Edge Browser, one of the first third-party Web browser apps to be made available in the App Store, has absolutely nothing. No address bar, no navigation buttons, no nothing. Just your Web page that, save for the still-present iPhone status bar at the top, is viewed in glorious full screen.

The app prides itself on no loss of screen real estate. In essence, it is Mobile Safari without the address and search bars, the back and forward trilaterals, and the add, bookmarks and pages icons. A condition that leads to some important questions: How do I visit a page? Where do I specify the URL? What makes a great ninja? Answer: Go to the iPhone’s Settings app, look for the Edge Browser label, and enter the address there, of course! How could anyone possibly not know that?

Well I did not know that at the outset. So the first time I opened the browser, which by default goes to Apple’s home page, I made attempts of calling up an address bar or anything of the sort that would let me enter my desired URL. I tried double-tapping the status bar, super-shaking my iPhone, finger-drawing the outline of Astro Boy on my screen and other promising methods all to no avail. Fortunately, I have gained enough experience to know that in times like this, it’s always a good bet to give up after the hundred and third attempt and head on over to the native Settings app instead.

And there it was. The elusive URL field, below which are more fields that I/you probably won’t be needing at all (User ID, Password, Query String Parameters). In it I entered "whatsoniphone.com" then made the trip back to the browser app.

Granted, the full-screen Web view is great. Look beyond that, however, and you’ll find there’s nothing more to like about Edge Browser. For one, having to type the URL outside of the app every time is a big letdown. The app also lacks a set of intuitive navigation controls, like tilting the iPhone to the left to go to the previous page and to the right to go forward. Another flaw becomes apparent when you tap on a link that supposedly opens in a new tab/window and the app does nothing and stays on the current page. I discovered this when I tried following the link to WOiP’s Facebook Group by tapping on the Facebook badge on the sidebar and — Voila! Nada. Great.

Quick Take

Value: Very low at this point
Would I Buy Again: It’s currently free. No reason for it to be otherwise.
Learning Curve: Unless you read the developer’s notes or take a look at the Settings app, good luck finding your way out of Apple’s Web site.
Who Is It For: Those who want full-screen view of their favorite Web sites on their iPhones
What I Like: Maximized real estate
What I Don’t: Need to specify the address externally, lack of innovative navigation system, failure to follow links that open in new tabs

Final Statement: Seeing a Web page occupy that much screen space for the first time on an iPhone was somewhat of a revelation. But the browsing experience itself? Let’s just say there’s room for a lot of improvement.