TiPb Video: iPhone 3G S vs Palm Pre: Browser Speed Test
We’re going to kick off the Palm Pre vs. iPhone 3G S excitement with a simple browser smackdown. The short version: the iPhone 3G S is faster in our video above, but the Pre is close and actually is edging out the iPhone after the just-applied 1.03 webOS update. The part you actually should pay attention to is "time to content," i.e. how long it takes to load up the stuff you actually want to read as opposed to the javascripty-bits. Bottom line: speed-wise there’s a hair’s-breadth between the two browsers, it’s so close that you really ought not be making your purchase decision based on it — or bragging about it either way.
Feature-wise, we give the edge to the iPhone 3G S — they are on version 3.0 while the Pre is just getting started at 1.02 / 1.03. The ability to pop up a link in a new browser window is quite nice — not to mention Autofill. I myself prefer the Pre’s Card metaphor to the in-app tabs of Safari, but that ’s a matter of taste.
Stay tuned for more as we pit these devices against each other!
[cross-posted at PreCentral.net]
Update: As noted in the comments and in a raft of emails, you can open links in a new card on the Pre with Opt + Space + Tap. It works, but Palm, really, Opt + Tap isn’t really doing anything here. Just saying. Thanks everybody!
June 19th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
The lag from multi-tasking on the Pre was pretty significant considering only a few browser windows were open!
June 19th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Much better test than that pile of rubbish I saw on CNET recently. Not surprised by the iPhone’s superiority to be honest.
June 19th, 2009 at 5:50 pm
Nice comparison, Thanks
June 19th, 2009 at 5:59 pm
@dragonfly
So because the Pre won in the cnet test you think it’s a pile of rubbish. I actually found the cnet test to be more informative, fair and objective.
June 19th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
@ Stefan,
Know I said it was a pile of rubbish? Come on man, even Stevie Wonder could see that the Pre lost that test. Watch the video again and you’ll see that the Pre was still loading the page after the 3GS was done. For them to then declare the Pre the winner is just plain unprofessional.
June 19th, 2009 at 6:30 pm
@dragonfly
and the guy hitting start on the iphone first every time is what you would call professional?
June 19th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
THANKS for this! (since I requested it earlier this morning…haha)
June 19th, 2009 at 6:48 pm
Did we really think the Pre was gonna win this? Haha.
June 19th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Hey! I have a thought… WHO GIVES A SHIZNIT!!!
June 19th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Off subject here but are all the new apps utilizing the 1000 new API’s so widely advertised by apple. Shouldn’t we be seeing some of these by now?
June 19th, 2009 at 7:00 pm
u people are so ****** stupid is ludacris, dieter clearly stated that he has low sprint coverage and excellent at@t coverage, and our beloved iphone barely wins with a pre with 2 bars i feel ashamed. imagine if he had full sprint coverage… say no more.
June 19th, 2009 at 7:06 pm
@ appleking,
To be fair you have a point there, but at the same time the Pre still lost on a WiFi connection.
June 19th, 2009 at 7:09 pm
That was the worst test I have ever seen. I understand that this is an iphone website and all but come on that was an unfair test. As a matter of fact, after seeing this video I myself took the liberty in testing both devices on 3G (and unlike your test I have full coverage for both ATT and sprint) and the pre pulled up all the pages I tested way faster than the iphone. The Wi-Fi test on the other hand was a flat out tie. Some websites the iphone would excel in and others the pre would. So in conclusion your video fails. But if it makes you sleep better at night then go right ahead
June 19th, 2009 at 7:11 pm
First i’m not pre or iphone biased. I have a BB. That said how about a bit of enlightenment for you idiots.
1) As others have stated first half was rubbish. It was all coverage dependent so meh.
2) Iphone is on it’s 3rd gen. Pre is 1st gen. 1st gen phone that is slightly behind by a few seconds, not to mention he did push the iphone button first.
3) along the lines of 2. since pre is 1st gen it hasn’t had the chance to mature/optimize itself completely. Come on people. Don’t let your die hard idiot fanboyism get in the way of seeing a good phone with hate just because it’s not from apple.
4) The 3GS is a nice up from the 3G. Much faster then its predecessor and still a great device overall.
Please stop being idiots and letting the “it’s not from apple” **** get so far up your @$$. The Pre, for a first gen, is not too far behind. Maybe in the future it’ll beat it, maybe not. Competition is good. Remember that.
June 19th, 2009 at 7:12 pm
This is odd. Cnet had the pre smoking the 3GS when they reviewed. And I agree with earlier poster. It seems had the Sprint coverage been as decent as AT&T coverage was, then this would’ve yielded the same results.
But with that said, both devices are very fast, so kudos to both Pre and 3GS. I can’t wait to see how they stack up against the Tegra and Snapdragon handsets for Android and WinMo. The smartphone game is very exciting. Great time to be a geek such as myself.
June 19th, 2009 at 7:18 pm
SCR_DRAGON. YOU ARE SO RIGHT.
June 19th, 2009 at 7:24 pm
i have to give props were props is due, i dont really like the pre but sprints data network is second to none.
June 19th, 2009 at 7:36 pm
that test was fail… on both accounts
June 19th, 2009 at 7:40 pm
Dragonfly Says:
June 19th, 2009 at 5:48 pm Much better test than that pile of rubbish I saw on CNET recently. Not surprised by the iPhone’s superiority to be honest.
Asothers have stated.You are Clearly a Bigoted Iphone Fanboy. I have also compared the 2 but in an area where the Iphone had full bars and Sprint did not.What was amazing is that the Pre stil smoked the Iphone 3G S . Whoa I myself like as big a screen as I can get so the Iphone to me is a nice bit of real estate,but the PRE again has a better looking Screen so ehhh.The Pre Did have the new update 1.0.3 which I am guessing some of the tests on other Apple sites did not and they fail to mention this also(wonder if they have an agenda?You think?)All in all the Iphone 3G S is a nice phone but when a first Gen device with a OS in its infancy can match and surpass it,you gotta wonder if the sky is the limit with the WebOs as it seems simpy amazing. Overall Value Iphone can’t hold a candle when the Pre saves you $30+ a month in service fee’s for what most users wil use themas,A multi-media Device with a Great Web Presence. Call me crazy but I’d rather have a device that would save me over $700 in 2 years over another.
June 19th, 2009 at 7:42 pm
Is apple stalling on releasing apps with push features
June 19th, 2009 at 8:08 pm
Nice video Dieter. Never mind the crazy apple haters in the comments section. The wifi based test seems like the only fair way and that looked like a near tie on the nokia experts site. As Dieter inferred, there seem to be little distinction on browsing speed other than your network coverage. What I did find interesting was how much brighter the display was on the Pre.
June 19th, 2009 at 8:35 pm
Former iPhone User, and SCRDragon are right and you all know it.
I cannot wrap my head around this concept that everything that competes with the iPhone automatically sucks if it doesn’t stand up the iPhone on certain features. You fanboys need to thank Palm for offering worthwhile competition to Apple. Do you think Apple will slack off with their next iteration of the iPhone now that they know there’s another powerful OS on the market on a better network?
I’m an iPhone 3G owner and am very happy that Apple has competition and can no longer afford to offer minor updates to hardware like they did with the 3GS.
June 19th, 2009 at 9:38 pm
While watching this video and using my pre with the latest software it beat the iphone in every test…
starting the browsers at the same time makes quite a difference…
June 19th, 2009 at 9:43 pm
I’m not even going to argue with the idiots, if you disagree with this, then you just have zero common sense. YOU CAN’T and i will repeat CAN’T do a browser Matchup using the carrier’s speeds. It Needs to be done on Wifi. Otherwise it’s not a real matchup.
SO WITH THAT SAID, why are you idiots even arguing? it was a faulty test.
June 19th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
Ok, I never realized hands look so *** while on a touchscreen phone. I’ll stick with my full qwerty blackberry.
June 19th, 2009 at 9:52 pm
You forget that both 3Gs and Pre use the same processing power (after all, they both use the same Samsung processor:
http://gizmodo.com/5297468/iphone-3gs-torn-down-reveals-an-arm-cortexa8-cpu-that-can-go-bigger-faster-same-as-the-pre
If both devices are engineered right they will be very similar in performance (+/- 15%) – assuming all other factors are equal (which are of course difficult to equalize). I f Apple starts to use their own proprietory processor then doing such tests would make more sense.
June 19th, 2009 at 10:05 pm
correction: they both use the same ARM processor.
June 19th, 2009 at 10:08 pm
No guys, for crying out loud. Are you guys so blinded by fanboyism that you couldn’t plainly see he was starting the iPhone test a good 2 seconds before the Pre’s?
Look at the Crackberry webpage for example. My goodness.
June 19th, 2009 at 10:27 pm
Why did he always press iPhone first and then Pre? Simple, cause it is hard to use Pre’s keyboard with one hand. So to press ‘Go’ on both device simultaneously may be a bit challenging. There is a reason why he always have to pick up the Pre whenever he typed something? Perhaps Pre wobbles when you press a key by itself?
June 19th, 2009 at 10:34 pm
The first generation Pre holds it own very well against the third generation iPhone 3gs. I like the real qwerty keyboard, multitasking and brightness of screen on Pre. It appears the Pre produces a better picture when playing videos on YouTube or other videos. There are several comparisons which show Pre has better overall picture quality. Pre also has a removable battery and touchstone. iPhone does have 50K apps, but 95% of them are not worth downloading. Sprint has nearly 3 times bigger 3g network and by the time AT&T catches up, Sprint will have it 4g network over halfway built out. Sprint is $1,200 cheaper over like of contract. So Pre is going to be my choice. And for you Verizon lovers, they will not be getting the Pre next year according to my inside sources.
June 19th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
No M,
All you have to do on the Pre is press enter (one button) just like hitting “go” on the iPhone. He just didn’t know what he was doing.
In fact I was impressed that even after the Pre was pressed late it appeared to still hang with the iPhone pretty well. Interesting
June 19th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Couple of comments about this head to head: 1) basically a dead heat and the multiple sites checked with slightly varying results just shows you can’t really declare a true winner either way (despite what version webos is running) 2) the quick access to a settings menu on the Pre is pretty nice. Really don’t understand why Apple can’t make a short cut to that by tapping the upper left of screen by the wifi/signal indicator. 3) I am obviously biased but I still like the virtual keyboard so much better. I like the adjustable nature of the iPhone keyboard with stuff like the .com button that you can hold down to get other extensions. Also Dieter even commented that the Pre was wobbly when trying to type with it flat, he had to pick it up and it looks like it takes more effort to jump from the keypad down low back to the screen. But I guess that is really just personal preference.
And lastly…I think it is completely reasonable to compare the 3Gs with 3.0 and Pre with webos version 1. These are the versions available now. You can’t compare the Pre to the original version of the iPhone. If it wasn’t for the iPhone there would not even be a Pre anyway. Also if you think the Pre is only gonna get better, so will the iPhone over the same interval!
June 19th, 2009 at 10:48 pm
Good points TosaDeac,
My only comment is I’m glad the Pre went with a hardware keyboard because it satisfies the needs of those who want on and they can always implement a soft keyboard down the road and have the best of both worlds.
Both phones will get better over time indeed. I think they will be the 2 biggest competitors for years to come and both devices will offer it’s users a top notch smartphone experience.
June 19th, 2009 at 10:59 pm
The best way to determine which browser renders faster is to do it on Wi-fi, that way both phones are using the same network at the same time. And Anandtech has the iPhone on average of about 11% over the pre.http://anandtech.com/gadgets/showdoc.aspx?i=3587
June 19th, 2009 at 11:19 pm
@Big Willie everyone on this website. gtfo
June 20th, 2009 at 4:50 am
I love the iPhone, but man, this test isn’t objective… (look the ranking of this video on youtube, everybody thinks like me…).
This guy is for the iPhone befor even the speed test begins…
An example:
” this video makes me ashame to have an iphone “
lol…
Very, very unprofesional…
But I love Apple and I hope Steve will be fine…
June 20th, 2009 at 7:24 am
Um, please forward you apologies to Dieter with as much passion as your derision
Anandtech did the benchmarks. Dieter was spot on. iPhone 3G S is a tiny bit faster than webOS 1.0.2. (1.0.3 might be a tiny bit faster than 1Phone 3G S 3.0, but 3.x? — the game is a foot).
Also Dieter runs PreCentral.net and the Pre is his current daily driver, so totally not a fanboi.
Comment haters pwnd
June 20th, 2009 at 8:22 am
@Sam
95% of iPhone apps aren’t worth downloading?
LOL!! i love the ignorant comments, just love it.
June 20th, 2009 at 9:24 am
I think it was pretty fair. Wen i do the tests i get the pre winning more often than losing. There about the same(i love my pre). But pre destroys the damn iphone 3g on wifi and network. Wouldnt that kinda mean it was apples fault why the 3g was so slow and not att so much?
June 20th, 2009 at 10:02 am
It speaks volumes that a first gen device is very comparable to a third gen device.
June 20th, 2009 at 11:49 am
Like others have mentioned, the only way to present a FAIR comparison is to make sure BOTH phones have full network signal strength (rather than making a “sheepish” comment that “Sprint sucks in my area” and just leave it at that and proceed with the “test”)and that BOTH phones are running the absolute latest software updates,…and to have TWO PEOPLE present so the “buttons” can be pushed at the SAME TIME to commence the test. If one detail from my suggestions is missed, then the test isn’t FAIR. Just my 2 cents worth. By the way,..BOTH phones are awesome! I’m a long-time Palm user and am excited to see the lengths the company has taken to reinvent itself (way to go Jon Rubenstein and all of the talented people at Palm!). I also have much respect for Apple and their game-changing products but never felt the Iphone was “right” for me. So ultimately it’s all about what works for YOU. The term “Iphone-Killer” is SO LAME and one that I don’t feel is necessary. Give the Pre 6 to 12 months and run a comparison again. I think many people will change their negative thoughts about it. Remember, Apple has had a 2 year plus jump on Palm so naturally a company as progressive as they are would have a fine product. Apple makes fine products, no doubt about it, and although similar in some ways, the phones ARE different and each have very appealing features. Good luck to BOTH companies!
June 20th, 2009 at 2:41 pm
@Truth
it speaks volumes? That they used the same technology? Wow! im impressed!! that’s amazing!
Are you people also forgetting… ummmmm LOL! the browser is not the only thing on a phone.
What about the rest of the “Pre Package”
Call me up when i can download TV Shows, Music, and games on the Fly while i’m out.
June 20th, 2009 at 7:41 pm
2 words! REAL KEYBOARD!!!! I don’t do virtual precision typing! I wonder who does. No matter what you do, that virtual keyboard is annoying!!!!!!!!
June 21st, 2009 at 1:47 am
this isn’t a balanced comparison of the network speed.
His ATT connection is getting full bars while his Sprint connection only had about 1-2 bars of signal strength. However, even with that only 1-2 bars of signal strength, it was very close.
To make the test fair, he needs to test both phones when they both have full bars on their networks.
June 21st, 2009 at 10:54 am
The Pre obviously would have the website loading long before his knuckles finished hitting the ‘.com’ bar typing the url into the iPhone. That is if he could have reasonably started both at the same time. To each his own on these sorts of things.
June 21st, 2009 at 12:47 pm
@ iPhoneMilk
You show your ignorance of the product. Go look at what it can do before you say it cannot.
June 22nd, 2009 at 2:14 am
Ur all full of ****. Compare those two obsolete phones to OMNIA 2. HA HA HA.
June 24th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
How come he didn’t even try to press go on both of them at the same time? kinda stupid
June 24th, 2009 at 11:33 pm
The pre is a multitasking phone, so if you look at the test again by the time he started using the wifi settings the Pre was already running about five apps in the background. Five real time live apps all running at the same time. the Iphone is not capable of this so its only running the one at a time. Low And behold the already scam start plus the weak signal plus the 5 to 1 ratio ,and the PRE IS STILL CLOSE. Can You Diggit
June 26th, 2009 at 3:25 am
All you guys that love your Apple Iphone 3GS are really missing the point. Although the Iphone 3GS is a great phone. The Palm Pre for a first generation phone kicks the Iphone 3GS butt. Palm has a lot of bright minds working over at Palm headquaters. People we must remember that Palm has some people that were Head bosses at Apple and now they work at Palm. So they know how to make a competitive great phone. This guy that did this video is totally bias and keeps on hitting the button first on the Iphone. Also I must mention he said that the AT@T browser works better in that area than Sprint does. The CNET test comparing the Iphone 3GS against the Palm Pre is much more fair than this idiots video.
June 30th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Who cares how fast the Iphone downoads (which i think is about the same as the Pre) if the video quality is as bad as it is. I have a Pre and my wife has the 3gs and the video quality on the Pre is far superior. It’s like watching on a LCD.
July 4th, 2009 at 2:34 pm
nice comparison here one more tht u guys might b interested in
Palm Pre vs. iPhone 3.0 3G S vs. Windows Mobile 6.5 – Feature Comparison Showdown
August 13th, 2009 at 3:23 pm
How about the ability to watch TV live? How about built in turn by turn directions that work really well? How about listening to Pandora, reading email, linking to the web browser without having to close one application? I think the pre wins there.
I’ve been using my new pre for just a couple days and keep finding more great little ideas that make it a very worthy competitor to the iPhone, which I love by the way but get no ATT at my house… I’m absolutely thrilled to have this option.
Several have made good points that it shouldn’t be a competition for the consumers, people take this s%%t so perosnally. Competition is good for us in the end as we get better and better options.
September 17th, 2009 at 11:54 am
How can you do speed tests when the network speed for Sprint is bad in your area, and you press the pre button a second after the iphone? lol.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:43 pm
To everyone who loves the Pre I can only say that was a close test and yes you can judge which browser was quicker by taking account of when the go buttons were pushed. The Pre was exceptionally close on worse network coverage and that is amazing.
To all you who love your iPhones, yes the iPhone won, but not by much. The competition for Apple is now there and that can only be good. I look forward to the Pre and iPhone both becoming better from their competition.
I personally hate Apple but I will admit that the iPhone moved the bar for mobile internet devices. Palm have responded marvelously. To show how good the Pre really is look at all the other competition out there. I use a BlackBerry and its not even close for mobile internet – not that that is the BB market and I am happy with what I have. Windows Mobile is more a joke than a mobile OS, even in version 6.5. That leaves us with Maemo and Symbian – neither of which can touch mobile OSX or WebOS.
The Pre is an amazing first gen device and the iPhone is great at what it does. I for one am looking forward to the competition ahead. I would never buy an Apple device but I appreciate what Apple have done for the mobile market. I can see me getting a Pre or Pre 2 (Or whatever Palm call it) in future.
@Mav Go and do some research before posting. They use an ARM design (Cortex A8). ARM have never and never will manufacture their own processors. Therefore stating that they use ARM processors is only partially correct. The Pre Processor is fabbed by TI and underclocked to 500MHz. The iPhone processor is the same Cortex A8 design but at the full 600MHz and Apple are very cagey about who fabs it for them.
Until info on the fabrication processes for both phones is available it is not sufficient to say they use the same processor. It is highly likely that TI fab both chips at 65 nanometers however it is unknown. The remaining point that is known is that the iPhone processors runs at 600MHz compared to the Pre’s 500MHz.
Like I said Mav – do some research.
October 24th, 2009 at 2:46 pm
I forgot to mention Andriod. I consider that more of a joke than a mobile OS so far. Its barely on par with WinMo for me. Until people create good and plentiful apps for Andriod it will remain a poor OS to me. Not what I am after, but others may like it.
As an aside I will admit I haven’t looked at Android in a while – mainly because all the handsets for it are nothing short of **ing **.