360 Web Browser Review

The Web browser has been a standard feature included with operating systems for years. Most of them look and act in a similar fashion, with the core behaviors being relatively similar. But the devices have changed, and now the browser is changing along with it. The 360 Web Browser is leading that change.

Digital Poke’s tagline is “proving crazy concepts.” Well, 360 Web Browser truly is a crazy concept, but not only is it crazy, it is also amazing as well. It takes everything you know and love about the standard Web browsing experience and modernizes it for touch-based interfaces.

Comparing it to Apple’s Safari browser on the iPad and iPhone is tricky. With Safari, you get a relatively basic experience — it’ll get you going and where you want to be, sure, but for those who want more control and options to tinker with, Safari isn’t the answer.

This is where 360 Web Browser steps in. It is the battle axe to Safari’s arrow — it is an in-your-face browsing experience that might prove overwhelming for some, but for those who appreciate it, it will quickly become an essential tool for a browsing experience that can’t be had elsewhere.

360 Web Browser

With Safari, you press a few buttons, hit a back button, pull up a menu or two, and there you go; it’s a straightforward interaction. But with 360 Web Broeser, everything comes full circle — the user takes advantage of touch-based gestures to perform browser-specific actions that make a lot of sense for finger-to-glass interactions.

This is where 360 Web Browser’s navigation wheel comes into play (Digital Poke calls it the “arc”). The “arc” is a wheel-like interface that can be accessed by pressing a single button while browsing the Web. Once enabled, all the user needs to do is to drag their finger to the option that they want to perform. Several dozen actions are accessible this way, and it performs like one would expect. Creating new tabs, enlarging text, accessing bookmarks, and many other features are all done from this single UI interaction, with multiple levels of the “arc” allowing for more complex interactions. (Check out the video below for a better understanding.)

The “arc” interface performs even more admirably when you put the browser into full-screen mode. This removes all potential distractions, maximizes screen real estate, and still provides quick access to commonly used browser functions. It is an experience that I wish Apple had included by default with their own Safari browser.

But while the “arc” tends to be 360 Web Browser’s most noteworthy feature, there are a number of other interesting features that make 360 Web Browser worthwhile:

• Firefox Sync, for syncing your 360 Web Browser’s bookmarks, tabs, and browsing history to Firefox;
• Intelligent Tabbing, which offers desktop-style tab features that include individual settings and privacy settings, along with other general tabbed features;
• powerful download manager that enables users to download any type of file;
• built-in media player for listening to tunes while browsing the Web;
• built-in Dropbox integration;
• customizable multi-touch gestures
• and plugins like Firebug Lite, Instapaper, Evernote and more.

Another feature that, in particular, I appreciated was the “Quick Access List.” It acts like the quick-dial feature on your phone, but this one gives you quick access to your favorite websites. While this feature isn’t exactly new in the Web browser world (Safari also has bookmarks), it was something that I used frequently — maybe because it was so easily accessible — and it alone saved me plenty of time.

But for all of the individual pieces that make up the 360 Web Browser, the whole package makes up a single experience that can be summed up as follows: power.

Power trumps simplicity?

When you combine the hundreds of features that 360 Web Browser offers over the Safari browser on the iPhone and iPad, you are left with a truly powerful browser that puts Safari to shame. It foregoes any thought of minimalism and just gives the power users what they want: more power and control.

This will put off some users, make no mistake about it. When I first fired up 360 Web Browser, I had my reservations. But now that I have used it and seen how much more productive it has made me, I consider it a full replacement for Safari.

If control and functionality is what you are after, 360 Web Browser is a no brainer. It comes full circle with the feature set and makes Safari look like child’s play in the process. And while it lacks Adobe Flash (which might or might not be an issue), everything else on this browser is up to par with what Safari offers. You just might want to be aware that performance could be an issue.

But if you are satisfied with a minimalistic experience that focuses on speed and simplicity, 360 Web Browser might not be for you — the included Safari browser will probably be more than adequate for all your needs.

When all is said and done: you will either love it or hate it.

Conclusion

360 Web Browser is a compelling product that lives up to Digital Poke’s promise. It might be too much for some of the Apple fanatics that prefer their system maintain its clean and minimalistic setup, but for those who want to explore the mobile Web with the most feature-complete browser available today, 360 Web Browser is one of the best options available.

360 Web Browser comes in two flavors, 360 Web Browser Lite (free) and 360 Web Browser ($0.99) for iPhone and iPad.

This was a sponsored review for Digital Poke’s 360 Web Browser.