I just checked out browsers and there's a couple that want most of those
permissions. Dolphin comes to mind. It's one of the browsers that work
on a tablet that can't do market,looks fairly decent, so checked it for the
phone - and it simply wanted too much. Tablet is wifi only.
Dolphin permissions:
- Network communications/full internet access: no web browser would work without it
- Your location: for HTML5 sites like maps.nokia.com. Dolphin has a setting in its menu that lets you disable location.
- Read browser history and bookmarks: to import the bookmarks from the stock browser to Dolphin. You wouldn't want to add them all manually, would you?
- Storage: Without this permission you wouldn't be able to download pictures and other files to your SD card. You wouldn't be able to back up your settings and bookmarks to SD either.
- Prevent phone from sleeping: this keeps your phone running if you watch a video inside the browser (you don't tap the screen while the video is playing), or download a file in the background. You don't want your phone to fall asleep while it's downloading a hotmail attachment, and you don't want to keep tapping the screen to keep a download or a video running.
- Network communication/view network state: For obvious reasons a web browser wants to know if there's a live internet connection. If your connection dies in mid-download you don't want your browser to suck your battery dry by sending packets to a connection that doesn't exist.
- Control vibrator: Don't know why Dolphin wants to shake your phone. Feedback in HTML5 games? This is a harmless permissions that can't do any damage.
- Install shortcuts, set wallpaper: To send bookmarks to your home screen, and change your background picture when you long-tap an image and select "set as wallpaper."
Dolphin really doesn't ask for anything that a web browser shouldn't ask for. It does not read your contacts or messages, it does not read your IMEI or phone number, it does not try to close other apps or install stuff on its own. It only asks for permissions that are needed to work as a web browser. Any other browser will ask for the same things.