Yesterday a Windows Phone application called “Browser Plus” was released on to the Windows Phone marketplace, and even covered by a number of media websites. The application has been built off code from Internet Explorer for Windows Phone 7 and contains a number of improvements and tweaks.
According to Wpcentral, who have used the shell-add-on, “Browser Plus” brings tabbed browsing to Windows Phone 7 as well as a private mode which allows users to hide their history from other users. After downloading the application we have also found built-in google search and a reader view, which reformats web pages to suit Windows Phone 7 better. The browser is not without issues, as users cannot save favourites when using it, though this is something that could change in future versions.
Although this does not mean that there will be a release of stand-alone browsers such as Opera and Chrome on the Windows Phone Marketplace anytime soon, it does show that Microsoft is willing to allow third party browsers to be posted. Although this is as long as they are built on Internet Explorer code.
Expect to see many third-party browsers hitting the Windows Phone marketplace over the coming months now that “Browser Plus” has seen the light of day. It can only be good news for Windows Phone users who have felt a little let down by the lack of features in the built in browser associated with the operating system.
“Browser Plus” can be purchased on the Windows Phone Marketplace for £0.79/$0.99