Microsoft engineers claim Apple's WebKit requirement causes 28.6% browser performance penalty on iOS
By
Thomas Claburn
Summary
Microsoft engineers have documented a "performance tax" on iOS browsers caused by Apple's requirement that all iOS browsers use the WebKit engine (the same engine powering Safari). According to their analysis, this restriction results in a 28.6% performance hit, meaning rival rendering engines could make pages load almost 30% faster on iPhones. The article compares this to Apple's well-known 30% App Store commission, framing it as another form of Apple's restrictive control over iOS.
Source
bskyMicrosoft engineers claim Apple's WebKit requirement causes 28.6% browser performance penalty on iOStheregister.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledThe performance tax comes to 28.6 percent, almost as much as Apple's 30 percent commission rate.
Critics and competitors have long complained about the 'Apple Tax' – the sales commission developers are obliged to pay on App Store sales and in-app purchases.
Rival rendering engines could make pages load almost 30% faster on iPhones, Redmond claims.
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