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Chrome Beta for Android crushes competition on HTML5

Posted: , by Michael H.

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Chrome Beta for Android crushes competition on HTML5
Chrome Beta for Android  was just released earlier today, and we decided to put the new browser through some HTML5 tests, and the results were not just impressive for a mobile browser, they were impressive for any browser. We're sure that Sencha is working on some more in-depth HTML5 tests as we speak, but based on what we found in some informal testing, Chrome for Android is looking very good. This is probably for the best as Chrome Beta doesn't support Flash right now.

Chrome Beta for Android crushes competition on HTML5
First off, Chrome for Android came up with a perfect 100/100 on the Acid3 test, and even better than that, there were no issues with the rendering. The Acid3 test has a habit of giving out a perfect score to browsers even when there are visible mistakes in the reference image, but Chrome nailed it. 

Next, we went to HTML5test.com and this is where the real power in Chrome was on display. An interesting note here, when the HTML5 test picked up the browser info, it said that we were using Chrome Beta 16.0.912.75 on a Samsung Galaxy Nexus running Android 4.0.2. The interesting thing is the version number for Chrome, which is actually the version number for the current stable release of the Chrome desktop browser, even though the Chrome Beta for Android is listed in the Android Market as version 0.16.4130.199. So, it looks like Google is aiming for the same parity between mobile and desktop that Mozilla has found with Firefox (at least in version number). 

Chrome Beta for Android crushes competition on HTML5
The results on the HTML5 tests were stellar. Chrome Beta for Android had an overall score of 343 out of 475 points, which not only put it well above any other mobile browsers (the next highest are Firefox 10 at 315 points and iOS Safari at 305 points, with Windows Phone 7.5 coming in dead last in mobile browsers with a score of 141 points,) but it also put the browser second amongst all browsers on mobile or desktop. The only browser higher is Chrome's desktop counterpart at 373 points. 

Digging into the point system, Chrome Beta stacked up well in most categories, but lost the most points in "User Interaction", WebGL, Microdata, Local Multimedia, Notifications, and Audio API segments of the test. Of course, even in these, Chrome Beta had the same bad scores as Chrome desktop for Microdata and Local Multimedia (meaning neither could access a webcam via HTML5.) 

Chrome Beta for Android crushes competition on HTML5
Last, we decided to take a run into Google's enemy territory and run some of Microsoft's IE Test Drive HTML5 demos to see how things ran. In these tests, Chrome Beta showed off some impressive muscle when it came to hardware acceleration. It averaged about 15 FPS on the Fish Tank demo, which isn't amazing, but does come in at twice as fast as Firefox 10. Additionally, Chrome Beta logged 43 FPS on the Speed Reading demo, which was quite speedy compared to Firefox's 18 FPS. On the same test we've seen the iPhone 4S with iOS 5 hitting a crazy 60 FPS, and the Nokia Lumia 800 with WP 7.5 coming in at around 40 FPS. 

Chrome Beta for Android crushes competition on HTML5
Not all of the IE tests worked out so well. It took Chrome Beta a couple tries to get our location correct with the Geolocation test, and the first attempt was off by a mile (literally one mile.) Also, the CPU Power States Meter test came up with a pretty bad score, meaning the callback interval is too short, so the CPU can't enter a sleep state, and it could effect battery consumption. Of course, no browser that we tested could post a high score on that test, including Chrome Desktop. Also, the test didn't accurately pull the browser info, claiming that we were using Apple Safari rather than Chrome for Android. So, we're not sure how reliable that test is. It seems like a test that may have been created to show off something that Microsoft built into IE simply to be able to make a test that all other browsers will fail.

Of course, the testing is just one side of it. Simply using Chrome for Android for a few minutes and you'll see how smooth it is and how well it renders pages. Maybe the best thing for us is that Chrome Beta is the first mobile browser that allows us to properly use the PhoneArena Control Panel for creating/editing our posts. That's a pretty impressive feat.

It looks like Chrome Beta is setting a new standard for HTML5 performance on mobile devices, and we are certainly impressed. We'll be looking around for more tests to perform, so if you have any suggestions, just let us know. We'll be adding the SunSpider test results to this post in a little while, but if you know any other tests, we'll give them a try. *Update* We've run Chrome Beta through SunSpider a few times and it performed admirably, but not amazingly. Firefox 10 bested it every time, averaging a total time of about 1700ms, while Chrome Beta came in at around 1900ms and the stock ICS browser at 2100ms. So, Google still has some work to do there, but it's still better than the competition as iOS 5 tends to come in at around 2300ms and IE9 on Windows Phone Mango hasn't cracked 7000ms in any test we've seen (and lower is better). 

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1. shelley.bevacqua posted on 07 Feb 2012, 15:26 7 4

Awesome I just love samsong
and ice cream sandwiches

Reply

2. shelley.bevacqua posted on 07 Feb 2012, 15:29 10

I I love to google

Reply

9. remixfa posted on 07 Feb 2012, 16:03 1 5

another fake account.. wow

Reply

14. jove39 posted on 07 Feb 2012, 16:45

Pretty face is strategy to get thumbs up...lol

Anyway I am installing chrome on my vibrant tonight...will see how it performs on OCed hummingbird

Reply

19. protozeloz posted on 07 Feb 2012, 18:32

Fake? 0.0

Reply

3. Confucio posted on 07 Feb 2012, 15:33

If Chrome is that good, and it is still a Beta version, I can`t imagine how good it will be when the full version comes out!!!!!!!!!!

Reply

8. ivanko34 posted on 07 Feb 2012, 15:56 2

I think google likes to put "beta" even if it is fully working tested validated
maybe because there is always something to fix or improve

Reply

10. ph00ny posted on 07 Feb 2012, 16:10 1

lol at google and their "Beta"s

Reply

4. imkyle posted on 07 Feb 2012, 15:34

I have a question for you guys. Apple iPad plays the videos on PA on HTML5, but when I visit PA on Chrome Beta on my Xoom, I cannot play the videos?

Reply

7. nak1017 posted on 07 Feb 2012, 15:56

Chrome is supposed to run on ICS
Even if you've got a custom ICS ROM for your Xoom, who knows if it'll work 100%. This is why it's still beta too I'm guessing...

Reply

11. MichaelHeller posted on 07 Feb 2012, 16:26

Not sure what the issue is, but I do see the same problem on my Nexus. The videos do work when you follow them to the mobile YouTube site tho.

Reply

12. imkyle posted on 07 Feb 2012, 16:32

Thanks for the responses.

Reply

15. Evil_SaNz posted on 07 Feb 2012, 17:27

On sunspider is behind stock and firefox, but it's beta ;)

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21. MichaelHeller posted on 07 Feb 2012, 19:31

I found Chrome to be in between the two. Firefox was a bit faster, but stock was a bit slower.

Reply

23. Evil_SaNz posted on 07 Feb 2012, 20:28

How is Chrome compared to Opera and Dolphin? Opera seems the faster to me but it's tricky to use in sites like fb and has some rendering errors sometimes. Dolphin is slower but behaves correctly with fb (desktop mode).

Reply

16. kadalil posted on 07 Feb 2012, 17:28 1 5

Srzly,ios safari over ie9?iphonearena has started again,ie9 was proved to be twice as much as safari Using html5,and this what u guys ve to say?.................total crap!!!!

Reply

22. MichaelHeller posted on 07 Feb 2012, 19:34 2

Srzlysrly, we didn't pick Safari over IE9, we just passed along the rankings from HTML5test.com. Based on their testing, IE9 comes in dead last with a score of 141. That's what we saw, that's what we reported. Any bias is squarely in your eyes, not our words.

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17. andro. posted on 07 Feb 2012, 17:47 1

Great news,and this comes after all the constant ramblings from ifans of flash being dead,ifans never wanted or needed flash and constant ifan nonsense trying to offset their lack of flash by trying to boast the future use of html5 in iphones.

Android not surfs with complete flash browsing but also it seems its top dog for html5.

Reply

18. protozeloz posted on 07 Feb 2012, 17:53

As expected from the fastest computer browser to play the fastest mobile browser. Even in beta I can't wait for the final version!

Reply

20. harimura posted on 07 Feb 2012, 18:40 1

Just downloaded and first impressions are that it's very quick. Lets see if its still quick in a week

Reply

25. thelegend6657 posted on 08 Feb 2012, 02:30

How's the performance on transformer prime ?

Reply

26. eaphx posted on 08 Feb 2012, 09:23 1

Internet explorer single core 1.4Mhz ,7.5 mango scores higher scores than this...

Reply

27. kickinbass posted on 08 Feb 2012, 11:53

question, is this just a trial version for some droids or all? ie. Bionic or Thunderbolt?

Reply

28. CUL8TR posted on 09 Feb 2012, 10:20

GALITOKING
CHACK
THE MIZZ
TACO

ISH&&P
ISL%%S
ITRM%:-$

ADOBE FLASH IS REALLY FLASHY EXPENSIVE CALM GIRL OR HKR SHE HAS SXY SMOOTH LEGS WALKS IN TINY REDSKIRTS ALK OVER THE WEB SHE IS INTERACTIVE LIKES TO FLASHHER PARTS AND DO NEAT TRICKS ANY ONE WHO PAYS SERVER LICENSING FEES

ON THE OTHER HAND

HTML5 IS LIKE UR GOOD OLD WIFE FREE CHEAP WHO HAS RAISED IN THE COUNTRY PROBABLY HAS HAIRY LEGS AND WEARS THE SAME NICKERS SINCE 2003 SHE WINT DO MISSNRY POSTION WITH OUT JAVASCRIPTING HER

Reply

29. CUL8TR posted on 09 Feb 2012, 10:21

GALITOKING
CHACK
THE MIZZ
TACO

ISH&&P
ISL%%S
ITRM%:-$

ADOBE FLASH IS REALLY FLASHY EXPENSIVE CALM GIRL OR HKR SHE HAS SXY SMOOTH LEGS WALKS IN TINY REDSKIRTS ALK OVER THE WEB SHE IS INTERACTIVE LIKES TO FLASHHER PARTS AND DO NEAT TRICKS ANY ONE WHO PAYS SERVER LICENSING FEES

ON THE OTHER HAND

HTML5 IS LIKE UR GOOD OLD WIFE FREE CHEAP WHO HAS RAISED IN THE COUNTRY PROBABLY HAS HAIRY LEGS AND WEARS THE SAME NICKERS SINCE 2003 SHE WINT DO MISSNRY POSTION WITH OUT JAVASCRIPTING HER

Reply

30. gallitoking posted on 09 Feb 2012, 15:04

you do have lots of free time.. you do have lots of free time. (see how I repeated in the same comment)

Reply

33. alpinejason posted on 14 Feb 2012, 04:27

whatever do you really think that the girl in that pic is the one who actually posted that lame ass comment?i don't think so

Reply
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