A handful of web browsers are now available in the App Store. While none of them offer the full feature set that Safari on the iPhone already does, each offers something different to streamline or focus the browsing experience. For example, QuickSurf specifically avoids downloading images on web pages to speed up browsing and/or decrease the amount of data used, and WebMate is a tabbed browser that queues up clicked links so you can view them later without leaving the current web page.
While the desktop browser war has always primarily been between Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari, Opera Software has not only their own desktop browser, but a keen focus on mobile browsers. Over 80 percent of their business has been focused on the mobile browser business. So of course it makes sense that when the hottest mobile device in years hits, Opera Software head out to develop a version of Opera mini for the iPhone. Jon Stephenson von Tetzchner, CEO of Opera Software, confirmed that the companies engineers have developed a version of Opera mini for use on the iPhone. According to von Tetschner, Apple will not let the company release it because it "competes with Apple's Safari".
LogOnce Password Manager is now available in beta fashion for the iPhone and iPod touch. With LogOnce, you get password completion with a single click, making it easier to visit sites that require a login (like EIC!).
The soon to be released BlackBerry Bold will soon go head to head with the iPhone 3G next month when it becomes available. It appears RIM has some additional work to do on the browser. While it's much improved over the previous web browser, it still pales in comparison to Safari. When comparing rendering speeds over WiFi, the iPhone 3G outpaces the BlackBerry Bold by a wide margin. Expect RIM to continue to tweak the software before it's official release, that is if it wants to truely compete against the iPhone 3G. The below test was done using WiFi. It would be interesting to see a comparison using AT&T's 3G network.
