Dolphin Browser Malicious?!??

[Magdroid]

So, my phone was getting Random Restarts until I exchanged it for a new Droid. After doing some research, it seems as though many people are saying it was due to Dolphin Browser. Supposedly, the browser contained malicious software that stayed on your phone even after uninstalling it. It also was supposedly causing phones to restart/bug out/ and lag. That was (again supposedly) the reason of it being pulled from the Marketplace (which it has appeared again with an updated version). I am now fearful of downloading this to my new..smoothly running Droid. Can anyone either Confirm or Deny these allegations pushed toward the browser? I really liked it when I had it...but I didn't like how bugged out my phone was. (Again, I could have just got a buggy Droid).

Links of what I found:
http://forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=567981&page=4 Post #32, then more posts follow after that and continue to page 5.
http://androidforums.com/motorola-droid/22655-dolphin-browser.html Post#10
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Android+Market/thread?tid=5824b98eef35731c&hl=en last post by Gavtheking on 11/19/09
Youtube Video of phone crashing believed to be caused by Dolphin (exactly what mine was doing). Click on video and read the description to the right.
[video=youtube;wWXo_10uIJY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWXo_10uIJY[/video]

and there are more out there. These are just a few.

 

[shademar]

I've been using it as my default browser for a week or so (for the tabs and gestures; I really don't care about multi-touch) and haven't had a single reboot. No lag issues that I didn't have before. Based on my own experiences, I currently have no issue continuing to use dolphin.

Also, curious as to where you saw this? Hopeless geek that I am, I've been following multiple droid/android forums for a month and this is the first I've seen of this.

 

[samredman]

The post itself is what seems malicious. If you have been doing "research" and found that "many people are saying" something negative about a product... then it would be appropriate for you to give some links from your "research." A post like that without link references is strange.

--- Edited to add -- I see that the thread starter post has been edited to include links. Now you are doing it the right way. That's how it should be done. Thanks.

 

[SSHGuru]

Why would someone make something of that complexity that was malicious? Makes no sense at all.

I still have it on my Droid even though I am not using it and my Droid is relatively fine.

I still think the stock browser is better built so I am using that. Dolphin is too far from what I prefer so far and there are some new browsers out there that are competing well.

 

[Magdroid]

The post itself is what seems malicious. If you have been doing "research" and found that "many people are saying" something negative about a product... then it would be appropriate for you to give some links from your "research." A post like that without link references is strange.

I updated my original post with links. I didn't write this thread to knock Dolphin. It's something that I have experienced, as well as many others. I was just looking for input from this community before I tried it again. I didn't mean to upset anyone or be "malicious" myself. My phone was so broke that I had to return it for an exchange. I just wanted to take precautions before damaging yet another pricey phone.

 

[samredman]

I edited my post to give you kudos for adding the links. Thanks. That is how it should be done.

 

[Magdroid]

I edited my post to give you kudos for adding the links. Thanks. That is how it should be done.

Thank you! I will post properly next time. I can see your point of how posting something like that w/o links can be seen as "bashing" a potentially good product.

 

[JonKyu]

Hmmm this is really ineresting, this is the first time I have heard of it. I'm currently using dolphin as my default browser (only because I think it works well with one hand, I love the popup menu. I still think its really buggy though but figured I'd give it a chance) while I've have had issues of Apps not launching after a restart only after opening up ATK and exiting fixed it. But I've ne verb have gotten anything severe as multiple reboots. I'm interested to see how this will play out.

 

[Zecpull]

I really doubt that it is malicious ..But I am sure as complex as it is in has a few bugs..A lot of this software is Really New as the operating system 2 has only been out a short time. And there havent been test phones for much longer..Bugs happen and we hope they dont cause too much dmage..

 

[Martin030908]

Nice OP. The links def make the thread MUCH better!

Scary thought btw! No maliciousness on my DROID.

Firefox (Fennec) is on it's way... Dolphin is gonna get smoked

 

[jaysonstaurt]

If I've learned anything on these boards.

Believe about 10% of what you read.
People will make a conspiracy out of anything.
And smart phones are like guns. there are some people in this world who just shouldn't own one.

 

[rothenbj]

If I've learned anything on these boards.

Believe about 10% of what you read.
People will make a conspiracy out of anything.
And smart phones are like guns. there are some people in this world who just shouldn't own one.

That was pretty funny. I'm using dolphin almost exclusively now. Could it be better? Yes, but just the fact that the text adjusts to Droid width after a zoom makes the bugs worth it. Copy and paste works for me too, plus he expressions are quite convenient.

No sign of malware that I have spotted.

One bug that I've noticed with the pinch zoom is that sometimes it won't hold and goes back to small text the moment you touch the screen. I may be causing it myself, but I haven't figured out how to stop it without closing the app and coming back in.

On the stock browser I kept bouncing to other pages when I double touched and moving back and forth to read text. Like the letters big. Love the Droid.

 

[QR_addict]

I've been toying with Dolphin browser with no ill effects to my Droid

 

[Daywalker]

Mine has had the new version sence it came out ok

 

[Shoop]

My first Droid had random reboots (3 or 4 per week) and in the first month of ownership it hard locked at the Droid eye maybe 3 or 4 times. I never had the dolphin browser installed. Hope this helps.