Samsung's Game-Optimizing Service (GOS) was designed to prevent complex games from causing phones to overheat
The Galaxy S21 was released in 2021, and the Galaxy S22, along with the Galaxy Tab S8, was launched in 2022. All three devices were equipped with Samsung's Game-Optimizing Service (GOS) that was designed to prevent a phone's battery from overheating or draining excessively during complex video game play.
GOS slowed down the game play on the Galaxy S21, Galaxy S22, and Galaxy Tab S8 by as much as 70%
GOS slowed down game play by as much as 70%. Samsung never disclosed in ads that GOS was capping the performance of the processor's CPU and GPU. Those ads actually touted the advanced gaming capabilities of the devices in question, promoting maximum processor speeds and top-tier graphics.
The FTC pointed out that in its ads, Samsung would use phrases such as "the fastest 5-nanometer AP in a Galaxy device yet to hard-carry your gaming" and "the ultimate mobile gaming experience, with a 120Hz display delivering rapid screen transitions and responding instantly to touch." The FTC said such deceptive marketing prevented consumers from making a sound purchasing decision.
The FTC said that consumers often look at how well a phone handles mobile games before deciding whether to buy it
Samsung tended to focus on gaming capabilities when advertising its high-end phones of that period. The FTC said that consumers often take a look at a device's gaming capabilities before deciding whether to buy a new device.
The Galaxy S21 is one of the models with GOS that led Samsung to get fined. | Image by PhoneArena
The decision by Samsung not to promote the use of GOS means that potential buyers of the Galaxy S21 line, the Galaxy S22 series, and the Galaxy Tab S8 tablets would not know that GOS caused mobile games to freeze, lag, and deliver reduced graphics quality. By not mentioning GOS, consumers looking at a specific model wouldn't worry whether it might suffer through the latter issues while a complex mobile game was being polayed.
Samsung hinted that it would take the FTC to court
Samsung released a software update in 2022 that allowed users to raise the CPU and GPU performance limits on devices using GOS. Samsung called the FTC's decision one that is hard to understand and said that it would defend its position in court.
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Alan, an ardent smartphone enthusiast and a veteran writer at PhoneArena since 2009, has witnessed and chronicled the transformative years of mobile technology. Owning iconic phones from the original iPhone to the iPhone 15 Pro Max, he has seen smartphones evolve into a global phenomenon. Beyond smartphones, Alan has covered the emergence of tablets, smartwatches, and smart speakers.
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