iPad vs Surface boot speed test

By Jeff Benjamin on Oct 27, 2012

Just a few minutes ago, I pitted the newly released Microsoft Surface against the 3rd generation iPad with Retina Display. Keep in mind that neither tablet is a slouch when it comes to specs, and that this isn’t exactly a scientific test. Still, some of you might be surprised as to which tablet came out on top in a cold boot speed test.

I won’t spoil the results, but if you’re interested in seeing it for yourself, head inside and check out our iPad vs Microsoft Surface boot test video… Read More

 

iPod touch 5th generation vs iPod touch 4th generation boot test

By Jeff Benjamin on Oct 10, 2012

Ah, the obligatory boot up test comparing previous generation hardware with brand new hardware is here. This time around we’re comparing the new iPod touch 5th generation with the outgoing iPod touch 4th generation.

Which one do you think will win? Check out our video for the admittedly unsurprising results.

 

iPhone 5 LTE Speedtest

By Jeff Benjamin on Sep 21, 2012

Is LTE really all it’s cracked up to be on the iPhone 5? Take a look at our speed test, as we test Verizon’s LTE, and compare it to Verizon’s own 3G offering. I think the results speak for themselves, don’t you?

 

Google Chrome vs Safari speed test on iPhone

By Jeff Benjamin on Jun 28, 2012

It’s funny to hear so many reports about how much slower than Safari Google Chrome will inevitably be, due to its lack of access to the Nitro Javascript engine. While that may be true from a technical standpoint, and no doubt data heads will be able to show me numbers that back that fact up, in real world usage, such stats tend to be tossed to the sidelines.

I’m not going to claim that the following speed test is anything close to scientific, but it will give you a decent idea as to what to expect from Google Chrome.

So, who won our speed test? Check inside for the details… Read More

 

iPad 2 vs the new iPad boot up speed test

By Jeff Benjamin on Mar 18, 2012

Which one boots up faster? The answer to this question is pretty obvious if you take into consideration that the new iPad has more technical resources at its disposal than its predecessor.

While the iPad 2 is certainly no slouch in the performance department, the new iPad — as expected — defeated it on boot up tests every time.

Check out our hands-on comparison inside…. Read More

 

Sprint Rolls Out Network Improvements to Fix iPhone Slow Data Issues

By Cody Lee on Dec 1, 2011

Since the iPhone 4S debuted in October, Sprint subscribers have been complaining about slow data speeds on the new handset. Several owners have been reporting dismal 3G download speeds of less than 1mbps on America’s third largest wireless network.

Sprint commented on the situation earlier this month, stating that it was taking the issue seriously. And it seems to have made good on its word, as CNET is reporting that the carrier has started rolling out network enhancements to fix the problem… Read More

 

Kindle Fire vs iPad 2: Bootup Times, Web Browsing, and Netflix Streaming

By Jeff Benjamin on Nov 15, 2011

I finally acquired my highly anticipated Kindle Fire this morning, and I’ve been putting it through its paces all day long.

It’s a decent first attempt by Amazon, and it has tons of potential, but it still suffers from the fact that it’s a first generation device.

Even still, we thought it only appropriate to compare Apple’s latest tablet to Kindle Fire. How does the iPad 2 stack up to Amazon’s debut entry into the tablet race? Check out the interesting — yet ultimately unscientific — video comparison inside… Read More

 

Sprint Comments On iPhone 4S Data Speed Complaints

By Cody Lee on Oct 18, 2011

This weekend marked the first time that Sprint was ever able to offer Apple’s popular smartphone to its customers. The carrier’s been waiting for 4 years now to gain access to the coveted handset.

But even though the new iPhone helped the company set a single-day sales record, the weekend launch didn’t go as smoothly as planned. Several Sprint subscribers have been complaining about the device’s 3G browsing speeds… Read More

 

Sprint iPhone Owners Complaining About Slow 3G Data Speeds

By Oliver Haslam on Oct 16, 2011

You have to feel for Sprint customers, don’t you? First they had to wait four years to get their hands on an iPhone, and now that they have it, their data network doesn’t appear to be coping too well.

As Macrumors is now reporting, there is now a fairly long thread developing over at the Sprint support forums, where iPhone owners are reporting issues, mainly of the “my iPhone’s 3G data connection is soo slow” variety… Read More

 

iPhone 4S Showdown: AT&T vs. Verizon vs. Sprint Speed Test!

By Jeff Benjamin on Oct 14, 2011

AT&T has not one, but two worthy competitors ready to battle it out for iPhone 4S supremacy, and this time the playing field is far more level than it’s ever been.

No longer is Verizon relegated to playing catchup, and did you hear? There’s a new kid in town named Sprint.

How does the iPhone 4S match up on America’s three biggest mobile providers in terms of sheer network speed? We’d thought you’d never ask. Tune in as we go head to head…to head.

Yep, we’ve got three iPhone 4S’, running on three different networks, exposed on video… Read More

 

iPhone 5 Will Likely Take Samsung Galaxy S II’s Fastest GPU Trophy

By Cody Lee on Sep 12, 2011

In the ever-changing world of Android handsets, there has been one device that has consistently stood out among the crowd — The Samsung Galaxy S II. The phone has been dominating European sales charts for several months, and has recently landed stateside.

Nearly 4 times as fast as the iPhone 4, the Galaxy S II’s processor/GPU combo is the fastest in the industry according to Anandtech. But how will the speediest smartphone in the business stack up against Apple’s yet-to-be-announced iPhone 5? Read More

 

HTML5 Tests Show Mobile Safari Much Faster in iOS 5

By Cody Lee on Jun 21, 2011

Mobile Safari has received some major updates in iOS 5. We’ve seen new features added like private browsing and Reading List. On top of that, the mobile browser now allows web apps to utilize the Nitro engine, which greatly improves the web app experience.

Multiple sites are reporting that Apple has also improved Mobile Safari’s overall performance in the new firmware. We confirm the speculation by running an HTML5 speed test with an iPad on iOS 5. Just how fast is Apple’s mobile browser? Read More

 

Web App Performance in iOS 5 Greatly Improved

By Alex Heath on Jun 18, 2011

Web app performance in iOS 4 has been disappointing. It’s been speculated that Apple has been intentionally handicapping web app performance in iOS 4. When websites are launched from the iPhone’s homescreen, loading times become much longer than when a site is opened straight from the Mobile Safari app.

In iOS 5, it’s been discovered that fullscreen web apps from the homescreen can access the Nitro Javascript engine that sped up Mobile Safari in iOS 4.3. These “dynamic-codesigning” privileges allow for a much faster web app experience in iOS 5.

Read More

 

Speed Test: iOS 5 vs iOS 4.3.3

By iDB Staff on Jun 8, 2011

So I’ve been playing with iOS 5 beta 1 on my iPhone 3GS for a couple of days now and my first impression is that it looks really good. Good enough to make me consider giving up my jailbreak and unlock to install iOS 5 on my iPhone 4 – don’t worry, I won’t.

One thing I’ve noticed about Apple’s latest beta is that it is a little sluggish. I know an iPhone 3GS isn’t the ideal device to test a new OS on, so I thought I’d put it to the test against the same device, but on the current iOS 4.3.3… Read More

 

AT&T Shows off LTE Speeds Expected to Appear in iPhones Next Year

By Cody Lee on May 20, 2011

Stacey Higginbotham got a tour of AT&T’s Foundry space in Plano, Texas on Wednesday. Not only did the GigaOM author get to rub elbows with the carrier’s SVP of application and service infrastructure John Summers, she also got to witness their LTE in action.

LTE stands for Long Term Evolution and has been a popular choice for 4th generation technology among wireless carriers. Verizon deployed their LTE service late last year, and other than a few hiccups, the service has been widely popular. So how will AT&T stack up? Read More

 

T-Mobile Challenges iPhone Users in Seattle Area, Offers $1000 Prize

By Kickstar13 on Apr 28, 2011

Want to win $1000? Well, you can if you live in the Seattle area and your iPhone bandwidth speeds are faster than T-Mobile’s new flagship Android smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S 4G.

T-Mobile is publicly challenging all iPhone owners (Verizon and AT&T) in the Seattle area to a speed test against the T-Mobile Galaxy S 4G. T-Mobile states that if any iPhone user in that area is able to beat the Galaxy S 4G in a speed test, they will reward them with a $1,000 cash prize. Read More

 

AT&T iPhone 4 Beats Android 4G in Upload Test

By Cody Lee on Mar 9, 2011

4G Android handset users are pretty upset over their not so 4G upload speeds. This past month, AT&T rolled out their first pair of 4G phones which operate on the carrier’s 4G HSPA+ network. Even though AT&T has upgraded their entire network to HSPA+, it is only available in areas that have the new backhaul to support it.

How fast are these 4G devices? AT&T is claiming that in areas where 4G is lit up, they are seeing download speeds of up to 6 Mbps. There is no mention of upload speed. But Android users are flocking to web forums, claiming their 4G phones are losing to 3G iPhones in data speed tests….

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AT&T iPhone Beats Verizon’s in Data Speed Tests

By Cody Lee on Mar 7, 2011

Verizon might win the coverage war, but AT&T takes the crown for the fastest data download speeds. That is, of course, according to Metrico Wireless. An independent mobile device performance evaluation company out of Maryland, Metrico has been advising companies on launch readiness of their wireless products and services for years.

According to their latest report, which includes thousands of field tests between 5 U.S. cities, AT&T clearly has the faster data. Metrico ran more than 10,000 web page downloads in Dallas, New York City, Seattle, Chicago, and Baltimore. They also ran more than 2,000 data download and upload tests, as well as over 4,000 voice calls… Read More

 

iOS 4.3 vs iOS 4.2.1 Safari Web Browsing Speed Comparison

By Kickstar13 on Mar 5, 2011

At Apple’s iPad 2 Event earlier this week, one of the major improvements in iOS 4.3 was Mobile Safari performance.

Steve Jobs claimed that Apple has included the new Nitro JavaScript engine in iOS 4.3 which now powers Safari. According to Apple, the new Nitro JavaScript engine, not only improves web browsing responsiveness, but also runs JavaScript up to twice as fast as iOS 4.2.1, resulting in web pages and interactive features loading faster than ever before.

Read More