Google created a version of their Chrome browser for the Android operating system back in 2012 with a whole new user interface for touchscreens, but many features from the desktop version. The mobile version now includes synchronization with the desktop version, which allows to see bookmarks, history and opened tabs from many devices with a single account, it also includes a data saving feature which will get better soon. For those who want to try new features in software that is not completely finished, Google released Chrome Beta for Android in January 2013 and it is updated regularly and now some features have been announced for the version 48 of this beta browser.
Chrome Beta version 48 includes a Presentation API, bringing a “presenter mode” for the web. Mobile sites will be able to present to Google Cast devices using the new API and the CastWeb SDK. Basically, users will be able to share some websites to nearby devices enabled with Cast functionality like Chromecasts and those sites will be presented like slideshows, the one sharing the content will be able to control what’s displayed on the screens of the other devices.
Since Chrome 42, users have been able to receive push notifications from websites, and this feature has become very popular as more than 350 million push notifications are being delivered daily. In Chrome Beta 48, these notifications will include custom buttons, so users can take some actions right from the notification signs. Another change included in this new version is the ability for developers to detect a device’s maximum bandwidth using NetworkInformation.downlinkMax. This is useful as mobile devices get connected from various signals, from 2G connections to WiFi, offering many possible speeds, so now they can send optimal resources for a certain connection. Sites can notice changes in connection quality using the NetworkInformation.onChange event handler, so they can respond accordingly. Of course, more changes are included in this version, but those are improvements under the hood, so most users won’t notice them. While Google didn’t mention when this version will become available, it might get released quite soon, as Chrome Beta version 48 for desktop is already available.