Web Page Compatibility
Rendering a page in two blinks of an eye doesn’t mean a thing if it gets all jumbled up along the way. Of course, going through and trying out every single website in existence on the internet would have taken use ages, so we opted to use several internet standards tests, namely the Acid 2 Test, Acid 3 Test, and HTML5 Feature Test. We also threw in a basic Flash compatibility test (these aren’t iPhone browsers after all).
| Web Page Compatibility | Acid 2 Test | Acid 3 Test | HTML5 Rating (450 Max) | Flash Compatible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Default | Fail | 95% | 177 | Yes |
| Dolphin HD | Fail | 95% | 177 | Yes |
| Opera Mobile | Fail | Pass 100% | 269 | Yes |
| Firefox | Fail (renders correct until moved) | Feature Pass/Render Fail | 313 | No |
| Dolphin Mini | Fail | 95% | 177 | Yes |
| Opera Mini | Epic Fail | Epic Fail | 35 | No |
| Skyfire | Fail | 95% | 211 | Yes |
The results are actually somewhat surprising. Absolutely all of the browsers failed the Acid 2 test. This is likely due to the limitations of a mobile environment (errors introduced by screen size and reflow of the layout). In fact, apart from Opera Mini and Firefox, all of the browsers rendered the Acid 2 test exactly the same. Firefox was just a tiny bit closer to getting it right, and well, Opera Mini just presented a sloppy mess.
The Acid 3 test also rendered identically on the majority of the browsers. On an interesting note, Opera Mobile was the only one to pass fully, while Opera Mini didn’t even come close. Firefox completed the test but didn’t get the render exactly right (again, likely due to reflow and screen size limitations).
The HTML5 results are fairly straightforward. The test is out of a maximum of 450 points. Firefox and Opera Mobile are clearly focused on HTML5 compatibility, and will likely be your best bet for rendering pages correctly.
Those compatible with Flash can make use of the Adobe Flash Player download available in the Android Marketplace. It’s important to note that Firefox is expected to support Flash in its next major revision.
