We typically assume that Apple's own apps would almost always beat similar third-party ones on performance and efficiency on Apple's own platforms, especially given the time and resources that Apple spends to optimize each facet of its ecosystem. Yet, a creative developer and a group product manager for the Microsoft Edge Web Platform, Kyle Pflug, has just demonstrated that it is possible to beat Apple on its home turf.
A prototype Microsoft Edge browser, built using the Blink rendering engine, comprehensively outcompetes Safari on iOS
Pflug penned a dedicated post on LinkedIn recently, disclosing that Microsoft's Edge web platform team has been building a prototype browser for iOS using Blink, "the same open-source rendering engine that powers Edge on every other platform."
Over the weekend, Pflug decided to put this prototype browser through its paces, so to say, by loading a development build on his Apple iPhone 17 Pro Max and running a few benchmark tests on iOS 26.5.1.
The results, however, were shocking to say the least. On Speedometer 3.1, which is generally considered the most representative benchmark test for measuring real-world browsing, the prototype Edge browser beat Apple's Safari by a whopping 28.6 percent. In fact, the prototype beat Safari on every tested benchmark.
Interestingly, Pflug then decided to pit the prototype Edge browser on his iPhone 17 Pro Max against Safari on an M5 iPad Pro, and the prototype still came out ahead, with Apple's Safari browser notching a score of 45.7 on Speedometer 3.1 vs. the 49.27 score that the Blink-based Edge browser had notched on iOS (A19 Pro on iPhone 17 Pro Max).
Do note that Apple typically requires all browsers to use the same WebKit engine that powers Safari, rendering all third-party browsers mere re-skinned versions of Safari. However, the EU's DMA mandated Apple (at least in theory) to allow browsers based on the Blink (BrowserEngineKit) engine in 2024. However, no such browsers exist even after two years due to Apple's requirement to publish such apps separately from WebKit-based ones, which means that the new browsers would effectively lose their existing customers on iOS and would have to start out from scratch.
About the author: Writing is my one incontrovertible passion. Over the past six years, he has authored over 2,200 distinct articles on financial and tech-related topics, spanning nearly 1 million words. And he has been a member of Wcctech mobile team since 2025. As an alumnus of the University of Toronto, Rotman Commerce Program, I bring nuance, in-depth knowledge, and a unique perspective to every topic that I cover. When I'm not writing, I'm traveling the world, exploring hidden confectionaries and restaurants as an aspiring food connoisseur.
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