Iris Browser
What is Iris Browser
Iris Browser was a mobile web browser developed by Torch Mobile, aimed at smartphones and PDAs running Windows Mobile and Windows CE.
It was based on the WebKit rendering engine (which powers Safari) with additional components like the SquirrelFish Extreme JavaScript engine.
It supported a number of web standards: HTML, CSS, SVG, XPath, XSLT. It also supported touch input, screen rotation, multi-tab/multi‐window browsing, and customizable UI. Timeline & Key Events
Here are the major milestones in Iris’ development and lifecycle:
Date / Period —>Event or Version—>Key Features / Changes
2008 (early) —>First public preview / beta release—>Windows Mobile 6 preview, bringing WebKit rendering, multitabs, zoom modes, touch support, etc.
February 2008 —>Official introduction / preview announced at Mobile World Congress—>Torch Mobile introduced Iris as a “desktop-quality Web experience” for mobile/embedded systems, supporting Windows Mobile and Qtopia environments.
2008-2009 —>Iterative updates toward stable versions (version 1.x)—>Performance improvements, added features, bug fixes. For example, version 1.1.0 introduced better performance, Flash Lite support, reduced memory usage, accelerometer support.
July 6, 2009 —>Version 1.1.9 released—>This was the last known stable release.
2009 —>Acquisition & discontinuation—>Research In Motion (RIM, maker of BlackBerry) acquired Torch Mobile. After the acquisition, Iris was discontinued.
Features & Innovations
Some of the more notable or distinguishing features of Iris:
Use of WebKit + SquirrelFish Extreme gave it relatively good speed and standards compliance among mobile browsers of the time.
Standards support: complex features like CSS, SVG, XPath/XSLT.
User interface features: multiple tabs/windows, touch/rotation support, zoom modes (including block-zoom), pop-up blocking.
Performance optimization for mobile: reduced memory use, optimization of cache, etc.
One of the first mobile browsers to score 100/100 in the Acid3 test (a test of web standards conformance).
Demise & Legacy
After RIM acquired Torch Mobile in 2009, development of Iris was stopped.
The trademark “IRIS BROWSER” was filed by Torch Mobile in the US in August 2008. It was registered in 2009. As of May 2016, the trademark registration status was “Cancelled — Section 8.”
Because of its early adoption of WebKit and decent standards support, Iris played a role in pushing forward what users expected from mobile browsers — better rendering, more interactivity, more from the desktop web in mobile devices.
Iris Browser: The Ambitious Mobile Browser from the Dawn of Smartphones
The Iris Browser was a pioneering web browser developed by Torch Mobile, a software company founded in 2005. Its primary claim to fame was being one of the first full-featured, desktop-class web browsers designed for mobile devices and embedded systems, long before modern mobile browsers like Chrome and Safari became dominant.
The Timeline of Iris Browser’s Development
1. Conception and Early Development (2005-2007)
Torch Mobile’s Vision: Torch Mobile was founded with the goal of bringing a true, uncompromised web browsing experience to resource-constrained devices like smartphones, PDAs, and set-top boxes. At the time, mobile browsers (like Pocket IE) were extremely basic, often unable to render complex websites properly.
The Core Technology: The key to Iris’s capability was its rendering engine. Unlike its competitors who used simplified engines, Iris Browser was built on WebKit, the same open-source engine that powered Apple’s Safari and later, Google Chrome. This decision immediately gave it a significant advantage in rendering accuracy and compatibility with the modern web.
2. Launch and Peak (2008-2009)
Official Launch (2008): Torch Mobile officially launched the Iris Browser, showcasing its ability to handle complex, AJAX-heavy websites like Gmail and Facebook—something most mobile browsers struggled with at the time.
Key Features and Platforms:
Desktop-Class Rendering: It offered tabbed browsing, full HTML, CSS, and JavaScript support, and could handle popular web plugins like Adobe Flash.
Cross-Platform Ambition: Iris was notably cross-platform. While its most prominent versions were for Windows Mobile and Linux (e.g., on Nokia Internet Tablets), it was also demonstrated on other embedded operating systems.
User Interface: It featured a touch-friendly interface with kinetic scrolling and zooming, which was a cutting-edge experience on devices like the HTC Touch Diamond and Nokia N800/N810.
During this period, Iris Browser received positive reviews from the tech press, who hailed it as a glimpse into the future of mobile browsing. It was a powerful alternative for users stuck with the inadequate default browsers on their devices.
3. The Acquisition by Research In Motion (RIM) (2009)
The Turning Point: In August 2009, Research In Motion (RIM), the company behind BlackBerry, acquired Torch Mobile.
RIM’s Motivation: At the time, BlackBerry’s own browser was widely criticized as being slow and outdated, especially compared to the newly launched iPhone and its Mobile Safari. RIM acquired Torch Mobile specifically for its WebKit expertise and the Iris Browser technology. The goal was to build a new, modern browser for the BlackBerry operating system.
4. Integration, Legacy, and Disappearance (2010 - Present)
Transformation into the BlackBerry Browser: The Iris Browser team and its technology became the core of the new WebKit-based browser that debuted on the BlackBerry Torch 9800 and the BlackBerry PlayBook tablet in 2010 and 2011, respectively.
The End of Iris: After the acquisition, Torch Mobile ceased to exist as an independent entity, and the standalone Iris Browser was discontinued. Development and support for existing versions on Windows Mobile and Linux were halted.
A Lasting Impact: The browser that eventually powered BlackBerry 6, 7, and the PlayBook OS was a direct descendant of the Iris Browser. It was a massive improvement over previous BlackBerry browsers and was competitive for its time, though it ultimately could not stem the market share loss to iOS and Android.
Key Reasons for Its Historical Significance
Pioneering Modern Mobile Browsing: Iris was a proof-of-concept that a full, desktop-quality web experience was possible on mobile devices years before it became the standard.
Demonstrating the Power of WebKit: Its success helped cement WebKit’s reputation as the premier engine for mobile browsing, influencing the industry’s direction.
The BlackBerry Savior Attempt: The acquisition of Torch Mobile is a key chapter in BlackBerry’s history, representing its most serious attempt to fix its critical weakness in web browsing. While it improved the experience, it was a case of “too little, too late” in the face of fierce competition.
Conclusion
The history of the Iris Browser is a story of “what could have been.” It was a technologically superior product that arrived at the cusp of the smartphone revolution. While it ultimately did not survive as a standalone product, its technology lived on, forming the foundation for BlackBerry’s modernized browser and leaving a lasting mark on the evolution of mobile web standards. It remains a memorable and important project from a transitional period in mobile computing.
