Which Browser Should You Be Running On Your iPad And iPhone?

By Adam Overa
published

Welcome to our first ever mobile Web Browser Grand Prix! How do Web browsers on iOS, the world's number-one tablet platform, compare? Today, Yahoo! Axis, Google Chrome, Dolphin, Maxthon, Apple Safari, and Sleipnir vie for supremacy on the third-gen iPad.

Benchmark Results: JavaScript Performance

JavaScript Composite Score

The JavaScript composite score is the geometric mean of the results from RIABench JavaScript, Google's modified version of Apple SunSpider, Mozilla Kraken, Google Octane, FutureMark Peacekeeper, and RightWare BrowserMark.

Safari absolutely wrecks the competition with its unsporting Nitro JavaScript engine advantage, nearly tripling the scores of the other iOS-based browsers. The third-party iOS browsers, which all share Safari's old JS engine, essentially tie for second place.

Drill Down

The charts below contain the individual results for each JavaScript performance benchmark.

Note: The single RIABench score that gets factored in to the JavaScript composite is derived from the geometric mean of all nine JavaScript RIABench tests.

RIABench
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SunSpider
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Octane
Adam Overa
38 Comments Comment from the forums
  • esrever
    All of them are the same since apple doesn't give developers any freedom.
    Reply
  • ksampanna
    I mean, c'mon ... bt obviously
    Reply
  • LuckyDucky7
    Was this review even necessary?
    There is no choice of browsers on iOS. None. Every "browser" is just a sub-par Safari wrapper.

    It's not like people buy iOS devices for the ability to tailor the device to their liking, after all- it's not called the "reality distortion field" for nothing.
    Reply
  • victorious 3930k
    You may have forgotten the useful extra features category, where Chrome for iOS wins by MILES.
    Reply
  • murzar
    But Tom's Hardware, I hate Apple. What about Android?

    Such condescension! What about people who actually like Android more? Or find its features more beneficial?

    Not every Android user hates Apple.


    Reply
  • barathn
    I like the last paragraph
    Reply
  • gamecube
    I hope next week we see not only tablet review. I'm more interested in the phone part of Android.

    And Ubuntu just release 12.10. This is a good time to have another Ubuntu Web Browser Grand Prix.
    Reply
  • I'm curious what the benchmarks would be like if they installed the Nitrous Cydia tweak, which allows third party apps to use the Nitro engine. Any chance we can get a follow-up?
    Reply
  • no IE ?
    Reply
  • amdfangirl
    no IE ?

    On iOS?
    Reply