PORTLAND, OR, United States – After the dialer, SMS and email applications, the most used application on any smartphone is likely the web browser. Sure, we can talk about apps versus the mobile web all day long, but it is most definitely true: the web browser is a highly used utility. Nokia has long had a Webkit based browser that is known for being rock solid and standards compliant, but what other options are out there for folks looking for a different look or perhaps other feature sets?

Today, we’ll take a look at a few alternatives:

Opera Mobile: Opera Mobile is the most widely used web browser in the mobile industry. This alternative browser has been around for ages and has constantly been pushing the boundaries as to what’s possible in a mobile web browser. Opera Mobile is powerful because it is blazing fast and can handle multiple open browser windows simultaneously with ease, on Nokias of all types. The latest version supports the latest HTML5 features including CSS gradients and multiple columns. Opera Mobile can easily handle complex web pages with easy scrolling and zoom in/out capability.

UC Browser: UC Browser is a fantastic browser that offers similar functionality to Opera Mobile, but offers something different from Opera. UC Browser employs a compression technology that reduces data throughput and makes the browsing process faster by pre-loading many objects while you surf. There are multiple search engines available for fast searching and URL auto-completion, which is especially nice on a mobile device. Also, a very unique feature is the night mode which helps protect your eyes when you’re browsing in a low light environment. That means no more eye strain when you’re browsing the web before you drift of to sleep land. UC Browser is available for many different Nokia devices going all the way back to the N-Gage and everything in between.

[edit] Thanks for the comments. Also try out Opera Mini – fewer bells and whistles than the Mobile version above, but lighter, too.

There are a few options for browsing technologies and browsers with differing looks. Which browser do you use on your favorite Nokia device? What sets that particular browser apart, in your eyes?

Photo credit: fsse8info