Member Article

The Age Of The Next-Gen Browser

By Avi Raz Cohen, General Manager at Hola

As technology evolves, users are now expecting more from their browsers to enhance their online experience. Although users are accustomed to traditional browsers, this opens the door to innovative new options that can better suit today’s users’ needs. But what are these features, and why are they in demand?

The rise and fall of Internet Explorer – a brief 101 history

For many people, their first experience of the World Wide Web was on Windows machines in the late 90s or early 2000s. Most users will have used Internet Explorer to access information online; the Microsoft-owned browser remained popular until it reached the end of its life in June 2022. Between April 2009 and April 2012, Internet Explorer maintained a healthy market share, with just under a quarter of all users accessing the web through it. However, in its twilight years, Internet Explorer struggled to compete with more popular browsers like Google Chrome, Firefox, Safari and Microsoft’s new offering, Edge.

Although Internet Explorer was seen as a staple of the internet era, the competition it faced was from browsers that had more effectively adapted to modern devices as well as user needs. In fact, all the browsers that surpassed Internet Explorer had features that went beyond just allowing users to access standard web pages.

It isn’t unusual for established brands to fall away if they fail to adapt to emerging trends. Although the browser landscape is dominated by giants, such as Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge, they’ll face challenges as user demands continue to evolve fast, and new, innovative solutions enter the market. This will see the emergence of the next-gen browser. But what can users expect from these solutions?

The price is right with a next-gen browser – the solution for multiple challenges

Next-gen browsers will go beyond being search engines – they need to offer more comprehensive solutions. They will need to solve multiple challenges for users and improve users’ experiences with built-in features. These key features will include new concepts for browsers such as price comparison tools, built in as standard. This is a different approach to that used by traditional browsers, where users can add third-party extensions with fewer tools included as standard.

Price comparison websites are nothing new, but with soaring inflation, consumers are even more determined to get the best price. The popularity of these websites is set to grow, and such capabilities will increase in demand. These kinds of built-in tools will compare prices from all over the web to ensure that the best price is paid. These tools will also include geo-location technology, which can temporarily switch the user’s location if a better price is available to users in a different region.

One need only look at the popularity of discount shopping days, such as Black Friday and Cyber Monday, to see how determined consumers are to get the best price, so price comparison tools are set to be a game-changer for bargain hunters.

Access to the whole web – a borderless web reality

Aside from ensuring that they get the best price for goods, internet users now also want to get a fair and unfiltered view of the internet. Tools are currently being incorporated into browsers to allow users to view locally restricted content that should be accessible to everyone. This is an important issue, as internet freedom isn’t something users should take for granted, especially since online censorship is concerningly on the rise. In fact, recent research found that over four in ten (43%) citizens across regions that have some of the tightest internet restrictions (China, Saudi Arabia, Vietnam, and United Arab Emirates) struggle to gain access to educational information and resources, with one-third (29%) struggling to access news online.

It’s for this reason that free online tools that can circumvent these barriers to content that should be available to all are also going to be high in demand in the future. As such, users are likely to want a seamless in-browser experience as opposed to purchasing third-party plug-ins. This will level the playing field globally and mean that all citizens will be able to access the same essential online content that makes the internet such a strong resource.

The rise of the next-gen browser

Price comparison capabilities and a gateway to content in restricted regions are just two examples of how browsers are incorporating free tools as standard to improve user experiences online, and this is just the beginning. Over the next few years, we will see previously expensive or hard-to-integrate extensions included in browsers to provide users with online freedom and next-gen capabilities from the second they download the browser. This will increase choice in the market and drive innovation in this sector, which means that now, more than ever, the power is in the hands of every online citizen.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Hola .