Skyfire (web browser)

Skyfire is a mobile web browser for Windows Mobile 5 and 6 and Symbian S60 v3. On May 27, 2009, version 1.0 was released.

It is the first browser software for Windows Mobile which can view Adobe Flash content and streaming video.

In Skyfire, a webpage is fully rendered by a server separate from the mobile device, similar to the operation of a thin client. This approach is also used by Opera Mini, and is usually faster and supports better rendering techniques.

How it works

Skyfire is a web browser which operates by rendering requested web pages on a server using the Gecko rendering engine before sending the rendered output to the browser. The output is sent as images annotated with interactive items such as links and text-fields.

Consequently, the browser is able to use features from a fully-featured desktop web browser without the need to have a powerful mobile device. Features such as Adobe Flash, Silverlight and QuickTime are usable without additional plug-ins on the device, and can be easily updated server-side without the need to update the client.

Supported Devices and Platforms

* Windows Mobile 5, 6, 6.1 AT&T 8525, HTC Touch Diamond, HTC Fuze, Treo 750
* Symbian OS, Nokia Eseries and Nseries running Symbian S60, 3rd edition [1]

For a complete list of devices visit the support site

Awards

* 2008 Read Write Web's one of six must have applications for Windows Mobile
* 2008 Laptop Magazine's Mobile Maverick Award
* 2009 Webby People's Voice Award for Best Mobile Application

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