Galaxy Note 7 benchmarks: Exynos vs. Snapdragon head-to-head

Which version of the Galaxy Note 7 is faster: the Snapdragon 820 or Exynos 8890 version? Benchmarks, anyone?

It’s always been our opinion that benchmark apps for Android phones really only tell you how well a phone runs the benchmark apps. They give a score that, while meaningful in some ways, tend to be used as some sort of gospel about how one phone is clearly better than another when that’s not really the case. And they can be confusing for some folks who aren’t exactly sure what any of those scores mean. We usually forgo running any or talking about them at any length and instead focus on the user experience.

This time, we’re going to venture into the benchmark waters because we have both the Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 version and the Exynos 8890 version of the Galaxy Note 7 here. Samsung promises that users won’t see any real-world performance differences between the two — and we agree — but we wanted to see the synthetic differences from a handful of benchmark testing apps in Google Play. We’re not going to read too much into any of this, and we’re certainly not about to declare any winner. Both models offer the same experience while you’re using them. For the folks who do care about those numbers but may not have an opportunity to get both models, here are the results.

About the tests

We tested a Samsung SM-N930F (UK model) with an Exynos 8890 CPU and a Samsung SM-N930T (U.S. T-Mobile model) with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820. Both phones have the same basic configuration — a personal account, a work account, and a small handful of apps from the Play Store installed.

Nothing special was done before we tested. We used the phone normally, installed the apps, then ran the tests without restarting or clearing anything or killing any apps. We even tested in the evening after a day of normal use. None of the phone’s features were disabled. Really, we treated them like we do every phone and just ran the apps we installed to benchmark them.

Geekbench 3

Geekbench 3 has several tests that aim to simulate real-world CPU performance, and can utilize all of the processor cores. The results are calculated and returned as an overall indicator of your phone’s processor performance in both single core tests and multicore tests. Higher scores are better.

As expected, the Exynos clearly calculates and processes data “better” than the Snapdragon. Surprisingly, the single core scores are both much lower than leaked benchmark results from early versions. We’ll attribute that to two things — fully set up devices with apps and account synchronization running, and not clearing app cache and killing off the background processes. But keep in mind that a lower multi-core score on the Snapdragon 820 is expected because it has four cores, half the number as the Exynos 8890.

Download Geekbench 3

AnTuTu 6

AnTuTu runs a series of tests of four key areas of your phone’s performance — the processor, 3D graphics ability, memory, and user interface. The results are calculated and delivered as four individual scores, with a higher score being better.

The Exynos again scores better in processor performance testing, but the Snapdragon marks higher in 3D and user interface features. The RAM testing is as expected — both phones have the same memory modules and controllers, and the results are identical within an acceptable margin of error.

Download AnTuTu Benchmark

GFXBench

GFXBench measures graphics performance with a focus on long-term performance stability, render quality and power consumption. The tests use high-quality and high polygon 3D graphics, and we tested the off-screen versions of the Car Chase, both Manhattan and Manhattan 3.1, and T-Rex at 1080p.The results are the average frames per second (fps) for each test.

We are unable to compare the results of the render quality tests because our Exynos version would only return an Out Of Memory error. The Snapdragon version scored 2510 for the standard render quality test, and 3632 for the HQ render quality tests. These numbers are the PNSR (peak-to-peak signal-to-noise) values.

Download GFXBench

Hipxel’s Disk Speed and Performance

This benchmark measures the read and write speeds of the internal memory in MB/s. The labels can be confusing as both tests (internal and external) are measuring the built-in internal memory and not any SD card or other attached storage.

The internal tests are the read and write speeds of the phone’s application data storage partition. This is where the private data is stored and where most apps are installed. The external tests measure the speeds of the internal SD card storage, where media and some application data is stored.

The app will measure SD card performance, but we choose to pass on that test as we don’t have two brand-new SD cards of the same make and model to use for a comparison. The results would be similar, and won’t show any measurable differences.

Download Disk Speed/Performance Test by Hipxel

What does this mean?

Not a lot, really.

Sure, the Exynos has a “better” CPU and the Snapdragon has a “better” GPU if you go strictly by the numbers in these benchmarking apps. Both phones have the same memory and the same storage, as well as the same parts and logic to control each, and the results reflect that.

But using them will always count more than any benchmark numbers. As mentioned, we were curious and had both versions so we’re sharing with people who are curious as well. Don’t use these as proof of anything, and we’ll call them both winners — it’s like youth soccer where everyone wins a trophy because it’s all good.

Feel free to do what you will with the numbers in the comments.

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The Honor 8 is more important to the U.S. market than you think

The Honor 8 brings premium hardware from the Huawei-owned brand to the United States for the first time — and that’s a big deal.

The Honor 8 has officially launched in the United States, bringing increased competition to the $400-level “affordable flagship” segment. Owned by Chinese tech giant Huawei, Honor intends to challenge the likes of OnePlus among younger people and tech-savvy phone buyers with an impressive glass and metal design, impressive internals and a competitive price point. Throw in some serious pomp and ceremony — and celebrity brand ambassadors like Brooklyn Beckham — and you’ve got a notable product launch during what is turning into a very busy summer for smartphones.

But beyond the launch-day hype and beautiful hands-on photos, what really matters about the latest from Huawei and Honor? Let’s dive in with some first thoughts.

1. It should actually be a good phone — because it’s based on a good phone!

Instead of metal you’ve got glass. Instead of Kirin 955 you’ve got 950 (and thus slightly lower CPU speeds). And you don’t get a gazillion LTE bands out of the box. But by all other metrics the Honor 8 is basically a Huawei P9, and that’s a good thing. The P9 family — in particular the P9 Plus, with its 4GB of RAM — is the best we’ve seen from Huawei.

Unlike the Honor 5X, we should get decent performance out of Honor 8’s combination of Kirin 950, 4GB of RAM and Android 6.0 Marshmallow — paired with Huawei’s EMUI software layer. As of version 4.1, EMUI is faster and less objectionable than it’s ever been, with many annoying traits like over-the-top icon customization finally going away for good.

MORE: The top 6 tweaks you need to make to your Huawei or Honor phone

2. Kirin in the U.S. is really important

The Honor 8 is the first phone to ship in the United States with a Kirin processor, designed and manufactured by the Huawei-owned HiSilicon. The benefits of using your own silicon in your own phone are obvious — more vertical integration means Honor (or Huawei, if you prefer) doesn’t need to rely on Qualcomm’s roadmap as it has for previous U.S. launches.

As for why we haven’t seen Kirin in the U.S. before, that’s likely due to the challenges in getting the chip certified for use in America. In recent years the U.S. legislature has criticised Huawei’s apparent ties to the Chinese government, and thus geopolitics will inevitably come into play when it comes to any homegrown processor from the manufacturer. With the imminent arrival of the Honor 8 in the U.S., it would seem these issues have been largely resolved.

Kirin 950 might not be as fast as the very latest chips from Qualcomm (in our testing it falls somewhere between a Snapdragon 652 and the newest 820), but it’s a capable processor, and something that gives Honor (and Huawei) phones a unique hardware feature to boast over rivals in the $400-450 price point.

3. 4GB of RAM is huge

In China, the Honor 8 comes in two configurations — 3GB RAM and 32GB storage and 4GB/64GB. Usually it’s the lower-specced combination that goes global, but not this time.

The minutiae of smartphone specs are becoming less important with each passing generation, but the decision to ship the Honor 8 with 4GB of RAM in the U.S. (and hopefully Europe too — fingers crossed) is a big deal. The Honor 8’s Huawei-branded cousin, the P9, shipped with 3GB and suffered for it. While it wasn’t exactly slow out of the box, it could get bogged down with apps and background tasks in a way that the beefier P9 Plus doesn’t.

In performance terms, the Honor 8 should be closer to our favorite Huawei phone to date, even at the slightly lower clock speeds of Kirin 950. (Compared to the speedier Kirin 955 of the P9 family.)

More: Honor 8 hands-on preview

4. It’s a shot aimed squarely at OnePlus

The upstart smartphone brand basically owned by closely associated with Oppo is the real target of the Honor 8. With the OnePlus 3, that company has itself a hit on its hands — reviews heap praise on OnePlus’s latest, and the phones are flying off the shelves. It’s a well deserved success for a very new smartphone brand that’s finally growing up.

A similar relationship exists between Honor and Huawei, albeit with fewer mirrors and less smoke. Both OnePlus and Honor exist to establish a foothold in the West with a combination of decent specs and laser-focused pricing. (The same is true of ZTE’s Axon brand to a certain extent.) So it’s surely no accident that the base model Honor 8 is priced at exactly the level of the OnePlus 3.

Time will tell which phone wins out among enthusiasts. Huawei has expandable storage and unique camera features going for it. Meanwhile OnePlus has the edge in raw horsepower and brand recognition, as well as a more palatable software experience in OxygenOS.

5. This is just the beginning

Honor isn’t messing around here. With a glitzy San Francisco launch event and a big online marketing push, the brand is serious about the U.S. market, and in the Honor 8 it finally has as phone that’s good enough to make a real impact. But this isn’t just a blip.

As we’ve discussed before, Huawei’s due some major software changes, and the imminent arrival of EMUI 5 — likely based on Nougat, if recent leaks are any indicator — should address EMUI 4.1’s remaining quirks and bugbears. Huawei’s software is nowhere near as bad as it once was, but still it remains a point of weakness in the company’s 2016 handsets. If EMUI 5 addresses this as thoroughly as we expect it to, with features like Google-style notifications, a proper app drawer and other visual tweaks, things could get really interesting.

And as a Huawei-owned brand, Honor will eventually benefit from all those changes too.

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How to avoid a driving warning in Pokémon Go

How do I avoid that annoying driving warning in Pokémon Go?

How many times a day do you hit that “I’m a passenger” button? Too many. In an attempt to decrease the number of Pokémon Go players in the world who think it’s a good idea to play while driving, Niantic’s last update added a pop-up message when the GPS determines you exceeding the speeds humans are able to travel using two legs.

You can dismiss the message quickly by letting the app know you’re a passenger, but there’s a whole lot of people out there tired of seeing this warning pop up when they’re not anywhere near a moving vehicle.

Since Pokémon Go relies heavily on GPS for most of the game’s behaviors, there are ways to avoid this driving warning in many situations. Here are some quick tips!

Watch your speed

Sometimes the simplest answer works. Pokémon Go awards distance traveled for eggs based on straight lines. The game pings your phone, waits a few minutes, and pings again. If the distance between those two pings is determined at under 6.5mph, your egg distance is increased accordingly.

If you’re riding a bike or skateboard — or trolling a giant parking lot in a car so you can cheat and get your eggs unlocked faster — remember to keep it under 6.5mph. You’ll avoid the driving warning, and get the maximum travel distance for your eggs.

Make sure Wi-Fi is enabled

A big problem with the current Pokémon Go driving warning is when it happens as you’re sitting at your work desk trying to catch that Magmar while your boss is distracted. You clearly aren’t driving, so why is this happening?! The short answer is something called GPS drift. Your phone can’t get or maintain an accurate GPS connection, so your avatar drifts in a radius around your position, since it’s not possible to get a clear lock.

If GPS drift is getting you down, turn on Wi-Fi to get rid of it

The only thing you can do about this is enable Wi-Fi, which your phone will use to help gain a more precise location. WiFi access points are fixed, and can frequently be used an an additional data point in keeping your GPS position locked. You don’t need to be connected to a Wi-Fi network; you just need to have it enabled so it is scanning for available networks.

Set Location Accuracy to High

Many phones will automatically adjust how frequently your GPS attempts to grab a precise location when battery saver mode is enabled, and on several phones that location accuracy setting isn’t adjusted back to High until you explicitly tell the phone to do so.

More: Getting a ‘GPS signal not found’ error in Pokémon Go? Here’s how to fix it!

Head to the Location tab in your settings panel, and make sure the Locating Method option is set to high. This will ensure you are able to get the best possible GPS connection, which will help you maintain a stable position in the game.

Deep nerd — a window and a remote access app

There are some situations where these tips just plain won’t work, either because the GPS in your phone isn’t very good or the building you work in is a few rods short of a Faraday Cage. Watching your avatar rubber band between potential GPS points, immediately followed by a warning that you’re driving too fast while standing in the bathroom at work, is deeply frustrating.

The only real solution here is to go where the GPS will work well and set your phone up so you can access it remotely, which really isn’t the best idea ever but it’ll scratch the itch. Set your phone up somewhere near an outdoor window, and use a remote access app to check in on Pokémon Go a couple times during the day. If you see something worth catching you can wander over and catch it, but otherwise you’ll be safe to get your work done.

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High-speed wireless network are everywhere, but the U.S. is way behind on data speeds

The U.S. lags behind many countries in terms of data rates, but a rising tide has lifted worldwide access and speeds.

If you live in any sort of relatively populated area around the world, chances are you have access to a solid LTE or at least 3G connection. High-speed mobile networks are practically ubiquitous, but that doesn’t mean the experience is anywhere near the same around the world. Data from OpenSignal’s latest State of Mobile Networks report backs up this notion, showing how widespread mobile connectivity is today, as just how big of a disparity there is in terms of data speeds around the world.

It shouldn’t come as any surprise that in most developed countries you’re going to be on a 3G or higher speed network a vast majority of the time, with OpenSignal’s crowd-sourced data showing that 23 countries around the world have 90% or higher 3G/4G network availability. Even though we all prefer to be on an LTE network, the truth is that combining 3G and 4G into one metric makes sense — you can get plenty done on a modern 3G network, and they’re still extremely important to carriers’ operations.

And while the networks are in place around the world, the situation in data speeds isn’t nearly as rosy. Measurements of overall speed across 3G and 4G networks shows usual suspects South Korea and Singapore at the top of the charts, averaging 41 and 31 mbps downloads, respectively. Things trail off quickly, though, with the U.S. averaging download speeds of just 12 mbps — 38th place worldwide, according to the data. Most of South America averages under 10 mbps, while most European countries are in the mid teens or low 20’s of mbps in download speeds.

Average network speeds in the U.S. are just 12 mbps — 38th in the world

Breaking down a level further for those of us in the U.S., there’s obviously a large gap between carriers in this large country, with each generally offering either better speeds or coverage, dramatically changing depending on where you are geographically. Even when averaging things out across the country, you have decisions to make like getting the fastest measured LTE speeds from T-Mobile, or the most measured widespread LTE coverage from Verizon.

Because of this large gulf in data speeds, OpenSignal still finds Wi-Fi use to be extremely high and on the rise in most areas, even those with higher-than-average mobile network speeds. Users in small countries like the Netherlands spend 70% of their time on Wi-Fi networks, but even smartphone owners in the U.S. spend over 50% of their day connected to Wi-Fi.

So even in 2016, with some of the most amazing little computers in our pockets, we’re still looking to make large improvements in our networks around the world to support them. We’ll probably never be happy with the speeds being offered, and there are massive logistical hurdles to offering the fastest speeds in every corner of every country, but the near future should hold notable bumps in overall network quality.