Android vs. iPhone browser speed test sparks dispute

Google’s Nexus S smartphone is remarkably faster than iPhone 4 loading mobile web pages, says a study by Blaze Software — a study that Apple disputes.

Both devices are generally fast. The median load time with Nexus S was 2.144 seconds; for the iPhone load time was 3. 254 seconds.

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Blaze used Fortune 1000 websites for the test. There were 45,000 load tests in all. Android-based Nexus S was faster 4 times out of 5.

But Apple disputes the validity of Blaze’s testing. “Their testing is flawed,” Apple spokeswoman Natalie Kerris told CNET, noting that Blaze used a proprietary app with an embedded Web browser instead of Apple’s Safari browser.

Both browsers have a new JavaScript engine for better performance. According to Blaze, they were not much faster than previous versions. The average user does not necessarily notice any difference in download times. The performance improvements “seem to be reserved to JavaScript benchmarks and high-complexity apps”, the study said.

The Nexus S was running Google’s Android 2.3 operating system and a version of Google’s Chrome browser. Apple’s iPhone 4 was running the iOS 4.3 operating system and a Safari browser. Blaze tested the download times mostly over Wi-FI connected to a fast DSL line. There was also some 3G testing. In the tests Wi-Fi was usually faster but only by 0.5 seconds.

Google and Apple are fierce rivals in the smartphone market. But this is not the first time Apple has bristled at insinuations that Web browsing on its hardware is slower than rival platforms. Wired pointed out that Internet Explorer ran slowly on Macs in 2002. Less than a year later, Apple revealed the first version of its Safari Web browser.

Via Computerworld

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