A
"stock browser" refers to the default web browser that comes pre-installed on a device, such as a smartphone or computer. It is the browser that is provided with the operating system and is typically not customizable or replaceable.
Full definition
The Android ICS 4.0.4 update for Galaxy S GT - I9000 comes packed with a lot of improvements and new features (oh look at the elephant in the room), like better performance, the Sony Bravia Engine for a more vivid visual experience, multitasking similar to the Windows Phone 7, Face Unlock,
enhanced stock browser and many others.
Depending on your OEM, the default browser might be called Samsung Internet, HTC Internet, Silk Browser by Amazon, ASUS Browser, or Google Chrome — there's just so
many stock browsers available.
The Android ICS 4.0.4 update for Galaxy S GT - I9000 comes packed with a lot of improvements and new features (oh look at the elephant in the room), like better performance, the Sony Bravia Engine for a more vivid visual experience, multitasking similar to the Windows Phone 7, Face Unlock,
enhanced stock browser and many others.
You'll also find a tweaked lock screen that offers quick access to the camera app and a
new stock browser that's far better than the one found on Gingerbread (although with Android 4.0 comes compatibility with Chrome, which essentially renders the stock Android browser obsolete).
However,
the stock browser doesn't offer the same interface as phones, either.
Silk web browser is more advanced than Nook's
stock browser and uses Amazon's servers to achieve faster loading times.
I used the official update to ICS a bout a week: battery life seems a bit lower than GB, but UI is more fluid, and most of all
the stock browser go to light speed, and also you have all the features of ICS (new multitasking, face unlock, Chrome, Etc)!
By hacking the Nook Color you can install much more versatile web browsers than
the stock browser it comes with.
The first video shows the rooted Nook Touch in action running various Android apps, including several ereading apps like Aldiko, Kindle, and Kobo, as well as the Opera web browser, which works much better than
the stock browser.
And as far as playing those videos go, they performed smoothly inside
the stock browser, even when playing the content in high definition.
Stock browser, Firefox, and I think Opera has flash working.
Stock browser and Dolphin HD work fine, but pinch zoom does not work with Dolphin.
Chrome isn't limited to Android 4.1, but as we said, for Nexus 7 owners, this will be
your stock browser.
In our tests,
the stock browser downloaded pages quickly and rendered them accurately.
A run through the SunSpider Javascript bench resulted in a score of 2226ms using
the stock browser (1380ms with Chrome), which is a way behind the new iPad but solid among Android devices.
The stock browser now includes Flash support and things perform reasonably well, but there was some noticeable lag at times when playing videos or scrolling about on pages with animations.
Opera Mobile sounds like it is providing a better internet experience than
the stock browser.
But, while everything is generally left as Google intended — bar some different fonts —
the stock browser however has a neat little addition in the form of a reading mode.
It fixed the issues I was having with
the stock browser, but I was still disappointed with the speed of internet browsing.
According to the reports, the update also increases stability and you may notice the tablet boots faster and
the stock browser renders pages quicker (noticeably) and the Wi - Fi connects much faster when coming out of sleep after.
I used the Dolphin browser when
the stock browser started messing up.
Works fine in JB, but only on
the stock browser and a couple of others, like Firefox.
The stock browser looks and feels pretty much like Chrome, which is nothing too surprising.
The slate comes with
a stock browser app, which features an interesting grid like design, that lets you see thumbnail like previews for all your open tabs.
If you're using
the stock browser that came preinstalled on your phone or tablet, the problem with these is that they don't generally receive updates until your entire phone gets a firmware update.
There aren't many, but you can choose from
the stock browser, Google +, messaging, and a few others.
Chrome isn't limited to Android 4.1, but as we said, for Nexus 7 owners, this will be
your stock browser.
For browsing the Web, the Zenfone 5 has pre-installed Google Chrome browser and
a stock Browser.
That being said, you'll encounter little slowdown when browsing the internet via Google Chrome or
the stock browser on the Liquid Jade S. Webpages load up in a flash and swiping through multiple tabs is a fluid affair.
Typing in
the stock browser, or in any other app for that matter, is swift using either of the two pre-installed keyboards.
Prime examples include Google Chrome and Photos, which are far more refined and feature - full than
the stock browser and gallery apps.
Being able to save webpages for offline viewing is certainly a useful feature of
the stock browser; although it's not one that would persuade me to switch from Chrome, as I prefer the integration with Google's ecosystem.
The only lag I encountered was using
the stock browser and that seemed to be far less of an issue after I installed Chrome.
That said, everything could be installed without an issue, which is just as well because
the stock browser feels horribly slow.