Flash is faster and much more efficient than HTML5 on mobile phones, according to a post by Web developer Christopher Black. His conclusion is as follows: "HTML5 will sit side by side with Flash. Gradient fonts, drop shadows, basic video and simple transitions are probably better suited for HTML5. When it comes to rendering display objects, animation and digital rights management for video, it would be silly not to use Flash."
His statements are based on running benchmark tests on iOS and Android devices. Black played the same animation on an iPod touch, an iPhone 4, and a Nexus One using HTML5, and then again using Flash 10.1 on the Nexus One. The results, in Frames Per Second (FPS), are pretty self-explanatory: 22FPS for the iPhone 4G, 24FPS for the iPod Touch 4, 40FPS for the Nexus One running HTML5, and 57 FPS for the Nexus One running Flash.
Not only is it interesting that Flash runs faster than HTML, or that the older Nexus One outperforms the newer iPhone, but Black also notes that the battery usage is significantly better when using Flash. "The code was engineered to be as equal as possible between the two demos," Black writes. "Full source has been provided to show this." If you want to see the results in action, see the video above, and if you want to run the test on your own device(s) navigate to these pages: HTML5 versus Flash.