Apple joins forces with Google and Mozilla for a big upgrade to Speedometer
Google Chrome is the default browser on thebest Android phonesand is also apopular desktop web browser. It competes with Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and many open-source alternatives in addition to the web browser found on Apple products, Safari. While each browser has its positives and negatives, developers rely on metrics like browser benchmarks to determine the area where a particular offering shines. Speedometer is one such benchmark tool — it was set up by Apple’s WebKit team back in 2014 — but it’s only seen one major upgrade and that was way back in 2018. Well, the WebKit team is now joining up with folks on the Chrome and Firefox sides to develop the next big iteration of the benchmark service, unsurprisingly named Speedometer 3.
It’s not terribly common to encounter partnerships between three competing companies, but that’s not to say that their interests can’t align toward industry-wide improvements. In a tweet late last week, the WebKit teamsaidthis joint effort would make the benchmark itself better while also enhancing browser performance for Apple users.
Twitter accounts belonging to theMozilla Dev teamand Google Chrome also confirmed the development with the latter saying that the collaboration will operate “on a joint governance model” with the goal of sharing each other’s work, leading to better performance for all.
It should be noted thatGoogle Chrome surpassed Safarias the fastest browser on Speedometer in March this year.
TheGitHub repositoryfor Speedometer doesn’t say much about the new 3.0 version aside from the fact that it’s in active development and is unstable. But developers are encouraged to keep checking the repository for updates on the forthcoming release.
If you’re interested in checking out a stable version of Speedometer, have a gander atSpeedometer 2.1, which was released in August this year.
The note-taking app I should have used all along
Broader branding hints at wider paid-tier ambitions
Your new browser chrome-panion
New tablets coming September 4
Generative AI, now poolside
Goodbye, text-only analysis
