iPhone 4S Crushes Android Phones in Web Browsing Benchmark Results

In case you haven't heard, Apple's new iPhone 4S was released today. The phone is powered by Apple's new dual-core A5 chip, which Apple claims can deliver up to two times more power and seven times faster graphics performance than the iPhone 4.

We'll have a full review of the phone up shortly, but first we wanted to put the 4S through a series of benchmark tests to see how it stacks up against the competition. Take a look at the charts below, which illustrate how the iPhone 4S compares to previous generations of the iPhone, as well as some head-to-head Web performance benchmarks, against current PCMag Editors' Choice smartphones on AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon.

In short, these benchmarks tell us that the iPhone 4S is the fastest iPhone so far, and the fastest smartphone in general for Web browsing.

iPhone 4S Benchmarks 1

iPhone 4S Benchmarks 2

Looking at the system performance benchmarks, the iPhone 4 tops out at just over half the performance level of the new 4S. GeekBench, an overall system performance benchmark, shows the iPhone 4 running iOS 5 scoring 383, as compared to 617 on the 4S. GLBenchmark 2.1 Egypt High, a graphics benchmark, shows an even greater difference, with the iPhone 4S besting the iPhone 4 by more than 500 percent.

While the iPhone 3GS shows a higher number for graphics performance than the iPhone 4, that's because the screen resolution on the 3GS is significantly lower than the screen resolution on the iPhone 4. Taking that into account, graphics performance on the iPhone 4 is still twice as fast as the 3GS, though both are easily eclipsed by the 4S.

The 4S wins out on Web performance as well, but there's something interesting happening here if you look closely. An iPhone 3GS running iOS 5 scored significantly better on the Web benchmarks than an iPhone 4 running iOS 4. Even though the iPhone 4 is the more powerful of the two devices, this difference shows us that iOS 5 delivers a significant boost to Javascript performance. So if you're using an iPhone 4 or an iPhone 3GS, make sure to update your device to iOS 5.

Compared to the latest and greatest Android devices, the iPhone 4S is still tops for Web browsing. It scored significantly better than the Motorola Droid Bionic on Verizon, the Motorola Photon on Sprint, and the Samsung Galaxy S II on AT&T. But again, these benchmarks aren't completely what they seem.

Honeycomb-based tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab 8.9, for instance, score Web performance benchmarks very much similar to the iPhone 4S. And hardware-wise, the Galaxy Tab is using a processor similar to the Samsung Galaxy S II on AT&T. This shows us that Honeycomb is better-optimized for Web performance than Gingerbread, the latest version of Android available for smartphones.

All of this is likely to change next week, when Google unveils "Ice Cream Sandwich", the latest version of Android for smartphones and tablets. This update will likely include the Web performance improvements in Honeycomb and bring them to smartphones, which will result in better scores.

But whether or not that happens remains to be seen, and Ice Cream Sandwich will likely not be available as an update for most Android phones for a while. So for now, if you're looking for the best iPhone, or the fastest Web browsing experience on a smartphone, the iPhone 4S is the phone to get.

For more, see PCMag's full review of the iPhone 4S and the slideshow below.

About Our Expert

Alex Colon

Executive Editor, Reviews

My Experience

I’m PCMag’s executive editor of reviews, steering our coverage to make sure we're testing the products you're interested in buying and telling you whether they're worth it. I've been here for more than 10 years. I previously managed the consumer electronics reviews team, and before that, I covered mobile, smart home, and wearable technology for PCMag and Gigaom.

My Areas of Expertise

I’ve written hundreds of reviews of cell phones, fitness trackers, robot vacuums, smartwatches, and various other products.
I’ve also edited thousands of reviews and articles on consumer electronics technologies and products.

The Technology I Use

I’m writing this bio on my 24-inch blue iMac, which I initially bought for personal use, but quickly decided to use for work instead of my tiny, company-issued ThinkPad (sorry, IT team). The screen is big, bright, and sharp, and the speakers are surprisingly good considering how thin the machine is.

The other big screen in my life is a 65-inch LG C9 OLED TV. If you’re wondering whether OLED is worth the premium over LCD, I’m here to tell you that it is.

I’d be doing my beloved LG C9 a disservice if I didn’t have it hooked up to a capable sound system, so I have a Sonos Beam sitting on a media console underneath the TV, and two Sonos Ones set up as rear channels for surround sound. If you’re a Sonos user, I highly recommend adding the Sonos Sub to your setup. It’s definitely a little more expensive than it should be, but it's truly money well spent.

Of course, as an editor, I also do plenty of reading that isn’t related to work, and I love to sit down with a good, old-fashioned, paper-and-ink book. But when carrying a book isn’t convenient, I break out my first-generation Kindle Paperwhite, which is still working just fine nearly 10 years in.

With 15 years of experience in tech, Alex guides PCMag's product testing to help you decide what's worth buying and how to get the most out of it.

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