The word traveling tech blogs today faster than a rogue elephant chasing a bag of salted peanuts is that Apple has opened the App Store’s doors to Web browsers. It’s a move that runs counter to Apple’s policy of not allowing apps that duplicate the iPhone and iPod touch’s native apps into the App Store.

That would be great news for iPhone and iPod touch users, if it were true, but it ain’t necessarily so Joe. The four apps that are the recipients of today’s buzz are: Edge Browser (Free), Incognito ($1.99), WebMate:Tabbed Browser ($0.99) and Shaking Web ($1.99).

They do Web browser-like things, but they’re not true Web browsers. The new apps are based on Safari Webkit in the SDK, so they’re not alternatives to Safari in the way Firefox, Opera and Chrome are.

Several apps in the App Store already use Safari’s basic functionality such as NormSoft’s Pocket Tunes Radio (which has a built-in Web browser) and The New York Times’ NYTimes, both which we reviewed in December, and Mobile News Network’s AP News, which we reviewed in November.

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category: Breaking News