14 DAY TRIAL // Google Chrome has made its big debut on Android. Well, its debut was a few months ago, but it is now stable and even the default browser on upcoming Android 4.1 devices. People that have been using it so far can now update to the stable version.
Granted, Chrome for Android is a bit behind the desktop version. It's more than a bit behind actually, the stable release is Chrome 18.0.1025123 (which could be 18.0.1025.123). Google Chrome 20 was pushed to the stable channel on desktops yesterday.
Still, it's a major milestone and a big deal for Android browsing. The stock Android browser, which didn't even have a name, was based on WebKit, same as Chrome, but it was lacking in several departments, not the least of which was HTML5 support.
Most of the technologies that work in Chrome for desktop work in the Android version, one big exception being WebGL.
If you've been using the beta version so far, you won't notice any big changes. The stable version is a lot more, well, stable and somewhat faster, as these are the areas the team has been focusing on as of late. The UI has gotten some tweaks as well, particularly for tablets Google says.
At this point, Chrome should be as stable and useful as the stock browser, but a lot faster and more functional. Chrome for Android sets the benchmark for Android browsing and mobile browsing in general. Oh, and in case you're wondering, it still only works on Android 4.0 and above.
But it still feels like a second-class citizen compared to the desktop version. Hopefully, now that the stable version is out, the Android team will start catching up to the desktop Chrome and, eventually, put out releases following the same breakneck pace Chrome imposed when it was first launched.