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Android 2.2 demolishes iOS4 in JavaScript benchmarks

Google's Android mobile operating system got some significant performance improvements in version 2.2, codenamed Froyo.  A high-performance JIT was introduced in Android's Dalvik runtime environment and the browser got some very deep optimizations.

Ars Technica Ryan Paul

Context & Ripple Effects

Froyo had been framed ahead of Google I/O as an Android and Google TV release, and a May browser speed comparison had already focused attention on mobile web performance. The release’s Dalvik JIT and browser work make that performance contest a platform-level issue rather than a handset-by-handset anecdote.

The result also fits Google’s wider push toward web software, including its announced Chrome Web Store for web-app purchases: faster JavaScript makes the mobile browser a more credible destination for application-like services.

First-order effects

  • Android 2.2 users gain materially faster execution for JavaScript-heavy pages, while Google can market Froyo’s browser performance directly against iOS 4.
  • Google’s Android engineering effort shifts more of the platform’s perceived speed advantage into the Dalvik runtime and browser, not only device hardware.

Second-order effects

  • Apple’s iOS browser team faces a clearer performance comparison from Android, raising the competitive importance of JavaScript execution in browser releases.
  • Web developers serving Android gain a stronger case for browser-delivered experiences, aligning with Google’s effort to create a commercial channel for web apps.

Third-order effects

  • If mobile operating-system releases continue to compete on browser runtimes, JavaScript performance becomes a core platform differentiator alongside native application ecosystems.
  • The larger competitive boundary shifts toward the browser as an application runtime, where runtime engineering can influence which platform best supports web-based services.

The trend: Mobile platforms are turning browser and runtime performance into a strategic contest for web applications and services.

Related: Browser as agent runtime · Android · Android 2.2 browser speed test · Google