CNET Editors' review
Skyfire has arrived at its first full release with a fairly fast and solid mobile browser offering. From a usability standpoint, its streaming video and social bent are Skyfire's strengths. Small, but significant navigation holes are drawbacks in what is an otherwise stable and serious effort.
The Start screen is characterized by a customizable RSS feed. You can sort by filters, and post article links to Facebook and Twitter. Separately, you can upload a new social networking status from the screen. A joint address-search bar sits along the top, leaving plenty of reading space. Video playback is decent in smoothness and quality, though it still sometimes suffers from catches and varying picture quality (this isn't Skyfire's challenge alone.) Panning, zooming, and processing performance are also very competitive. To wit, you're able to begin typing into the search bar before the page has finished loading.
While Skyfire supports Flash and Silverlight plug-ins, it doesn't support those applications that require text entry. It likewise won't work for media players requiring the 'local storage mode,' as do Pandora, Rhapsody, and Netflix. Unlike Opera, it's lacking some niceties that make browsing life easier, like copy and paste, and the capability to search a block of text for a word or phrase. Copy/paste would have been useful for filling in a URL during testing when the URLs for several over-the-air downloads were not linked. There's also no way to cancel a page from loading in Skyfire 1.0 if you've changed your mind. It's not a deal-breaker by any means, but is a slight annoyance nonetheless.
For the most part, these minor drawbacks are the sort that Skyfire can fix in upcoming releases. In the meantime, what it's offered Internet-seekers is a strong contender to Opera Mobile 9.5 beta that's more engaging in terms of a superior video playback solution and also better attuned to newsgathering and sharing on social networks. It's definitely worth a try.
Publisher's Description
From Skyfire:
Skyfire is a free, downloadable mobile browser that gives you a Web browsing experience exactly like PC browsing. Now on your phone you can watch any video, connect with friends, listen to music, shop, and browse the web using the full-featured PC versions of your favorite websites. With Skyfire, mobile browsing just works--speedy page loads, full video, images and audio. Watch any video: YouTube, Hulu, any web video--you name it--it's playing on Skyfire. Skyfire supports full Flash and Windows Media videos, including Flash 10 and Silverlight 2.0.
Stay connected: Follow your friends' Facebook and Twitter updates plus keep track of news, sports, video and other content in your own customizable activity feed.
Browse any page: Browse your favorite websites on Skyfire exactly like you do on your PC. We support all major Web 2.0 standards--Ajax, Javascript, Flash 10--it just works.
Share instantly: Easily share what you find on the web or what you are up to. Post web pages and status updates to Facebook and Twitter, with one click.
Blazing fast: Skyfire fires up fast and Web pages load quickly.
Version 1.1 improves page-load time, improves reconnect, adds WML support, improves mobile-Web site support, adds page up/down navigation via shortcut key, and updates plug-ins like Flash, Silverlight, and QuickTime.
What's new in this version: Version 1.5 includes full VGA and wVGA support, Flash 10 support, Silverlight 1.5 support, UI enhancements, and full-screen mode.
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All versions:
3.3 starsout of 6 votes
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Current version:
3.0 starsout of 3 votes
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My rating:
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Results 1-3 of 3
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"Read the EULA..."
Version: Skyfire for Windows Mobile (Touch Screen) 1.5
Pros
I can probably watch NETFLIX with this and do online banking as well... as long as I don't mind Skyfire catching my passwords.
Cons
Privacy issues. I did not agree to EULA, and uninstalled.
Summary
Like privacy? Skyfire doesn't. In the EULA they tell you this is a server based system, OK. And I know that anything that I put through their software goes through their server. They tell you in the EULA that they can and do monitor your actions.
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"Better than Opera Mini"
Version: Skyfire for Windows Mobile (Touch Screen) 1.5
Pros
Able to play flash video and speed is fast.
Cons
It sometimes doesn't respond well especially for touch screen.
Summary
Good browser with exceptable speed and play flash video from any sites.Just need a little more work especially for touch screen devices.
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"Good layout, responsive to touch, but slow/no multitabs"
Version: Skyfire for Windows Mobile (Touch Screen) 1.5
Pros
Layout clear- just like a "real web page" and zoom good.
Responds better to touch on screen than both Opera and Explorer on my HTC TouchPro2Cons
A bit slower to load compared to Opera.
Lacks a multi-tab facility.Summary
Excellent for one finger browsing as it actually responds (so I don't need to get out the stylus). This feature alone has made it my default browser.
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