WebMate: Tabbed Browsing screen shot. The queue is managed from the buttons at the bottom.

Apple has allowed four third party Web browsers for the iPhone onto the App Store, including Edge Browser, Incognito, WebMate:Tabbed Browser, and Shaking Web. The release of these browsers in the App Store represents a policy change of some sort, as browsers have heretofore fallen under the category of apps that duplicate functionality on the iPhone.MacRumors first spotted the apps, and noted that though they were just released, the dates on the apps go back to their original submission dates (for instance, October 13th, 2008 for Edge Browser). ChannelWeb noted that all four Web browsers are based on Safari's Webkit, which is controlled by Apple and is the basis for Safari on both the iPhone and Mac OS X.

So far, third party Web browsers like Firefox and Opera have not been allowed on the iPhone by Apple. Neither is based on Webkit.

In the case of the four new browsers, each adds a greater or lesser degree of functionality not found in Safari for iPhone. Edge Browser touts the feature of offering more screen real estate for Web pages, with no room taken for navigation or URL-entry. Edge Browser is free.

Incognito offers browsing without leaving a history on your iPhone. "Simply close the browser, and Incognito will erase the entire session," developer Dan Park wrote in the description of the app. Incognito is priced at $1.99.

WebMate: Tabbed Browser's name is a tad misleading, though the intent of tabbed browsing on the iPhone is "one step closer," as developer RPA Technology said in its product description. This browser allows users to queue up multiple links, and then view them via on-screen navigation buttons.

For instance, if you're browsing Google News, a link in Safari opens a new browser window. When you've read and/or closed that window and go back to the Google News window, Google News forces an auto-refresh for which you must wait. In WebMate, you could instead queue up any and all of the links you want to visit, and then read them when you were ready. WebMate: Tabbed Browsing is priced at $.99.

Shaking Web's intent is to make it easier to read a Web page when you're moving, say in a car or bus, or walking down the street. According to the company, "When hands move due to general body movement, Shaking Web feels the movement and applies a small but opposite movement to the viewable content, trying to keep the reading where the eyes are." Shaking Web is priced at $1.99.