The iPhone Performance Illusion: A Stark Reality Check for Web Developers
This article exposes a significant performance gap in mobile web applications. Using data from Rum Archive, the author compares UK iOS and Android users' web page loading speeds, revealing Android users experience 34% slower First Contentful Paint (FCP) and a staggering 66% slower Time To Interactive (TTI). Analyzing the correlation between GeekBench CPU scores and Interaction to Next Paint (INP), the author shows that low-end Android devices exhibit significantly higher INP times than high-end devices, with even older iPhones outperforming the latest top-tier Android phones. The author stresses that the large Android user base shouldn't be ignored; neglecting their experience leads to lost opportunities. The article urges developers to understand user device diversity, use RUM tools to gain insights into real-world conditions, and simulate low-end devices during development and testing to create more inclusive web apps.