Google adds a beta channel for Chrome on Android

Just the other day +Sivan Rehan was lamenting that the 'stock browser' on Android seems to have died on the Nexus phones.  I, for one, welcome that disappearance as I LOVE CHROME.

Maybe it's because I love Google, and Chrome is more the 'official' browser... imho

So, yesterday they announced a new 'beta' for Chrome.

I was going to post some shots for everyone ... but it looks exactly the same as the regular Chrome.  But snappier.  Maybe Tom can tell us if his Note 2 now has better scores on JB or not.

I like this as it mirrors the style as it is on the desktop - having a stable, a beta and a dev version.

Is this the first steps toward as I was envisioning a merging of all things Google?  Hopefully!

Best part is that you can install the beta Chrome, leaving regular Chrome on your phone just fine (and the stock browser too if you like)... but because all data is sync'd via Google Cloud that if you make any changes it's reflected in both... so if you get rid of it you can still rest assured you're not losing anything.

From their blog post:

Our newest Beta, for Android phones and tablets

Release early, release often. Today, we’re introducing Chrome Beta channel for phones and tablets on Android 4.0+. The Beta channel was launched in the early days of Chrome to test out new features and fix issues fast. Our newest Beta channel for phones and tablets now joins our Beta versions of Chrome for Mac, Windows, Linux and Chrome OS.

You can expect early access to new features (and bugs!), as well as a chance to provide feedback on what’s on the way. Just like our other Beta versions, the new features may be a little rough around the edges, but we’ll be pushing periodic updates so you can test out our latest work as soon as it’s ready. Even better, you can install the Beta alongside your current version of Chrome for Android.

Chrome for Android now benefits from all the speed, security and other improvements that have been landing on Chrome’s other platforms. For example, in today’s Beta update we have improved the Octane performance benchmark on average by 25-30%. In addition, this update includes interesting HTML5 features for developers such as CSS Filters. This is just one step of many towards bringing beautiful experiences to the mobile web.

Ready? Use it, abuse it, and tell us what you think. Our new Chrome Beta for Android is available now on Google Play (use the link, you won't find it in search)!