The world of Android is a true browser wonderland. Dolphin, Skyfire, Firefox, Opera…the number of excellent browsers is through the roof. Every Android user has a huge selection of different browser options with a wide array of features and functions. Over time, I’ve switched from the default Android browser to Opera to Dolphin to Firefox and back again. Ever since I’ve acquired the Nexus One, the Dolphin Browser HD has become my browser of choice due to its excellent performance and speed.
With the number of reliable browsers available, what’s the point in switching to Miren?
Miren is the fourth browser that I’ve tested for AndroidPIT. (Check out the reviews for Skyfire, Dolphin and xScope). From the very get-go, I can tell you that Miren isone of the better browsers in the Android constellation. When reviewing a browser, the most important things to look at are:
- Functions and Personalization: Number of options and functions as well as other things such as add-ons, themes and skins.
- User Friendliness: Looks and layout of the user interface
- Performance: How quickly pages load, RAM use and smooth transitions.
Functions and Personalization
After start-up, Miren allows you to import all bookmarks. Just go to the Bookmark Folder, press Menu and select Import Bookmarks. This works with any bookmarks stored as a single HTML file. And that takes care of the whole problem once and for all.
When adding new bookmarks, you can add them to the Quick Access folder. Bookmarks in this folders are displayed automatically every time you open a new tab. The Miren Browser has no problem displaying flash content and imitating Google Chrome. And although Miren does not support gesture search, it still does a great job in terms of controls. Unlike other browsers, Miren allows you to switch between pages and tabs using the volume buttons on your device. Every time you click a link you are given the choice to open the page in a new tab. In terms of data safety, Miren includes all the usual settings (clear history/cache/cookies and auto-fill, save passwords and forms, turn geolocation on/off). There is only one important option missing: surfing without storing the browsing history. Otherwise, Miren does a good job of automatically backing up your browser data (options, bookmarks etc.). Unfortunately, Miren doesn’t include any add-ons like Firefox 4 and Dolphin Browser HD.
All in all Miren doesn’t deserve the highest possible score in terms of Functions and Personalization. For those of you that don’t care for add-ons and gesture search, Miren remains a viable option.
Controls
As with any kind of app, good controls are an essential component of mobile browsers. The most important criteria for evaluating an app should be its features rather than its design. Looking good may be a plus, but the app’s performance is what’s at stake at the end of the day. Miren does a good job of striking a balance between functionality and beautiful design. Every time you open a new tab, you can select a site from one of the eight quick access sites. Underneath them you’ll see the top sites, favorites, history RSS feeds and downloads. The weird thing is that adding a favorite site and creating a bookmark is one and the same. It’s beyond my comprehension why there are two different terms for exactly the same thing.
As with most modern browsers, Miren Browser suggests sites and search terms as you type in the search or address bar. For some odd reason, there is a separate search and address bar even though both can predict your searches. You can set Bing, Google or Yahoo as your default search engine.
Otherwise, Miren deserves a great deal of praise as far as the interface is concerned. Under the tabs at the top, you’ll find the address bar with reload and stop loading buttons. Tap the star next to the address bar to add a site to you favorites (aka bookmarks). Unfortunately, there isn’t a button to set a site as your home page.
Unlike in Dolphin Browser HD, Miren doesn’t allow you to access your bookmarks with a simple swipe to the right. On the bright side, however, Miren lets you go back and forward by swiping horizontally across your screen. The animations are amazing and make switching between websites as easy as browsing photos in your gallery. The great thing is that the websites remain fully loaded meaning that you won’t have to wait for pages to reload when switching between them. Spectacular!
Miren performs well in terms of controls, but isn’t exactly perfect. Some functions are redundant and should be condensed into one. Other functions are amazing and truly innovative.
Bottom Line:
Miren Browser includes a ton of useful functions and a pleasant interface, but is in need of a couple of minor improvements. Despite being a tad slower than Dolphin Browser, the difference is hardly noticeable.
Kevin B.
Like the browser in general, but when I open Facebook, it never gets to my account - just displays 'loading'.
Galaxy S2