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UPDATE [Monday, September 12, 2011 at 3:30pm ET]: Dolphin Browser HD for iPad just went live on the App Store.
Most Android users are quite familiar with the third-party Dolphin Browser app, which has been downloaded over 9 million times and according to TechCrunch just raised $10 million from Sequoia Capital. It appears some of that investment will go towards the company’s efforts on iOS devices as well, as an official iOS version of the browser has just popped up in the App Store.
The iOS version brings over the majority of features that have made Dolphin so popular among Android users. Among them is highly customizable gestures, built-in translations, dock-like sidebar for accessing bookmarks, speed dial, tabbed browsing, and more. Don’t be fooled, however, Dolphin is still based on Apple’s own WebKit, much the same as the default Safari app, all other third-party browsers on the App Store, and the majority of browsers in the smartphone industry. It does have some competitors such as Opera and a handful of smaller players like SkyFire who are starting to gain traction and steadily improving their iOS offerings.
Users of the Android app will notice that add-ons are noticeably absent from the iOS version, which is obviously a result of the current App Store ecosystem. These are typically tweaks that allow users to customize the look and feel of the app. TechCrunch notes that “JavaScript-based add-ons may be on the way” to the iPhone app.
You can grab the free Dolphin Browser app from the App Store now. (iTunes link)
