Google Chrome goes mobile

After a long wait, Google has finally launched a version of its Chrome™ web browser for Android™ smartphones and tablet computers.

Sundar Pichai, Google senior vice president of Chrome and Apps, notes on the company blog that Chrome for Android was designed with "speed and simplicity” in mind, adding that the browser enables quick and easy navigation and searches that are intuitive to the functionality of the mobile devices.

Most of the fan-favorite features are still there, like incognito mode and tabbed browsing, but Google has also introduced a handful of new capabilities specifically designed for tablets and smartphones. Tabs have been re-imagined on Chrome for Android. As with the desktop browser, users can open as many tabs as they like. Navigating between the tabs is easier though, as users can simply swipe their fingers across the display to move from one screen to the next.

Chrome for Android also introduces Link Preview, a feature designed to help users browse more easily by automatically zooming in on links.

The mobile Chrome is still in the beta testing phase and is only available on Android 4.0 devices. Older versions of Android will continue to run Google's unbranded web browser for the time being, and Google has not revealed whether Chrome will eventually be available for iOS or Windows® devices.