Does a Safari by Any Other Name Surf as Sweet?

iPhone users will find a new type of application in the iTunes App Store this week: Web browsers. The new browsers showed up on Apple's (Nasdaq: AAPL) virtual online shelves late Tuesday.

The additions are noteworthy -- at first blush, they appear to fly in the face the device maker's previously stated policy of not approving for sale applications that duplicate functionalities available through Apple's proprietary software. In this instance, Apple's Mobile Safari browser has been the only application of that nature available for the iPhone since its launch in June 2007.

"This represents a maturation of Apple's App Store policies. Originally, they kept the approval criteria quite tight to ensure high quality applications and to avoid consumer confusion. Now that Apple has data about what consumers are interested in and what they will actually buy, Apple is loosening those criteria as it sees opportunities," said Carl Howe, a Yankee Group analyst.

The browsers, Howe told MacNewsWorld, are just one example of Apple's more relaxed criteria.

"I believe we'll see others over time. For example, originally, voice over Internet applications were banned; now Apple allows WiFi-based VoIP apps," he continued.

What's In a Browser?

Among the new surfing apps are the Edge Browser, Incognito, WebMate: Tabbed Browser and Shaking Web. They range in price from free to US$1.99, and all offer users functionality or features different from those available in Safari.

The Edge Browser provides a Web surfing experience free of address and navigation bars, thus maximizing screen real estate and giving users more space for viewing Web page content. Incognito has been designed for users who prefer to leave no trace behind of their online activities. The browser offers users the ability to browse without worrying about leaving a history of their online forays.

As the name implies, WebMate: Tabbed Browser brings the joys of tabbed browsing to the iPhone, by enabling users to queue up all the links they click on and view them individually whenever they are ready. Shaking Web, on the other hand, is all about making it easy for users to read Web pages while on-the-go. Created for users surfing the Net while on the bus, subway or in a car, the application senses hand movements and counters it to make reading content easier.

Browsing Wars

Although the arrival of new browsers may seem to indicate a lessening of Apple's ironclad rules for iPhone applications, the new browsers have one common denominator -- they are all based on the Apple's own Safari browser. This fact could leave the company open to ongoing criticism that the App platform is too closed.

However, now that the proverbial door has been cracked open -- a little, at least -- it may not be long before users will be able to choose Opera or Firefox as their mobile browser of choice on the iPhone.

"We might see Opera or Firefox versions for the iPhone in the future," Howe noted.

On the other hand, Zippy Aima, an analyst at ABI Research, disagrees.

"For now, I don't think Apple will consider adding Opera- or Firefox-based apps, but at the same time, it is also interesting to note that by removing certain restrictions, iPhone users can expect to see some more prominent apps on their handsets, considering that Apple is known for more 'proprietary' apps," she told MacNewsWorld.

"I think [the addition of third-party browsers] is more about providing users additional features and functionality," she added.

However, Apple shouldn't worry about third-party browsers bringing about a loss of users, Howe added.

"I don't see Safari losing significant share to any of these alternative browsers, simply because it is too tightly identified with the iPhone. Sophisticated technophiles like to choose their browsers, but the vast majority of people don't, a fact proven by the ongoing use of Internet Explorer by most consumers. The result: Safari will be the iconical browser for iPhone users for years to come," he concluded.