Two teenage brothers from Lagos, Nigeria , 13 and 15-year-old Anesi and Osine Ikhianosim taught themselves to code and built their first mobile web browser, said to rival Google Chrome.
Common browsers like Google Chrome mostly work on smart phones, these applications often slow down on low-end phones commonly found in other parts of the world.
Using their love for coding and technology, the dynamic duo created Crocodile Browser Lite, that offers a “faster mobile web browsing experience” for all phones. Hosted on the Google Play Store, the app is available as a free download.
According to a Vanguard Nigeria report — due to the two brother’s strong interest in technology, they decided to create a functional, fast browser for feature and low-end phones because, according to them, “We were fed up with Google Chrome.” Osine who told TechCabal in his pitch mail said. Osine, said they write the code together, and Anesi designs the User Interface (UI). ‘’I write the code, my brother designs it.”
“I started in 2013. I used sites like Code Academy, Code Avengers and books like ‘Android for Game Development’ and ‘Games for Dummies’” said Anesi.
“The plan to create a better browser for low-end featured phones is one that is needed for the developing world. While Chrome and other browsers work great on high-end smart phones, the majority of the world are not using this technology and need a low-end option that still provide quick browser response, so this is what the young men did. They built a better mouse trap for the phones they were using.” -UrbanIntellectuals.com
The mother of the teens Mrs. Ikhianosime stated “After Anesi is through with his secondary school education, he will attend A levels, after which he will go to MIT in Boston for his first degree, because the university has the facilities he needs to learn.” Mrs Ikhianosime said.
They initially launched Crocodile on the Mobango app store, before taking it to the Google Play Store so it could reach a wider audience. The browser currently has around 5,000 downloads. This new application has garnered rave reviews a 4.7 out of 5 star rating.
“This is the best mobile Web browser I have ever used in my life. The user interface is excellent and it is so easy to open and close different tabs,” said David Rhodes, a reviewer and user of the popular app.
Sounds like it’s worth a try!
