Will Android support WebSockets in an upcoming version?

Question

If so, does anybody know which version it's scheduled to be supported in (in built-in Chrome Lite browser)? Also, is it currently supported on any of the alternative browsers for Android like FireFox or Opera Mini?

Answer 1

It's 2012, and the Android Browser still doesn't support Websockets (at Android v4.0). Also, there does not seem to be any indication into have websocket in the Android Browser. some speculation seems to revolve around Google switching the Android Browser with Chrome for Android (why they didn't do this before, is beyond me).

iOS (safari, chrome and opera*) has been supporting Websockets for some time now, however, you loose iPhone 3 (and below) clients. Not that they're much nowadays (from statistics).

Flash....well, flash isn't a browser platform, but it's a good fallback. Thanks to Flash, you can get websocket goodness on older browsers like IE, even on Windows Mobile. Still, it doesn't fix the issue on Android (the default flash player is a slim vendor-specific mutilation) nor does it work for older iPhone/iPad versions (they tend to get sick whenever they hear anything about flash).

*Opera Mini DOES NOT support websockets, as opposed to Opera Mobile.

Answer 2

Firefox Mobile 7(Aurora) support WebSocket(renamed to MozWebSocket):

console.log(window.MozWebSocket.prototype)

Answer 3

The iOS WebKit does only support old, outdated WS spec. Not RFC6455.

On Android: built-in browser up to and incl. Android 4: no WS support whatsoever.

Firefox Mobile .. current WS spec support. Same with Chrome for Android (only avail. for Ice Cream).

===

Btw: For Android native apps, there is Autobahn WebSockets for Android

https://github.com/oberstet/AutobahnAndroid

It supports the final RFC6455, integrates well with UI and service apps, provides RPC and PubSub over WebSockets, and more. Check out the project README on GitHub.

Disclaimer: I am the author of Autobahn.

Answer 4

Even BlackBerry 6.1+ supports Websockets, but not Android. Google was first in HTML5 among desktop browsers and seemingly last one among mobile platforms.

Answer 5

Opera Mobile, Opera Mini and Firefox Mobile do not currently (Feb 2010) support WebSockets and won't do so until a change to the specification has been made. This is because a security issue was found in November 2010 in the underlying protocol: http://www.ietf.org/mail-archive/web/hybi/current/msg04744.html

I imagine WebKit support is also on hold until it's safe again, but it's not clear when that will be.

Answer 6

The iOS 4.2 beta currently has WebSockets support: http://twitpic.com/2yiygv

Come November when iOS 4.2 actually ships, if it still has WebSockets turned on (it has been in a previous beta and been turned off before shipping), then you can be sure that google won't be far behind.

Regardless, I predict that it will arrive with Gingerbread (the next one) since they are making such as big for other HTML5 features in that version: http://www.shoutpedia.com/what-is-next-to-froyo-android-2-3-might-be-released-by-fall-of-2010-3457/

Answer 7

Will Android support WebSockets in an upcoming version?

Probably, given Google's HTML5 emphasis.

If so, does anybody know which version it's scheduled to be supported in (in built-in Chrome Lite browser)?

Google does not publish that sort of detail in advance of releases. Hence, you'll know about it when it ships, not sooner.

Also, is it currently supported on any of the alternative browsers for Android like FireFox or Opera Mini?

Firefox Mobile's FAQ does not list it among the HTML5 features it presently supports. I have no idea about other browsers.