Scientists from the Netherlands conducted a study on the energy consumption of mobile applications and web services on Android. They analyzed 10 popular Internet platforms in the country and made a noteworthy discovery.
The platforms included ESPN, The Weather Channel, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Coupang, Shopee, SoundCloud, Spotify, Twitch, and YouTube. The findings of this study can be applied to other applications and services due to the similarities in the functioning of their web versions.
In order to ensure impartiality, the researchers used Chrome as the browser for the web versions, as it holds the largest market share.
The researchers compared the energy consumption, traffic volume, and CPU and memory load of the native applications and web versions for each platform. They found that native applications consumed significantly less energy compared to their web versions, averaging 371 J compared to 567 J. However, web versions generated less traffic, consuming 22 MB compared to 39 MB.
The researchers noted that the substantial difference in memory consumption between web applications (1.76 GB) and native applications (238 MB) may be due to the use of the Chrome browser. However, it is uncertain whether other browsers would drastically change this situation.
The researchers gave special attention to clearing the cache of native applications before each test launch to eliminate the influence of the local cache on the test results. Additionally, they used Adguard to block advertising at the DNS level, although complete blocking of advertising in web versions was not possible.
The study did not directly address privacy concerns. However, without blocking tracking scripts, web versions may be potentially less secure in terms of data confidentiality.
“Based on our findings, we recommend users to utilize native applications whenever possible to optimize battery life,” concluded the scientists. This is particularly important for users who aim to prolong smartphone battery life, especially when they frequently use certain applications.
While developers may consider other factors when choosing between native and web technologies, the study provides valuable insights for making informed decisions that benefit user experience.
In summary, this study contributes to understanding the distinctions between application types for mobile platforms and is relevant for both developers and end users.