plugins - Does jQuery Lazy Loading have any real performance gains? -

jquery lazy loader opposite of preloading images - delays loading images until visible in browser. claims make sites feel "snappier", , images elegantly fade in user scrolls down page.

mashable known using technique (although checked , appears no longer doing so).

are there realistic performance gains using jquery lazy loader, or make user perceive website loading faster?

that depends entirely on you mean "performance" , how lazy loading used.

if using lazy loading load same images otherwise load, same amount of bits flowing across stream, indeed packaging , io costs more 'server client' perspective, costs in 'performance'. benefit user may indeed start consuming portion of content sooner otherwise , user perception improved, , element of "performance".

if using lazy loading discriminate data or images being downloaded can bring consumer wants, getting real performance bonuses around not streaming undesired content.

how of "improvement"? "worth it"? subjective , your mileage may vary.