Chrome for iOS is much faster and more stable, but Google hasn’t solved its biggest problem

Chrome for iOS received a huge speed and stability increase today, which the company attributes to using WebKit (WKWebView) instead of the older UIWebView.

According to Google, Chrome for iOS is crashing 70 percent less with WKWebView, and pages reload 25 percent less frequently. In benchmark tests, Chrome (version 48, now) is resoundingly faster.

What Google doesn’t seem to have fixed is Chrome’s drain on your phone’s battery. While it’s nice to have a solid performance competitor to Safari, Google should probably focus on not killing your phone in future Chrome for iOS updates.

The last time Google discusses battery life improvements for Chrome, it was for the desktop. It’s past time for improvements to the mobile version.

➤ A faster, more stable Chrome on iOS [Google]