Benchmark Transparency —
How We Measure Simple Memo - for Obsidian's Speed Claims
How are Simple Memo - for Obsidian's claimed "~1 second launch" and "one-tap send" numbers actually measured? We transparently disclose the test environment, methodology, and limitations. Performance claims without methodology are meaningless.
Simple Memo - for Obsidian's 0.4s from tap to typing is measured via screen recording + frame analysis on iPhone 16e (A18), iOS 26.5.2 (warm launch, median of 5 trials). The one-tap send is measured via Charles Proxy network timing (Wi-Fi with 15ms latency, median of 10 trials). This is a single-device test, not a statistically rigorous lab study.
Why We Publish Our Methodology
Claiming app performance is easy. Anyone can write "0.4s launch" or "one-tap send." But self-reported performance claims without methodology are essentially meaningless.
We believe users deserve to know how numbers are derived. Which device, under what conditions, how many trials, and which statistical measure was reported. Claiming "fastest" without this information is not honest.
This article transparently discloses how every benchmark number for Simple Memo - for Obsidian was obtained. Our methods are reproducible, so you can verify them under the same conditions.
Test Environment
- Device: iPhone 16e (A18 chip)
- OS: iOS 26.5.2
- Storage: 256GB, 14.29GB free
- Network: Wi-Fi (for send tests), Airplane Mode (for offline queue tests)
- Simple Memo - for Obsidian version: 5.7.3 (App Store release)
- Date of most recent test: 11 August 2026
How We Measure Launch Speed
- Method: Screen recording at 60fps, frame-by-frame analysis
- Measurement: From app icon tap (finger lift frame) to cursor blinking in text field
- Launch condition: Force quit from the app switcher, wait 5+ seconds, then launch. On iOS 26.5.2 the app comes back warm anyway — we reviewed every relaunch to confirm it. The published figures are warm-launch figures
- Trials: 5 trials per measurement, median value reported
- Result: 0.4 seconds (18 frames at 60fps)
Correction (2026-08-11): This used to say that warm starts are faster and that we report "the more conservative cold-start figure". That was wrong. The force quit and the 5+ second dwell happen on every run, but on iOS 26.5.2 the app comes back warm regardless, so the published figures are warm-launch figures. Every app is measured the same way, so the comparison holds — but these are not the conservative numbers.
Ready-to-Type Raw Data
Measured on iPhone 16e (A18), iOS 26.5.2 (2026-08-11), on warm launches (each app was force quit from the app switcher with a 5+ second dwell, but on iOS 26.5.2 they come back warm regardless — verified by reviewing every relaunch). Values in seconds. "Ready to type" is icon tap until the keyboard is fully presented and the app will accept a keystroke, including any taps along the way.
| App | Individual runs | Published | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Memo - for Obsidian | not retained (range 0.37–0.43) | 0.40 | 5 |
| Drafts | 0.90 / 1.55 / 1.45 / 1.38 / 1.57 | 0.90 (fastest) | 5 |
| Bear | 0.95 / 0.93 / 0.92 / 0.92 / 0.92 | 0.92 | 5 |
| Apple Notes | not retained (range 1.20–2.37) | 1.73 | 10 |
| Google Keep | not retained (range 1.97–2.23) | 2.07 | 4 |
| Evernote | not retained (range 2.30–5.10) | 2.50 | 5 |
| OneNote | not retained (range 2.20–3.30) | 2.60 | 5 |
| Notion | not retained (range 2.50–3.50) | 2.80 | 5 |
Bear and Drafts spread widely on the first pass and were re-recorded under matched conditions, so their individual runs survive. For the other six we kept only the median and the range, and that is what is shown. We do not fill a table with numbers we do not have.
For reference: time until the first character appears — the figures above plus one human keypress. These survive per run for every app. The keypress itself ranged 0.2–0.5s across apps, which belongs to the hand rather than the app, which is why it is not the published column.
| App | Individual runs | Median | Runs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple Memo - for Obsidian | 1.00 / 0.50 / 0.60 / 0.53 / 0.67 | 0.60 | 5 |
| Drafts | 1.33 / 1.75 / 1.62 / 1.67 / 1.73 | 1.67 | 5 |
| Bear | 1.45 / 1.52 / 2.25 / 1.28 / 1.35 | 1.45 | 5 |
| Apple Notes | 2.20 / 2.80 / 1.30 / 1.70 / 2.70 / 2.14 / 2.88 / 1.47 / 1.68 / 2.73 | 2.17 | 10 |
| Google Keep | 2.44 / 2.43 / 2.17 / 2.09 | 2.30 | 4 |
| Evernote | 2.70 / 5.40 / 2.80 / 2.90 / 2.60 | 2.80 | 5 |
| OneNote | 3.30 / 3.50 / 3.00 / 2.60 / 2.80 | 3.00 | 5 |
| Notion | 3.10 / 3.30 / 2.80 / 3.80 / 3.80 | 3.30 | 5 |
How We Measure Send Speed
- Method: Network timing via Charles Proxy
- Measurement: From send button tap to server acknowledgment (HTTP 200)
- Network: Wi-Fi with 15ms latency to Cloudflare edge
- Trials: 10 trials per measurement, median value reported
- Result: one-tap (including TLS handshake to Cloudflare Workers)
Note: This does not include email delivery time to inbox. Depending on the email provider, delivery to your inbox takes an additional 1-5 seconds.
How We Measure Competitor Apps
- Same device: All apps tested on the same iPhone 16e (A18)
- Same conditions: Same day, same network environment
- Latest versions: All apps updated to latest version available on test date
- Matched launch condition: Force quit and a 5+ second dwell before every measurement (which still yields a warm launch)
- Trials: 5 trials per app, median value reported (Apple Notes 10, Google Keep 4)
- Personally tested: We only report apps we have personally installed and tested
Limitations and Caveats
- Results may vary by device model, iOS version, and storage conditions
- We test on one device only -- not a statistically rigorous lab study
- Competitor app performance may improve with updates
- We commit to re-testing and updating this page when new iOS versions or app updates are released
- Last updated: 2026-08-11
