A new report from Fixya shows Safari is the most usable of all mobile browsers. The iOS based mobile browser had a usability score of 1.31, tromping the stock Android browser, Opera, Google Chrome, and Internet Explorer.
CNET:
The scores were assigned based on the number of problems reported on Fixya along with market share data from NetMarketShare. The fewer “problem impressions” given to each browser, the higher the score.
“With more and more people doing the majority of their browsing on their smart devices, especially in mobile-first countries where people are doing almost all of their browsing this way, it’s important to compare these browsers to find how exactly they stack up against each other,” Fixya CEO and founder Yaniv Bensadon said in a statement.
Safari’s simple interface, its Reading List feature, and its ability to allow users perform multiple tasks from a single page score in the browser’s favor. Marks against it included its lack of Flash support, its poor video integration, and its limited screen space. (“Lack” of Flash support is NOT a drawback! – Ed.)
Android’s stock browser got kudos for its simple design, Flash friendliness, and quick performance but lost brownie points for random crashes, password issues, and limited overall support.
Google Chrome got thumbs up from users for borrowing major features form the desktop version of the browser, but users complained of trouble with its tabs and fonts.
The mobile version of Internet Explorer got points for its use of screen space and its touch swipe features, but its drawbacks were poor webpage rendering and confusing search engine options.
