docomo to support JavaScript, external CSS, cookies, and more

Posted by Paul McMahon Thu, 21 May 2009 16:47:00 GMT

docomo's summer handset will include the i-mode browser 2.0.  This version of the browser appears to be a total overhaul, and seems poised to catch up with smartphones.   Some of the major features introduced in the new browser are the following:
  • Basic JavaScript support (based ECMA-262)
  • External CSS
  • Cookies and Referer header
  • Copy and Paste within the browser
  • Multi-window function
  • Increased page size from 100KB to 500KB
  • BMP and PNG support

Of particular interest to mobile web developers will be the external CSS and cookie support (rumors about this were mentioned previously).  The lack of these have caused developers headaches, as while SoftBank and au support them, docomo did not.  It will be some time before developers can assume all Japanese mobiles support external CSS and cookies, but it is good to see that we are moving in that direction.

Once more concrete details come out, we'll follow up on this story.

New docomo handsets to support cookies and send referrers?

Posted by Paul McMahon Thu, 14 May 2009 17:14:00 GMT

There is a rumour going around that new docomo handsets will support cookies and send referrers.  Kimura.Memo has an article stating that he has received a request from a docomo user agent using a docomo IP address that sent the headers HTTP_COOKIE and HTTP_REFERER1.  This means it is potentially an actual handset, however it could also be some sort of test on docomo's part.

In the past, docomo's handsets have not supported cookies.  This has meant for a site to support sessions, a session id parameter had to be added to URLs.  As the other major carriers, au and SoftBank, support cookies, this has caused developers some pain.  However, if docomo's handsets will support cookies, this will make things easier. 

Whether docomo's new handsets will actually support cookies remains to be seen.  If only new handsets support cookies, this will probably change little in the short term, as most docomo handsets will still not support them, and developers will thus need to design for the old handsets as well.  However, it would be a step in the right direction, and mean in the future, developers could start assuming all handsets support cookies, much like they are now doing with XHTML support.

Footnotes

  1.  An interesting side note is that referred is misspelled in the header, HTTP_REFERER.