Microsoft Edge Prototype Using Blink Beats Safari in iOS Browser Benchmarks
Apple’s Safari has long been considered the browser to beat on iPhone and iPad. Since Apple controls both the hardware and software experience across iOS, many users expect Safari to deliver the best performance, battery efficiency, and overall web browsing experience on Apple devices.
However, a new prototype version of Microsoft Edge for iOS suggests that Safari may not be as untouchable as many assumed.
Kyle Pflug, a group product manager for the Microsoft Edge Web Platform, recently shared that Microsoft’s Edge web platform team has been experimenting with a prototype iOS browser powered by Blink. Blink is the same open-source rendering engine used by Microsoft Edge on Windows, Android, macOS, and other platforms.
That detail matters because browsers on iOS have traditionally been required to use Apple’s WebKit engine, the same engine behind Safari. As a result, third-party browsers on iPhone have mostly offered different interfaces and added features, while relying on the same underlying browsing engine as Safari.
This prototype changes that equation.
According to Pflug, he installed a development build of the Blink-based Edge prototype on an iPhone 17 Pro Max running iOS 26.5.1 and tested it across multiple browser benchmarks. The most notable result came from Speedometer 3.1, a widely used benchmark designed to measure real-world web app responsiveness.
In that test, the prototype Edge browser reportedly outperformed Safari by 28.6 percent.
That is a major gap, especially considering Safari’s deep integration with iOS and Apple’s reputation for optimization. Even more interesting, the Blink-based Edge prototype did not just win in one test. It reportedly beat Safari across every benchmark that was run.
Pflug then compared the iPhone-based Edge prototype against Safari running on an M5 iPad Pro. Despite the iPad Pro’s powerful hardware, Safari scored 45.7 in Speedometer 3.1, while the Blink-based Edge prototype on the iPhone 17 Pro Max reached 49.27.
In other words, the experimental Edge browser running on an iPhone managed to edge past Safari on a high-end iPad in this particular benchmark.
The results are especially significant because Apple has historically restricted browser engines on iOS. Even if users installed Chrome, Edge, Firefox, or another browser, those apps were still required to use WebKit under the hood. That policy made it difficult for rival browser makers to bring their full web platforms to iPhone and iPad.
Regulatory changes in the European Union have pushed Apple to allow alternative browser engines in certain cases. In theory, this opens the door for browsers based on engines such as Blink to run on iOS. In practice, however, adoption has been slow.
One major obstacle is that Apple requires browsers using alternative engines to be published separately from their existing WebKit-based versions. That means a company launching a Blink-based iOS browser would not simply be updating its current app for existing users. It would need to release a separate version and build its user base again from the ground up.
That requirement makes the transition more complicated for browser developers. Even if a Blink-based browser offers better performance, companies may be hesitant to split their iOS audience between two different apps.
Still, this Edge prototype shows what may be possible if alternative browser engines become more widely available on iOS. Better browser competition could lead to faster web apps, improved compatibility, more advanced features, and greater choice for iPhone and iPad users.
It is important to note that benchmark results do not always translate directly into everyday browsing improvements. Battery life, privacy protections, stability, memory usage, and integration with iOS also play major roles in the overall browser experience. Safari remains a highly optimized browser with strong ties to Apple’s ecosystem.
Even so, a 28.6 percent advantage in Speedometer 3.1 is difficult to ignore.
For now, the Blink-based Microsoft Edge browser for iOS remains a prototype rather than a public release. But the test results suggest that Safari could face serious performance competition if Apple’s platform becomes more open to alternative browser engines.
If Microsoft or other browser makers eventually bring full engine-powered alternatives to iOS, the iPhone browser market could become far more competitive than it has been in years.
