After a successful beta period, Firefox 18 is now available for download to all users of Mozilla’s Web browser. The latest iteration includes a number of enhancements that should make HTML5 performance much better across both desktop and mobile.
The big improvement in Firefox 18 is the introduction of the IonMonkey compiler which helps speed up JavaScript performance. Mozilla suggests you try out its BananaBread demo once you download the newest version of Firefox to see the improvements in action.
The other major additions include support for retina displays on Macs with OS X 10.7 and up, and preliminary support for WebRTC. For those unfamiliar, WebRTC is essentially the HTML5 equivalent of Skype or other video chat services. Mozilla and Google have invested heavily in the technology, and both Firefox and Chrome are beginning to support the API.
Firefox 18 for Android has also improved its JavaScript performance thanks to the IonMonkey compiler. Mobile exclusive enhancements include the addition of Safe Browsing and integration with the Google Now search widget. The latter will offer search suggestions when typing into the awesome bar.
You can grab Firefox 18 for Windows, Mac and Linux here. You can also grab Firefox 18 for Android over at Google Play.