A few speed tests done on the new iPhone 3GS pitting it both against the old iPhone as well as its main rivals. So far, these have either been eyeball tests or page rendering/boot time tests that take a bunch of variables into account. Mobile analytics and advertising company Medialets has released numbers for a test that it considers to be the most direct line of comparison for the iPhone 3GS against the iPhone 3G, the Palm Pre and the Android G1. And once again, the 3GS blows everyone away.
In Medialets test, they are specifically testing WebKit JavaScript performance. This makes sense since all these devices have a WebKit-based browser. WebKit offers a JavaScript test suite, SunSpider, which is used to determine the results. And just to make clear how fast the iPhone 3GS’ JavaScript speed is, Medialets set a 2GHz Core 2 Duo MacBook as the baseline.
Compared to the MacBook, the iPhone 3G running the iPhone OS 2.2.1 software had JavaScript performance that was 96 times worse. Meanwhile, an iPhone 3G running the iPhone 3.0 software was on 36 times worse. A T-Mobile G1 running the new Android 1.5 “Cupcake” software was 67 times worse than the baseline. And the Palm Pre was 36 times worse, equalling the iPhone 3G running the 3.0 software. So how did the iPhone 3GS do? It’s performance was only 12 times worse that of the MacBook — three times better than the Pre.
That’s pretty incredible when you think about it. Sure, this is only a JavaScript test, and hardly indicative of everything you can do on the device, but JavaScript is an integral part of the web, and sites continue to use it more and more as websites get more robust. And the rate of improvement that the iPhone is seeing in performance in that regards means that soon we could see a mobile device that handles the web just as fast as an actual computer.
The CrunchBase widgets and the large image appear even on the homepage. Is this supposed to happen?
Sad that am not eligible for upgrade but upgrade to 3.0 OS doesn’t sucks that much
… 36X is definitely worse compared to 12X but still we don’t have a choice….
This is extremely important. Every tech person knows that Javascript is the core performance metric for iphone applications. Without Javascript performance, you might as well use your phone as a paper weight.
Oh, and I’m selling a bridge just in case you’re looking.
Now if only they could stop the iPhone browser from frequently hanging and crashing they might have something useful.
By the way, if that bridge is located in New York City, I’m definately interested.
Hi MG,
I’m not surprised by the results. I know that iPhone 3G S is the best smartphone so far. Your post just validated my belief and gave me a reason to seriously think about getting one.
Thanks for the great review.
Mani Raj
Havoc Marketing
Amazing!!! I gotta buy 3GS!
How much do you guys get for every iPhone sales pitch?
So how much force did they use to make you read this blog?
Idiotic comments like this speak volumes for the product itself. If every review of the iPhone seems like a sales pitch from its reviewers… the product itself must be great… I have yet to stumble upon an article from any blog or news publication that doesn’t sound like praise for the phone… it’s a kick ass product. period.
So how much do you guys get for every iPhone sales pitch?
I really don’t think Apple needs the help of Techcrunch to sell iPhones. We get it though, you’re tired of seeing Apple and Twitter posts. Here is the solution: Go read another blog.
Never said a word about Twitter posts. Never said a word about Apple posts either. In fact I love Apple. Only thing I was referring to is the fanboyism and I don’t think I’m the only one.
Also, ‘Go read another blog’ sure is an awesome way of dealing with criticism brother…
In fact… it is. When someone says something you don’t like, you have 2 options… don’t listen, or complain about how you don’t like it. You taking the latter path is pointless, and posting that retarded comment twice means you don’t have enough to do right now…
Not to split hairs, but 12x worse than a Macbook is nowhere near “Approaches MacBook Speed”. It is, in fact, over an order of magnitude slower.
sure, but look at the huge jumps its made just from 2.2.1 to 3.0 with 3GS. it’s going to get there sooner than you imagine, I suspect.
It’s going to get there just as soon as they put a desktop-class processor into the iPhone. It’s not like the build of Safari on the phone is an aggressively stripped down ‘miniature web’ experience that they can optimize until it’s faster than a desktop browser – the best they can do is get the most out of the hardware, which is never going to approach the performance of an equivalent desktop machine.
‘Approaches MacBook Speed’ is a fundamentally worthless statement in this case. ‘Three times as fast as previous iPhones’ or even ‘Three times as fast as competitors’ would have been accurate and still interesting.
Yeah man, my bicycle approaches Murcielago speed.
There is no doubt that the 3GS is fast. I used a friend’s phone and was very impressed by the list. Almost impressed enough to purchase one (but I held off).
My question, though, is how the test was conducts? I am assuming a WiFi network to take out the network as being a factor in the test but can that be verified?
Also, what is the real world example on the AT&T network? The general rule was always that the network is the slowest aspect of the entire experience.
@jhzafrani & @tdub Actually the SunSpider Benchmark is not affected at all by network speed or latency. It only measures the time that it takes the JavaScript within the test to execute on the device. That execution takes place after the test code is completely downloaded, so it’s inconsequential to the results.
pfffft look at the “rivals” there is no chance killing the iphone, it’s just too good and too popular to be killed by a phone made by Palm.
Are these real life tests using the network? Or just theoretical tests offline? I wonder whether each phones 3G (or lack or 3G) networks makes these comparisons moot since the network could be the bottleneck.
I don’t think that many people visit javascript heavy webpages on their iphones. For example, Gmail is run in an application, not in the browser. I don’t buy my phone based on how fast it can load up javascript. I buy it based on applications, cost, speed (of the connection), memory, features, etc.
there is no gmail iphone app, it’s only in the browser or via the email app.
Where is the test to see which phone loads 5 applications faster at the same time.
try this out.
put the pre and iphone side by side:
pre: about 10 secs
iphone: come back in about a year
when i use my pre, i load an app, then another while the first is loading, then another, etc. then go back to what i want to use. or better yet, i really never close the apps.
when you are living in ancient cell phone era and have to hit:
HOME KEY / APP
HOME KEY / APP
HOME KEY / APP
HOME KEY / APP
(can’t help but chuckle)
it better be pretty fast.
The Pre was made for Girly hands. Enjoy.
Yes, the Pre has better multitasking than the iPhone. BFD.
I’ve had an iPhone for 2 years and can’t think of a time when I wanted better multitasking than what’s included (yes, the iPhone does multitask, just not with third party apps). Why is it so critical to be able to use the fart application while you’re playing a game?
I can check my email while on the phone. I can check email while browsing. I can check my contacts lists while talking with someone. I can send an email while talking with someone. Just what are the other multitasking things that are so critical that they’re worth the problems you get with a Pre?
In order to get that useless multitasking advantage, you have to give up battery life, usability, and performance. No thanks.
Ok, now for the next multi tasking test on your Pre.
Start browsing the web. Take a phone call. While on the phone, continue browsing the web. Oops. So much for multitasking.
Same test on the iPhone 3G/3GS works fine.
The point is that all phones have issues. You pick your poison. For me, the most likely thing to multitask on is the iPod and that works fine on the iPhone. I would like Pandora to run in the background but it isn’t the end of the world that it doesn’t.
and how many more corny tests can the iphone come up with to try and seem relevant..
its cool to watch a company once in control squirm as someone as finally topped them. (pre)
does it cure cancer too?
mike, please fire this moron and get rid of his spam. or charge apple an advertising fee at the very least.
I’m still trying to figure you guys out. You know the ones that take the time to bash a man for pointing out great features of a kick ass product.
I’ve deduced the reasons for your hatred into the 3 most probable reasons: 1)You can’t afford an iPhone 2) You can afford one but don’t qualify for AT&T or T-Mobile service 3)You work for the competitors.
Unless you fall into option 3, In which your financial future relies on Apple’s products not succeeding, it is evident that you dudes need to check your insecurities. It’s just a fucking phone… ( and media player, and video camera, and web browser, and navigational device, and portable gaming device, and alarm clock, and flashlight, and Fart machine… I snuck these in just to make your cheeks red… assholes.)
How is it great? Javascript speed is not an issue for the great majority of webpages – WHICH people don’t even use because they’re using IPHONE APPS.
I guess you don’t know that because 1) You can’t afford an iPhone 2) You can afford one but don’t qualify for AT&T or T-Mobile service 3) You’re braindead.
“I’ve deduced the reasons for your hatred into the 3 most probable reasons: 1)You can’t afford an iPhone 2) You can afford one but don’t qualify for AT&T or T-Mobile service 3)You work for the competitors.”
Actually, there’s another reason which I think is more likely. There is a rabid band of people running around who hate Apple and everything about Apple and spend countless hours bashing any positive news about Apple products.
I’m not sure why, I guess they’re either jealous of people who use Apple products or so bitter that they’ve suffered with Windows for years.
For the record, Mac fans do get defensive and defend their choice rather vigorously. That, however, is fairly natural – to defend a product that you like when others attack it. These Apple-bashers, though, spend untold energy bashing a product (and company) that they have never used, will never use, and don’t have any contact with. That’s really rather sick.
I like my Buick Enclave. If I go around telling people it’s a great car (it is), that’s advocacy. If I were to run around telling everybody that the Mazda SUV stunk even though I had never driven one, that would be lunacy. But that’s what these Apple bashers do.
None of those three apply to me. I don’t hate Apple, but I generally don’t like the way they run their business. Everything is locked down, overly proprietary, and over-priced. The things they do well, they do very well, but I’m not as wowed by a snazzy interface so much as the overall feature set and that is something that Apple’s product has been inherently lacking over the past year. To still not have features available that have been available on the Motorola Razr for years is inexcusable imo. Really, the greatest thing about the IPhone to me has been the app store. The sheer volume of apps available has been really lights out and while most of them are utterly useless, a lot of good things have come out of it as well. I’d probably make the switch now, if it wasn’t such a money pit. To get the equivalent service I get now through Sprint (unlimited minutes, data, navigation, and TV) would cost me an extra 70 dollars a month. It’s not that I can’t pay that, I won’t pay it. The Palm Pre is a fantastic device, and I can do without a couple of stupid games for 70 dollars a month.
I think those results are spectacular…what’s wrong with you guys lol
Hmm… so the Pre’s performance is equivalent to a product that’s been out for 1-2 years (depending on which model of iPhone you compare to). And it’s only been out a few weeks. Not too shabby, Palm. Can’t wait to see how the Pre behaves after a little more optimization!
My question is why does Apple have to introduce the basically same phone every year to provide enhancements that others (BB, Android, etc) introduce through software updates?
Other than the camera lens fron 2 to 3.2 , why sell a new phone with the same design?
Isn’t that just one Major Ripoff to their customers?
Browser speed, video recording, cut n paste, MMS – they’re all just software updates???
This benchmark is not complete. I wish HTC ION aka saphire aka g2 is tested instead. G1 runs 533 Mhz processor as opposed to Iphone 3GS running 833 Mhz.
Why test new iphone against an old G1?