Browsers on iOS run with a major disadvantage to Mobile Safari. Not only are they obliged to use Apple’s built-in WebKit rendering engine, but they have to use a slower version of Apple’s speedy Nitro JavaScript engine. The result? If you use any third-party browser on your iPhone or iPad, it will run slower than Safari… at least without a jailbreak.
It’s unfair, but various companies have still made excellent browsers for iOS, including Google Chrome and Opera. Mozilla, though, will not follow these company’s lead, having said at this weekend’s SXSW conference in Austin that Firefox won’t be coming to iOS any time soon.
Google updated its Chrome browser for iOS on Monday to introduce a number of small but helpful features, including quick access to your browsing history, and webpage sharing. But those who updated on jailbroken devices are finding that the app now crashes shortly after starting up, rendering it unusable.
If you’re one of those users, you’ll be pleased to know there is a simple fix. Here’s what you need to do.
Google has released a big update to its official Chrome browser for iOS devices. Chrome 25 comes with two big features: the ability to quickly recall browsing history by tapping and holding the back button, and the option to share webpages natively with the Messages app.
Over the next few days, Google says it will improve web searches in Chrome by displaying results right in the browser’s omnibox. Space will be maximized to display more results as well.
Firefox 19 is now available to download to your Mac, introducing the long-awaited PDF viewer that will allow you to open PDF files within the browser — rather than downloading them to open them in Preview. The release hasn’t yet hit Mozilla’s website, but you can get your hands on it by visiting the company’s servers.
Opera has announced that it will gradually phase out the use of Presto, its own rendering engine, in favor of WebKit this year. It will utilize Chromium, the open source project from Google, which powers the search giant’s speedy Chrome browser. Opera’s first Chromium-based smartphone browser will be previewed at Mobile World Congress later this month.
Cult of Mac’s favorite iOS Twitter client, Tweetbot, has just received a sweet new update that adds link support for 1Password and Chrome, as well as embedded previews for Flickr and Twitter’s new video service, Vine.
There’s a new Android statue on Google’s Mountain View campus today. Made from what appears to be chrome, the little guy is hanging out of Building 45, which is situated opposite the lawn where the other Android statues sit. Its arrival has sparked speculation that Google is ready to release a new version of Android, but according to the company, we’re reading too much into it.
Curious (and completely unresearched) fact: Bike geeks are often photography nerds, too. And so it makes perfect sense that Chrome — the messenger bag company — should put out a camera bag. So if you have been looking for an overprotective, heavy camera backpack with a U-Lock holster, the Niko Camera Pack could be for you.
The popular Dolphin Browser for Android and iOS has been updated today to introduce a number of handy new features. In addition to one-tap sharing to Facebook and Twitter, users can enjoy Evernote clipping, and the ability to sync bookmarks and tabs between Dolphin and their desktop browser.
As we near the end of 2012, Cult of Mac has taken a look back at some of the best iOS apps that have hit the App Store over the last 12 months. There have been some terrific releases this year, and we could have named a hundred that are well worth your hard-earned cash. But we’ve managed to whittle our list down to just ten titles that have really stood out for us this year. Check out our best apps roundup below.
![Our Editor’s Picks For 2012’s Best iOS Apps [Feature]](http://cdn.cultofmac.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/IMG_0091.jpg "IMG_0091")
