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[Updated] iPhone vs. BlackBerry Bold (MobileComputer Wifi Browser Race)

MBHockey

MBHockey

macrumors 601
Original poster
Oct 4, 2003
4,063
314
Connecticut
As an iPhone owner for over a year (original and now 3G) I have been interested in the development of the Blackberry Bold and now with Rogers being the first North American carrier to ship the new smartphone, Gizmodo has posted a link to a video of Safari vs. the Bold's browser on the same wifi network. It's an original iPhone in the test, but this is inconsequential as they are both on wifi.

Gizmodo hosts the video but it was actually done by Mobile Computer in the UK:

http://gizmodo.com/5039886/video-blackberry-bold-vs-iphone-web-browser-showdown-it-gets-ugly

I'm surprised how much faster the iPhone's browser is than the Bold's. Everything I had read reading up to the launch of the new Blackberry seemed like they were trying very hard to make the browser quite fast. In my opinion it looks ugly, dated, and pathetic next to Safari on the iPhone. Granted this is only one test...maybe future results will be less skewed in favor of the iPhone?

Edit: As per Gizmodo:

Gizmodo said:
Update: So it looks like in Mobile Computer's test the Bold was either dropping off of Wi-Fi or wasn't on it at all. We've emailed them to see what's up.
Click to expand...

This would certainly account for such drastic differences in page loading speed. I am eager to see what actually happened in the video.

Edit 2: Here is a person with a Blackberry Bold loading the same first site as in the Mobile Computing video. He states that wifi is on for the entire test. I'm not sure it helps the Bold's cause any, but you be the judge:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0YpvquVZw7U&
 
theres the other video of it on wifi and it doesnt seem that much faster. not as fast as the iphone.
 
yeah, even if it was as fast or faster, i would probably still choose the iphone browser.

with the touch controls and everything i would say it's the perfect mobile browser. the only thing that could put it any higher would be flash support. other than that it's pretty flawless.

i've used a blackberry quite a bit before and honestly nothing sucks like trying to scroll around using the trackball.
 
I know it isn't scientific since we're in different locations and all, but I set my phone to 3G (that makes it 3G vs Wi-Fi) and hit go at the same time as on the corrected video (on Endgaget). I finished loading when the video was a 46 seconds, and the video goes to 1:18. He starts loading the web page at 0:18. That means it took 28 seconds for me on 3G, vs. 60 seconds on Wi-Fi! That's quite dramatic.
 
Nukey said:
I know it isn't scientific since we're in different locations and all, but I set my phone to 3G (that makes it 3G vs Wi-Fi) and hit go at the same time as on the corrected video (on Endgaget). I finished loading when the video was a 46 seconds, and the video goes to 1:18. He starts loading the web page at 0:18. That means it took 28 seconds for me on 3G, vs. 60 seconds on Wi-Fi! That's quite dramatic.
Click to expand...

Haha, that's funny. I just did this same exact test and also got 28 seconds over 3G to his 59 seconds over Wifi...and I recorded it. It'll be on youtube soon :)
 
Hilarious, if you ask me. :p

He says that both were connected to the same Wi-Fi network, but the possibility didn't occur to him that he might have to manually configure the web browser to use the already established Wi-Fi connection
Click to expand...
 
I saw this, and the follow-up that said the Bold wasn't on wifi. I would like to see this done again before I draw any conclusions.
 
Browsing the web on any device other than an iPhone would be a bit of a chore, regardless of whether it was faster or not, purely based on the touch controls, and smoothness of the UI.
 
I have to say though .... the "debunk" video of the Bold on Wifi isn't all that hot either.

It takes the bold forever to load that page, even on Wifi.
 
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