Google Updates Chrome for Android, Brings Speed Improvements

The newly-released Chrome for Android is already a fast, capable browser, even if it is technically still a beta release. After launching earlier this month, the browser now finds itself on the receiving end of a new update, but Google hasn't published any changelog to accompany it. Just what's new in the latest version of Chrome?

Probably the most noticeable change to occur in this update has to do with browser speed and responsiveness. The web-browsing experience should altogether feel a bit smoother, and benchmarks confirm the improvement.

Chrome should also start demonstrating smarter behavior when parsing links. Instead of trying to do everything in-browser, the browser is now better about giving you the opportunity to open links through associated apps. It's supposedly not quite all the way there yet, but it's an improvement over the initial release.

Not all the news surrounding this update has been positive. A number of users are turning to Android Market reviews to voice their frustration with the updated Chrome now trying to tell them that they're not running a supported version of Android, despite being on Ice Cream Sandwich. The problem may be related to custom ROMs like CyanogenMod 9, so if you're running such software, you may wish to hold off on updating Chrome until Google gets this glitch fixed.