Faster than ever: top browsers for weak Android devices

It’s hard to imagine the life of a modern person without a smartphone. Someone chooses flagships and uses their device as a full-fledged multimedia processor, someone chooses budget models without having to run heavy applications. For such devices only the most lightweight programs are needed. In this collection, we have collected the fastest and lightest browsers for the Android operating system.

The fashion for the light version of the applications reached Yandex. The younger version of a rather popular mobile browser is based on the Android System Webview and therefore will not load the smartphone. No heavy engines, only optimized regular means of mobile OS from Google. Among the advantages can be distinguished: low weight of the application (the size of the installation package is less than 1 MB), convenient navigation with the address bar below, and integration with the Yandex.Zen service.

Some users of the mobile version of Mozilla Firefox complain that the application spends unreasonably a lot of resources, significantly reducing performance. The developers decided not only to “facilitate” the browser, but also to equip the new product with a new function, which has become a key one.

The main emphasis is on the privacy of surfing (blocking social trackers, advertising trackers and analytics), as well as maximum simplicity. On the main screen, there is nothing more than a greeting and an address bar. The name Focus is not given to the browser by accident. This minimalism allows you to better concentrate on the displayed content.

Probably, many came across applications from a fairly large Chinese developer Apus. And the applications most likely left behind not very good impressions, since there are too many advertisements in them. However, not all versions of Apus apps are notorious. The Apus browser is designed with emphasis on video playback even at low connection speeds. It has a pretty good appearance, user-friendly interface and high speed even on weak devices. A good optimization of streaming video content is a definite plus, removing some of the load on the device and saving traffic.

Perhaps the most unusual application in this collection. Here, the concept of a full browser has faded into the background. The main function in Flynx is to browse web pages from any application in windowed mode without having to leave the main one.

All control of the application outside the settings screen is carried out using a small interface add-on that works in overlay mode. A small circle displays how many tabs you have opened. Chrome also offers similar functionality, offering to open links directly in the application. However, in order not to lose the open page, in any case, it will have to be transferred to the already open Chrome. And this is not entirely convenient.

Opera’s new browser for use in motion. Convenient one-handed surfing, the Flow mode for exchanging information with the desktop version of the browser, and light weight combined with good performance can serve as an alternative to Chrome, especially on devices with large displays.

Opera conducted a study in which 86% of participants said that they use a smartphone with one hand during any daily activity: on walks, on trips by public transport. Therefore, the developers made the Fast Action Button, which allows you to view all open tabs and quickly jump to the settings page. It greatly facilitates one-handed surfing.

A real old man on the list of browsers for the operating system from Google. He enjoyed great popularity at a time when Flash technology was widespread. These times have passed, but the functionality and speed of work remained. Ease of use is provided by an advanced tab system, gesture control, a personalized home page that studies what content you prefer, and a large selection of various add-ons for more comfortable surfing.

The lightest and fastest browser in this collection is Naked Browser. Almost devoid of the familiar user interface, it is great for weak and old devices, where every ten megabytes of RAM counts. In addition, Naked Browser does not require access to system components such as contacts and SMS. Management is implemented by simple gestures, because the program has practically no interface. For web surfing is fully responsible system WebView. In the settings you can find a lot of useful and interesting.