Opening up an internet browser these days requires no more than muscle memory.
We click on whatever icon we are used to and browse away.
The major consideration when choosing a browser from an ever increasing variety is simplicity, speed and security.
Opera recently announced a new version of its browser for Windows and MacOS which includes a new low-power mode that's said to improve smartphone battery life by 50 percent.
Currently, Opera mini is the most used mobile browser by Kenyans. It is that the obvious benchmark for which new entrant UC browser is measuring itself.
Much like Opera mini for mobile, UC, a Chinese browser prides itself on being lightweight having eliminated much of the clutter associated with other mobi-browsers.
As an incentive to users, UC promises more customisable settings to improve on the user experience.
Google Chrome browser for mobile was the first browser to radically simplify the user interface, limiting the display to just the logo and an address bar.
UC Browser is also simple to use, and with the unusual but effective customised speed dials and unique themes available.
Currently among the widely used browsers in Kenya, it has one of the best download managers.
It is capable of handling simultaneous downloads without lag. The addition of a full download manager is very useful when trying to save multiple files so as to ensure an ease of browser history recovery.
The app also lets you choose the page elements that you want saved, which can be very helpful if you either want to save only the images or if you're on a slow connection and don't want to get stuck downloading heavy files.
With UC browser on Android, you can easily synchronise across all your devices. It allows users to copy open tabs and bookmarks so that you can easily transition between devices.
The built-in ‘Cloud boost‘technology saves data and improves loading time by sending data to the app’s web servers for compression.
Users with small screens don’t have to change their devices. The responsive interaction interface is optimised to ensure everything fits in perfectly.
“UC browser versions are available for android, iOS, Windows Mobile, Symbian and also Java,” said Kenny Ye, General Manager of Global Market, Alibaba Mobile Business Group.
According to data from Statcounter, UC Browser is the second most used mobile browser globally with a market share of 20 per cent.
Kenya currently has a total of 37.8 million mobile subscribers with almost 40 per cent of them using smartphones according to statistics from Communication Authority.
“The past few years have seen fast lane growth in smartphone shipments in Kenya. Riding on the smartphone shift, UC Browser crafted a flurry of handy features, such as its Smart downloader, Video Player and Gesture Support, to fully exploit the versatility of the smartphone, making mobile browsing easier and smarter for its users”, says Kenny Ye.
UC browser is certainly one of those applications worth considerations for smartphone users old and new.