If you’re a fan of Google’s Chrome browser, good news: a beta version of Chrome for Android is now available to try out on your Ice Cream Sandwich-based Android smartphone.
On the desktop, Chrome’s whole raison d’être is speedier browser performance, and that’s the aim on Android devices as well; according to the Google Chrome blog, “You can scroll through web pages as quickly as you can flick your finger.” As you’re searching for content, top results are pre-loaded in the background so they’re ready as soon as you tap on them. (Note: while that’s great for speed, time will tell how good this pre-fetching of content is for your data usage, if your data is metered!)
If you already use Chrome on the desktop, you can configure Chrome for Android to automatically open tabs that you last had open on your desktop browser, and to automatically sync your bookmarks between desktop and smartphone. The smartphone browser will also remember what you’ve been viewing on your computer, and populate the smartphone’s auto-complete with relevant content. Just remember to not be so surprised by strange suggestions in Chrome on your smartphone if you share your desktop computer with more than one person.
You can download Chrome for Android Beta now at the Android Market.
