HTC Sense UI Browser vs Stock Android Browser. Different Pinch-To-Zoom Behavior

[pingpongboss]

How many of you guys noticed this? Pinch-to-zoom on the HTC Evo 4G's browser behaves differently than on a stock Android browser. It's driving me crazy!

Evo Browser's pinch-to-zoom causes all the text on the screen to move around. Take a look at this short 20 second video

Pinch to Zoom: HTC Sense UI Browser vs Stock Android Browser

To see more of what I mean, watch this longer video

YouTube - HTC Sense UI Browser vs Stock Android Browser

Basically, pinch-to-zoom is recalculating the layout on the Evo, while the layout is unchanged in the stock Android browser. The double-tap-to-zoom behavior are the same, and depends on what you set in your Settings.

Anyone know how we can get the stock Android browser's pinch-to-zoom behavior? Dolphin Browser HD has the same problem on the Evo but not on the Droid. It's using the underlying browser for rendering I'm guessing.

 

[Beezzy]

Ohhh noze! They restructure the text so you can read it all on the screen without scrolling! Those bastards now if there was a link that wasn't centered I would have to scroll up and that takes .5 secs to do! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Seriously you're gonna complain bout that?! Thats an amazing feature.

 

[biscodude]

LOL at calling this a problem. This is a feature dude.

 

[pingpongboss]

Ohhh noze! They restructure the text so you can read it all on the screen without scrolling! Those bastards now if there was a link that wasn't centered I would have to scroll up and that takes .5 secs to do! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Seriously you're gonna complain bout that?! Thats an amazing feature.

Hey, it's pretty frustrating when people like you comment like that. I'm going to assume that you've never used a stock Android device before. I may not have given you the perfect example of WHY the change in behavior is undesireable, but can't you at least imagine a scenario where you wouldn't want the page to be restructuring and the text to be jumping around?

I've added a video of how the stock Android browser behaves, so you can understand better why this is a bug, not a feature.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdHshIRwmzM

 

[pingpongboss]

LOL at calling this a problem. This is a feature dude.

Hey, could you let us know if you've used the stock Android browser? I suspect you're lol'ing because you're unaware of how fit-to-page actually works on a stock Android device. When you double-tap, the stock Android browser will restructure the layout for you (after it zooms in/out). However, when you pinch-to-zoom, the browser will leave the layout alone. If, at that point, you would like to have the browser fit the text to page, you would double-tap to restructure the page, which does NOT change the zoom level.

In contrast, with HTC's Sense UI browser, you do not have the option of just pinch-to-zoom WITHOUT the page layout changing and the text jumping around.

You guys are understandably confused, since (I assume) you've never used a stock Android browser before. But you should try to give people the benefit of the doubt before bursting out in lols

 

[pingpongboss]

Updated the OP with a short video of how the Stock Android Browser does Pinch to Zoom:
Should convince you guys that at least there's a difference in behavior between Evo's browser and Android 2.1's browser.

YouTube - Stock Android Browser Pinch to Zoom Behavior

 

[RamminIt]

This is a feature and a very desirable one. If you have used the stock Android browser or iPhone browser you will notice on some websites, if you zoom in on the text to a readable size you will need to scroll side to side to read the article. The EVO zooms in to a readable font size and reformats the layout so you don't have to scroll side to side. The scrolling side to side was a complaint by many including me so I welcome the change.

 

[pingpongboss]

This is a feature and a very desirable one. If you have used the stock Android browser or iPhone browser you will notice on some websites, if you zoom in on the text to a readable size you will need to scroll side to side to read the article. The EVO zooms in to a readable font size and reformats the layout so you don't have to scroll side to side. The scrolling side to side was a complaint by many including me so I welcome the change.

Cool! You've used the stock Android browser before. Did you know that when you pinch-to-zoom in a lot, and you can't see the text unless you scroll side to side, you can just double-tap, and the browser will reformat the layout without affecting the zoom level?

I believe that's the way it was meant to work. It's a lot more flexible than Evo's browser, since it actually gives you the chance to pinch-zoom in without affecting the layout.

 

[Kedar]

I actually wish you could enable/disable this "feature"...

Cause sometimes it's annoying. I'd rather there be an easy way to disable/enable as well.

 

[f1nzup]

Sorry but I'm with the others here. This is probably my favorite feature of the whole phone. Now I can make the font any size I want and not worry about whether I will be able to read it all on the page or not. Too cool.

 

[kinster02]

I love that feature.

 

[skullsdontfade]

there is nothing worse than scrolling from side to side on a phone. this feature is fantastic.

 

[VKitty]

there is nothing worse than scrolling from side to side on a phone. this feature is fantastic.

But you dont have to scroll side to side with stock Android. WHY do you say that??


You just double tap and it will reformat like the EVO.

So, stock Android browser has BOTH features where the EVO only has one.

 

[ArkAngel06]

But double tapping is just something more you have to do after you've zoomed in...I would rather it be automatic like it is now.

An option wouldn't be a horrible idea though.

 

[generous]

This, 'problem' as you call it, is one of the reasons i love sense. I would not trade the HTC sense browser for anything. LOVE LOVE LOVE this feature.

 

[neilept]

+1 on one of my favorite features. It's a lot easier to have to scroll slightly up or down, instead of having to go side to side to read the body of text.

 

[RayStinkle]

Hey, it's pretty frustrating when people like you comment like that. I'm going to assume that you've never used a stock Android device before. I may not have given you the perfect example of WHY the change in behavior is undesireable, but can't you at least imagine a scenario where you wouldn't want the page to be restructuring and the text to be jumping around?

I've added a video of how the stock Android browser behaves, so you can understand better why this is a bug, not a feature.
YouTube - Stock Android Browser Pinch to Zoom Behavior

I'm using stock browser on nexus one, and the text DOES re-size when using pinch to zoom. So I'm not sure what you're thinking.

 

[pingpongboss]

But you dont have to scroll side to side with stock Android. WHY do you say that??


You just double tap and it will reformat like the EVO.

So, stock Android browser has BOTH features where the EVO only has one.

OMG thank you someone finally understands! Everyone is right, this is a GREAT feature, but this feature gets in the way sometimes, because the Evo's browser forces it. Where in the stock Android browser you get to CHOOSE how you want to zoom the page.

I'm using stock browser on nexus one, and the text DOES re-size when using pinch to zoom. So I'm not sure what you're thinking.

Did you take a look at the video with pinch-zooming on the Motorola Droid that I put on the first post? That phone is also running the stock browser. Can you double-check the video to see if yours behaves the same (does not restructure the page)