Only a few days have passed since Google released Chrome for iOS at the company’s I/O 2012 developers conference in San Francisco. During that span, the search giant’s mobile web browser took the iPhone and iPad by storm, as it now ranks as the top free app on the Apple App Store.

Users are giving Chrome for iOS decent ratings and reviews, which catapulted the app to the top of the free apps list with a 4.5-star rating. However, all of them apparently have similar frustrations with regards to the Chrome’s sluggish performance when pitted against the default iOS browser, Apple’s Safari.

We already have established this fact in our review of Chrome for iOS. There we were able to conclude that no matter what Google will do with Chrome’s coding, it cannot surpass Safari for one good reason. The culprit? Apple’s Nitro JavaScript engine. The Cupertino-based tech giant actually restricts the use of Nitro JavaScript only to Safari. Other apps, while fixing bugs and providing the best codes, simply cannot improve overall performance and maximize user experience to outmatch Safari without it.

Nonetheless, the difference in speed between Chrome for iOS and Safari is marginal. “Not until iCloud Tabs and iOS 6 are made available, Chrome is the best option for syncing tabs across different platforms.”

Surely, the ability of Chrome to synchronize bookmarks, tabs, history, passwords and settings across different platforms is nifty. Google emphasized this in a demo on how it works at the annual developers conference that recently dropped the curtains.

Chrome for iOS is the #1 free app on the Apple App Store.

Thursday last week, Google VP Brian Rakowski showed off how Google Sync works by moving from different computers and devices. He demonstrated how changes implemented on one were immediately available on the other platforms regardless of which one he used. He highlighted how the “back” command still works, so users can revisit sites from previous points in time even if they were on another computer or device.

The demo progressed this way: Rakowski moved from a Mac where he simulated staying at home to read the latest news with several open tabs, to a Chromebook that he could use at work. He showed that even on an unused computer he could sign in on his Google account. Preconfigured personalized work tabs will immediately appear if he wanted to. The demo drew cheers and applause from those who attended, most of which were developers.

Rakowski also showed that with Chrome on his phone, the web browser can open a new tab and view all the recent devices that used the browser, including the simulated Chromebook for work. With just a single tap on his handset, he was able to access a site he once visited on the Chromebook.

About Francis Rey Balolong

A coffee junkie who spends most of his time writing about the latest news on social media and mobile technology. I would definitely consider myself a nerd (in the coolest most hipster way possible). That being said, I love technology, music, writing, and all things mobile. Follow me: Google+ Twitter

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