iOS 4 vs. Android 2.2 - Browser battle battle!
Which has the fastest browser, Apple's iOS 4 or Google's Android 2.2? We're used to browser battles here on TiPb, but how about a browser battle battle? See, both Ars Technica and Engadget ran some tests, pitting iPhone 4 on iOS 4 against the Nexus One running Android 2.2 Froyo and the results... varied dramatically to say the least.
Ars SunSpider and V8 benchmarks showed the Nexus One blowing iPhone 4 out of the water with almost double the JavaScript performance. Engadget's real-world test loading real-world webpages, however, had iPhone 4 with a slight lead when Flash was enabled on the Nexus One, and slightly behind when Flash was disabled.
Both iOS and Android use WebKit-based browsers, with Apple running the Nitro JavaScript Engine and Google running their V8. Likewise iPhone 4 has Apple's own A4 processor while Nexus One boasts a 1Ghz Snapdragon.
Some might not think iterative increases in rendering speeds matter, but as we race towards the agile future of web apps, every little bit becomes important. Just like on the desktop, we expect every new release from either party (and others) to keep pushing the envelop. We should get iOS 4.1 in September and Android 3.0 later this year as well, both likely faster than what we have today.
So kudos to Google. Hopefully Apple responds in like fashion and the browser battles (and browser battle battles) continue!
[Ars Technica, Engagdget, Android Central]
Editor-in-Chief of iMore, Executive Producer at Mobile Nations, co-host of Iterate and ZEN and TECH, cook, grappler, photon wrangler.
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User experience on iPhone beats any phone PERIOD. however I'm all for google and android as competition always benefits the customers and pushes innovation forward
Eweh
I'll take a couple seconds of rendering time to hove the iPhones ease of page navigating.
@Rob you're such a tool.
Engadget and Ars didn't varied dramatically, they are different tests.
Nice job by google on the JavaScript performance but they release more updates than apple does per year though so it's tough.
Well said - Francolasalsa -
I had the Nexus One, Bold 9700 and now iPhone 4 all in the last few months. I can say the nexus one was leaps and bounds ahead of the 9700 in terms of web browsing and personally, the iPhone 4 allows navigation around the page to be easier and more intuitive.
That being said, I am an Apple fan, but Google has mad a great product with the Nexus One. Francolasalsa said it best...competition benefits the consumer so regardless of which you prefer having two top of the line devices so close can hurt no one.
Google didn't make the Nexus One, HTC did. Google made the OS. Get it straight for the Love of God. Stop giving Google so much credit where it doesn't belong.
The Samsung Galaxy S still pwns both...
Stop being a tool Wayne. Should we give Foxconn credit for developing the iphone? Regardless, its running vanilla Android so its all Google anyhow as far as the software is concerned.
Looks like android is faster. Plus no grey honeycomb when scrolling around.
Glad to see no one tried to spin this. Javascript is at the heart of HTML 5. So you can expect to see this type of comparison MUCH more now. Its been the way browsers have been compared on computers for some time now and I've wondered why when it comes to phones we worry more about page load speed which is much more a slave to connection than the phone and smooth scrolling since the platforms have been equal since the N1.
@Wayne that's true because Google isn't a hardware manufacturer with their own factories but the browser speed lies in the froyo software which is all Google. Also the Nexus One in particular was closely watched and designed by google working with HTC which is y htc isn't even printed on the phone. Google wanted it recognized as THEIR phone.
Iphone 4 is shockingly not fast. The 3GS was a world faster than the 3G. The 4 only feels slightly faster. Maybe the next iPhone will be iPhone 4S and feature a 1.6ghz processor.
I've got iOS 4 on iPhone 3G and initially didn't notice it being slower that iOS 3 but now it looks like some sites temporarily freezes up in safari (seeing as I can blame it on flash I'm going to blame it on javascript
)
"Engadget’s real-world test loading real-world webpages, however, had iPhone 4 with a slight lead when Flash was enabled on the Nexus One, and slightly behind when Flash was disabled."
LOL. Flash heads its ugly rear again!
cmon.. We know who always wins.. Me
I had high hopes for the iPhone 4, but yet again Apple falls short in delivering a complete product.
So tired of the trolls.
Actually, HTCs logo is on the Nexus One. Both the stock browsers fail in comparison to alternatives available on the market or app store.
Is apple ever going to let me attach files to emails? Or is that a battery hog..lol
my boss' son got a droid and dropped it in the toilet on it's 3rd day. is it bad that i'm laughing inside as my iphone 4 sits next to me? i hope karma doesn't come back to haunt me.
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