TL;DR: Apple are in control of the feature-set available to browsers on their own closed OS.

This isn't a surprise, just as the fact that "Chrome on iOS is just a wrapper around Safari's Webkit" isn't a surprise.

If you want to use another browser engine, then use a different OS. You won't have this problem on Android.

Apple's iPhone isn't the "The mobile web", it's just a lousy window into "the mobile web" for a fraction of the users.

When developing any responsive (or gasp mobile) site, I wouldn't check it solely on iPhone/iPad, that's crazy talk.

It's like secretly poisoning the pot a great Sequoia tree would initially grow from, then standing around and brainstorming with people about how to create a better environment for it to flourish. So long people know it's disingenuous, that's all I can ask for.

OP here, first article. Hope it's worth the read.