Chrome vs Firefox: A Review on mobile browsers

By Dale G. Israel

In a fast pace world, everyone is going mobile. And in the mobile world, every application on your smartphone is claiming to be better than the other. Two of the most popular PC web browsers are also bringing their competiton on the growing mobile platform specifically that of the Android operating system.

Firefox for Android and Chrome for Mobile are actually optional web browsers. You don't actually need them because smartphones have their own built-in internet browser application. But most built-in web browsers on your smartphone are boring. Installing these two applications are giving you more features and sometimes even faster internet browsing experience compared to the built-in ones.

Which one is better than the other? Firefox or Chrome? Actually, it depends on the type of usage and the website you want to view on your mobile. I have tested using both of the browsers on an ordinary Android tablet like the one I have—a Huawei Mediapad (running on Ice Cream Sandwhich version of Android Operating System) 

Speed

Sadly, both Firefox and Chrome have crashed several times on my tablet when I tried to open sophisticated websites. They crashed for reasons I do not really know. That initially levels the playing field of sort.  Most of their features are actually available on both except for a few exceptions.

For an ordinary user like me, both browser offers better speed than the built-in web browser on my tablet. Which is faster? Chrome is faster by about two seconds during a test I made in loading a favorite movie streaming site.  More or less, the difference is negligible so neither of the browsers are exceptional. 

Playing videos

One noticeable advantage of Firefox for Android over Chrome for Mobile is the ability to play flash videos. Flash are the type of files that make you view videos on the Internet since these are very light and does not consume time when you have slow connection. Sites like Youtube, Ustream, and other legal and illegal movie streaming sites uses flash videos.

Android OS no longer have updates on Adobe Flash but when you download an old version of the Flash app on Google Play, you still can play flash videos on your smartphone—in my case my Tablet. This however do not work on Chrome.

I have tried to look in Google for add-ons for Chrome that will allow playing flash videos but there are none. Chrome is owned by Google, by the way. On the other hand, the open-source Firefox simply tapped on the separate flash application I installed on my tablet in order for it to play flash videos on the browser.

There were comments on the web that Chrome and Google is trying to veer away from depending on Adobe Flash as they are trying to develop video playing via HTML 5 format. TRANSLATION: it may take a long time before Chrome for Mobile users that uses Android Ice Cream Sandwhich will be able to view videos on the browser.

With Chrome, you will have to play flash videos via separate apps from the websites themselves like that of the Youtube app, Ustream app, among others.

Basically, the edge of Firefox is the growing number of add-ons that are available in its open-source market. There is almost everything there for all user's need. Just Google it and you'll find out. Read user's comments though before installing.

The Look

Chrome definitely has a more simpler and user-friendly design compared to Firefox. If I am not the techy type, I would prefer using Chrome for Mobile than its counterpart. For one, tabs on the Chrome are easier to switch compared to Firefox. Aesthetically though, Firefox is more attractive because of the way its tabs are artistically shaped like folders with soft edges. The tabs however are hidden and you need to click the upper right of the browser to view them. In Chrome, the tabs are simple stacked side by side above the URL box—basically the same thing you see on your Chrome browser if you have one on your PC.

While Chrome stacks the visible tabs on top, Firefox has the advantage of allowing the user to have a bigger view of the website.

Privacy Settings

Both web browsers offer the “incognito” mode. This is the ability of a browser to automatically erase the traces of the websites you are viewing. Actually, it does not keep the list of websites you have visited. This means that when your done using your tablet, other people who will borrow your unit cannot check which sites have you been loitering around the entire day. For desktop PC, this mode is important also that your boss will not know the websites you are

Chrome and Firefox also offers the ability to syncronize the browsing contents on your mobile phone, tablet, and desktop PC. This means that whatever you are doing on your desktop using your firefox or chrome browser can be continued to your mobile if you need to be out of the office. It is a cool concept though I tested it only once because I haven't actually found a need for such feature with the kind of work I am doing right now.

While the two may be more or less the same. But until Chrome can fix the problem on playing flash videos, an ordinary user like me would still prefer Firefox. Flash is a necessity for most users in the mobile world. Who in the world that has a smartphone or tablet who have not tried viewing photos, movies, home-made videos on these gadgets?

Firefox and Chrome is just however two of the more popular browsers. There are however rising stars like Opera, Dolphin, and UC browsers that are also worth trying on. We'll find time to test those versions soon.

(My raw version of my story previously published  at Cebu Daily News on May 9, 2012; putting it up in my blog as some points here may still be useful as this was not published online back then. --Dale)