In case it wasn’t already abundantly clear, Samsung is gearing up to unveil the high-end Galaxy S10 smartphone lineup (on February 20), then commercially release the company’s next big thing in three different variants (possibly, on March 8).
But while we’ve known what to expect from the S10 and S10+ in terms of their SoC’s make and model for several months now, the question of actual processing power in comparison with main rivals remained unanswered.
A couple of early benchmark results didn’t exactly provide comfort for Android power users fearing the iPhone XS and XS Max would continue to top the speed charts, but the latest Geekbench record of a (not so) mysterious Samsung SM-G975F is much more promising.
The “confirmed” specifications
Prior to their official announcements, devices like the Galaxy S10 are tested using reliable benchmarking applications like Geekbench under the disguise of their model numbers. But that’s not usually a great disguise, as SM-G975F, for instance, clearly follows in the footsteps of the SM-G965F, aka “global” Galaxy S9+.
Hence, we’re 100 percent certain we’re looking at a pre-release Galaxy S10+ prototype here for markets across Europe and other regions outside North America and China. While the S10 and S10 Plus (and possibly, even the S10E) are expected to pack Qualcomm’s hot new Snapdragon 855 processor in the US, Samsung’s in-house Exynos 9820 chipset will be unsurprisingly used elsewhere.
This particular configuration we’re seeing benchmarked today pairs the “universal9820” motherboard with 6GB RAM (around 5.4 gigs of which are user accessible), while Android 9.0 Pie (with One UI on top) already runs the software show.
Two other Galaxy S10+ versions have been widely rumored of late, bumping up the memory count to as much as 12 gigs, but Geekbench is a processor-focused performance-measuring tool, so the amount of RAM on deck is unlikely to impact the handset’s scores.
Optimized software equals top-notch results
When the Galaxy S10+ (model number SM-G975N) was first evaluated through Geekbench a couple of weeks back, the only reasonable explanation for its disappointing 3248 and 7999 single and multi-core scores was unpolished software.
Indeed, nothing appears to have changed under the hood of the Galaxy S10 Plus since then, so it’s obvious Samsung invested quite a bit of effort into refining the Android 9 operating system to gain a whopping 1,200 single-core and almost 2,500 multi-core points.
At 4477 and 10444 respectively, the impending Samsung Galaxy S10 Plus is naturally faster than all Android devices currently available, from the Huawei Mate 20 Pro to the OnePlus 6T and Samsung’s own Galaxy Note 9.
It remains to be seen if the US-bound Snapdragon 855 variant of the Galaxy S10+ will be able to eclipse this international Exynos 9820 model. Qualcomm’s state-of-the-art new chip has posted some remarkable early AnTuTu scores inside the Lenovo Z5 Pro GT and Sony Xperia XZ4 (allegedly), but then again, the Note 9 racked up more Geekbench points with the Exynos 9810 than the Snapdragon 845 under the hood.
Unless Samsung has more optimizing to do before releasing the Galaxy S10 and S10+ (which is certainly not out of the question), Apple will retain its crown, racking up around 5000 and 11200 single and multi-core points respectively on average.
Of course, it’s important to remember synthetic benchmarks don’t always reflect the real-world capabilities of mobile devices and processors in the most accurate way, although in the case of the iPhone XS and XS Max, Geekbench does actually provide a factual view of how the two handsets typically perform out and about.
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Adrian, a mobile technology enthusiast since the Nokia 3310 era, has been a dynamic presence in the tech journalism field, contributing to Android Authority, Digital Trends, and Pocketnow before joining PhoneArena in 2018. His expertise spans across various platforms, with a particular fondness for the diversity of the Android ecosystem. Despite the challenges of balancing full-time parenthood with his work, Adrian's passion for tech trends, running, and movies keeps him energized. His commitment to mid-range smartphones has led to an eclectic collection of devices, saved from personal bankruptcy by his preference for 'adequate' over 'overpriced'.
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