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Mobile Browser Support Notes

Finally, the universe of mobile browsers seems to be stabilizing. While there are many mobile platforms out there—iOS, Android, WebOS, BlackBerry OS, Windows Phone, and Symbian—almost all of them are settling on a single browser display engine. All of those platforms except Windows Phone use the WebKit engine, or will soon.

RIM’s BlackBerry OS platform switches to WebKit with version 6, which will be coming out soon for a number of newer BlackBerry phones, leaving Microsoft Windows Phone as the last major holdout. However, this is still great news for web developers. We basically have to support WebKit and the mobile version of Internet Explorer, rather than a multifaceted hodge-podge of proprietary and non-proprietary mobile browsers. To add even broader support, just add Opera Mini and Firefox Mobile too. Those four cover pretty much everybody.

Anyway, the main reason for this entry: BlackBerry OS 6 and Windows Phone 7 are both coming out very soon on new phones (and, in RIM’s case, for some old ones too). Both platforms have completely new browsers. I’m pleased to announce that Off on a Tangent already works in the default browsers for bothof these platforms, and will be officially supported in them moving forward (in addition to the wide support I already offer for most of the platforms listed above).

Scott Bradford has been putting his opinions on his website since 1995—before most people knew what a website was. He has been a professional web developer in the public- and private-sector for over twenty years. He is an independent constitutional conservative who believes in human rights and limited government, and a Catholic Christian whose beliefs are summarized in the Nicene Creed. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from George Mason University. He loves Pink Floyd and can play the bass guitar . . . sort-of. He’s a husband, pet lover, amateur radio operator, and classic AMC/Jeep enthusiast.