[dmethvin]

Unfortunately, Android 2.3 is not fully ES5 compatible either. Since that's about one-third of all Android I doubt that ES5 compat was the driving force for this move. More likely it was the non-W3C event model and general non-use of IE8 for the reporting interface.

[melling]

For many products, Google only supports the two most recent browsers versions for a given browser. IE11 will be out next month, so they should be dropping IE9 support too.

http://support.google.com/a/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=33864

It's probably just a matter of cost to support that much legacy.

As far as legacy Android, 2.3 usage will probably drop like a rock over the next two years. A 3-4 year old cell phone is going to be really out of date.

[leokun]

Android users ought to just avoid the Android browser and use Chrome or Dolphin. I don't even understand why there is an Android browser. Android browser also has trouble with updating SSL cert authority information, and it's got issues with its touch implementation.

[selectodude]

Android users on Android 2.3 can't use Chrome and Dolphin uses the native browser engine. I think Firefox Mobile would be your only option, but the performance has to be awful.

[leokun]

Dolphin switched to its own browser engine, at least on Android.

http://dolphin.com/dolphin-browser-is-the-fastest-html5-mobi...

[jessaustin]

I figured it existed so device manufacturers and wireless providers would have something to crap all over, which wasn't Chrome.

[yuhong]

I think it predated Chrome.