14 DAY TRIAL // Google is making progress with Chrome for Android, a big project and an important one for the company. Chrome is a major improvement over the stock Android browser, but it is still in beta. The latest release brings the mobile version closer to the desktop one, jumping two major versions since it's based on Chrome 18 rather than Chrome 16.
It's also the first update in more than a month. The new Chrome for Android Beta 0.18.4409.2396 is based on Chrome 18.0.1025.133, a recent stable release though not the latest one.
But the new Chrome for Android comes with more than just updated guts, it comes with several big new features as well. The list reads like a most wanted feature survey.
For one, users can now specify whether they want the mobile version of a site or the desktop one. The feature is important when mobile sites, while better optimized for the small screen, leave out crucial features that the full versions have.
Also new is the ability to add bookmarks to the home screen, making it easier to get to the sites you visit the most or which are the most important to you.
Another feature that should be very welcome is the ability to select apps to open specific links without having to be asked every time you open one. What's more, you can now, finally, download files to the device, something that was not possible before.
Chrome for Android can also use whatever proxy settings you've configured in Android. There's a fix for old YouTube embeds which did not open in the YouTube Android app.
Overall, it's a solid release. The latest mobile Chrome is an important step forward in matching up to the desktop version, but it's also one that better differentiates Chrome for Android as more mobile-specific features are added.
Perhaps more importantly, it's also available in more languages, 31 to be precise, and in pretty much all of the countries where the Google Play Store is available in. It still only works on Android 4.0 devices.