What slows you down? Your network or your device?

Abstract: This study takes a close look at mobile web performance. The two main parameters determining web page load time are the network speed and the computing power of the end-user device. Based on data from real users, this paper quantifies the relative importance of network and device. The findings suggest that increased processing power of latest generation smart phones and optimized browsers have a significant impact on web performance; up to 56% reduction in median page load time from one generation to the following. The cellular networks, on the other hand, have become so mature that the median page load time on one fiber-to-the-home network (using wifi for the last meter) is only 18-28% faster than cellular and the median page load time on one DSL network is 19% slower compared to a well-deployed cellular network.