web browser. You're not going to see Skyfire on these devices. These phones don't run Windows Mobile, webOS, Android, BlackBerry, iPhone, or any other sophisticated OS. Instead, they are clean and simple. They attract millions of users who want a simple phone but who are also willing to check their e-mail on them.

Soon, these users will eventually migrate to a smartphone that runs a standard OS. Before we know it, everyone will have a smartphone instead of the traditional feature phone that we used to have. The big factor that's hindering most consumers right now is this: the price of a data plan. Once that comes down, then everyone will have a data plan. Remember when high-speed Internet was really expensive? Now, you can hardly find someone who uses dial-up. 

Testing Windows Mobile 6.5 Build 23017

I've been testing Windows Mobile 6.5 for the last week on my Verizon Wireless smartphone. It's an older phone made by HTC and it's branded as the XV6800, but it's really an HTC Titan. I wasn't expecting stellar results because of the relatively slow processor and limited RAM, but I have to admit that it runs quite efficiently. It's a bit slower compared to Windows Mobile 6.1, but I really like some of the new features. I'm currently testing Build 23017 and I'd like to thank the guys at PPCGeeks.com for providing custom ROMs for the XV6800. Build 23022 is out, but it's not ready for mass testing yet.

Some of the nice features found in Windows Mobile 6.5 include:

• Larger menus for finger touch-friendly navigation (forget using that stylus pen)
  
• Improved "Today" screen for better finger-touch navigation options
  
• Touch-friendly icons in the "Start" menu. The actual menu is gone and you're left with icons. This reminds me of the original Palm OS in some ways. Most smartphone operating systems use this type of icon placement and don't use a traditional "Start" menu (or cascading menu).
  
• Panning improvements for finger-touch scrolling
  
• Better Pocket Internet Explorer (I still prefer the Skyfire mobile web browser). You'll see zooming capabilities and other performance improvements.
  

Since my old XV6800 isn't considered a phone capable of technically running Windows Mobile 6.5, these tests will be limited. However, I do plan to upgrade my phone and I anticipate that my next smartphone will be better suited to run Windows Mobile 6.5. By the way, I'm also using the built-in GPS on the XV6800 and I'm getting a fast satellite lock within a matter of seconds. Once I upgrade my phone, I'll be using this XV6800 as a standalone GPS navigation unit.

Opera Mobile 9.7 for Windows Mobile

Opera has updated its smartphone browser for Windows Mobile devices. Beta version 9.7 is now available for Opera Mobile (not to be confused with Opera Mini).

I've been testing Opera Mobile for several months and I frequently get "out of memory" alerts that shut down the browser. It seems like it would be a great browser for smartphones that have enough memory and horsepower to handle it smoothly. Unfortunately, my outdated HTC phone just can't handle it so I'm left running either Skyfire or Pocket Internet Explorer.

Using an Extended Battery

Do you use an extended battery on your smartphone? I've been using one on my HTC Windows Mobile phone for the last few weeks and it's been great having the extra capacity. My wife currently uses a Samsung smartphone running Windows Mobile and she hasn't needed an extended battery because she doesn't do a whole lot of e-mail or browsing on her smartphone. I don't have to worry about the battery dying if I do some heavy browsing on Skyfire or tweet using Twobile or PockeTwit.

Skyfire is No Longer Beta

Skyfire for Windows Mobile is no longer in beta mode. You can get version 1.0 of this powerful browser by pointing your mobile browser to: get.skyfire.com

Skyfire is currently my "default" browser on my Windows Mobile smartphone. It is capable of displaying Flash content (including video) and has some great zooming capabilities. I had no problems viewing this video using my smartphone: MIT: The Future of Science Journalism

SkyFire 0.9 Now Available for Windows Mobile

I've been using SkyFire for several months now and it's a solid browser for my XV6800. Version 0.9 is now available as a free download. It's still not mobile Safari on an iPhone, but it's one of the better mobile browsers for Windows Mobile. It's not as fast as Opera Mini running on a Java Virtual Machine, but it's capable of displaying Flash content.

To get it, type: http://get.skyfire.com into your mobile browser and download the CAB file.

Iris Browser Update

The Torch Mobile Iris Browser has been updated again. It's a good mobile browser for my XV6800 Windows Mobile PDA/Smartphone, but I occasionally get an "out of memory" error if I visit busy web pages. Like many other mobile browsers, you can zoom in and out very easily and scan pages quickly. I've also been playing around with Opera Mobile, Opera Mini, Skyfire, and Pocket Internet Explorer. Proxy servers speed things up if they're configured properly.

Prevent Opera Mini from Freezing in Windows Mobile

I've been testing Opera Mini on my Windows Mobile device and I was pleased by the speed and performance, but I noticed that it would freeze up occasionally. My entire device would crash and I'd have to reset the phone. I decided to change the Network Protocol from Socket to HTTP. Now, I have yet to experience a freeze or a crash. Opera Mini 4.2 has become my favorite mobile browser on my XV6800 (HTC Titan, Sprint Mogul) Pocket PC because it's so much faster than Skyfire, Opera Mobile, Iris, or Pocket Internet Explorer. So, if you use your mobile device to browse medical websites and participate in CME activities, I would urge you to try Opera Mini. You won't get any "out of memory" messages and if you switch your Network Protocol, you shouldn't get any frustrating freeze-ups. Caveat: you won't get Flash content on Opera Mini.

Iris Browser v1.1.2

The Iris Browser (by Torch Mobile) has been updated to v1.1.2

It may not be mobile Safari, but it's a really nice browser for Windows Mobile. I also use Skyfire, Opera Mobile, and Opera Mini. I'm still waiting on mobile Firefox (I haven't tried the sub-beta alpha test version because of reports that it's so slow). My experience so far with the new and improved version of Pocket Internet Explorer has been quite positive on my XV6800. I'm running Windows Mobile 6.1 and I don't think my device can handle 6.5 so that's somewhat disappointing.
At least I should be able to find a good mobile browser that will work on my device.

Improvements to Skyfire

If you use a Windows Mobile device, I hope you've tried Skyfire. It's probably one of the best mobile browsers currently available. I think it beats Pocket Internet Explorer, Opera, and Iris. I say this because you rarely run into a "out of memory" error using Skyfire (although you may not get this problem if you use a different phone. I've only tried it on my XV6800).

Skyfire is still in beta, but the most recent version adds social networking Web 2.0 features.

Skyfire Browser Beta 0.8

Skyfire has to be one of the best mobile browsers for Windows Mobile. It's currently available as beta version 0.8, but it's now open to the public. Once the final version is released, it may be the best mobile browser out there.

I've played around with Opera Mobile and Opera Mini. Both browsers are excellent but they also have some limitations. Opera Mobile was crashing on my XV6800 and I was frequently getting "low memory" messages. Maybe Opera will fix these bugs in their final release.

Skyfire is great because it's fast and allows you to view Flash. You can customize the zoom very easily and if you need a mouse pointer, it's there.

Skyfire

So far, Skyfire seems to be the best mobile browser for my Verizon XV6800. Since Skyfire isn't publicly available for anyone to download, you have to sign up for their private beta testing program. One of the best features of Skyfire is that you can easily select your zooming area. You can just tap and drag the edge of the zoom box to fit your screen. The other great feature is the built-in Flash player.

Still testing and comparing with the other mobile browsers, but so far Skyfire seems to be the best one.

Best Mobile Browser for Windows Mobile?

What is the best mobile browser for the XV6800 running Windows Mobile? I've been testing a few different ones, including Skyfire, Opera, and Minimo. My experience so far is that Skyfire is the best one. However, I plan to do some more testing, so stay tuned...