CPU Performance

For our CPU analysis we're left with our usual browser based benchmarks. Again this isn't an ideal list of tests but it's the best we've got for now. Where necessary we'll show results using both stock and Chrome browsers. We did notice a single case of thermal based throttling under SunSpider 0.9.1 (the benchmark alone is ine, but running it after a bunch of others caused throttling), so we're once again presenting results in our standard test environment as well as inside of a freezer to show peak performance. Although the Galaxy S 4 managed to throttle in one of our tests, the device never felt all that warm to the touch. We could be seeing some of the same aggressively set thermal governors that we saw back with the Nexus 4. It's also worth pointing out that we're simply in an era of pushing the limits of just how fast you can go at 28nm LP in many of these smartphones. The mobile SoC vendors also need to do a better job of power management, enabling controlled bursting to these high frequency states vs. sustaining the higher frequencies until there's a serious enough thermal issue that the CPU cores have to throttle themselves significantly.

SunSpider Javascript Benchmark 0.9.1 - Stock Browser

Mozilla Kraken Benchmark

Under Kraken in particular we see a measurable improvement in performance over the 1.7GHz S600 used in the HTC One. Qualcomm still can't attain the peak performance of ARM's Cortex A15, but once again we're looking at a much lower power profile.

Google Octane Benchmark v1

Vellamo Benchmark - 2.0

Vellamo Benchmark - 2.0

 

Galaxy S 4 - Powered by a Better Snapdragon 600 (APQ8064AB)? GPU Performance
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  • vipuls1979 - Wednesday, May 22, 2013 - link

    I have posted a comparision on http://mobiknowhow.blogspot.com and i personally think one should go ahead with S4 instead of HTC One
  • srihari - Thursday, May 23, 2013 - link

    Anand, non-technical people will not be able to judge the better phone by looking at the GPU benchmark onscreen numbers(with varying screen resolutions for different phone). so, i suggest you to post *only* GPU benchmark off-screen numbers.
  • cadjak - Saturday, May 25, 2013 - link

    This device has a primary function that seems NOT to get examined in reviews. How well does it send and/or receive a simple voice communication? The S3 had some serious issues around reception in areas with marginal LTE signal. I have had to tweak mine to get it to reliably work as a phone, by setting it to CDMA auto (PRL). I am trying to find out if the S4 will have similar connection issues, but I'm not having much luck.
  • vipuls1979 - Monday, May 27, 2013 - link

    i would sincerely like to go with Galaxy S4 rather then HTC one, updates released by Samsung are more quicker then HTC and
    did you know a recent Press Trust of India Release says Camera sales are down due to Smartphone camera
    full report at http://mobiknowhow.blogspot.com
  • paul_59 - Monday, May 27, 2013 - link

    Interesting comments about differences between S4 8064AB &.HTC One 8064T

    I ran a custom kernel and overclock HTC One to 1.89Ghz (S4 1.9Ghz)
    Got sunspider 0.91 benchmark result 550 ms .

    I realise benchmarking is subject to lots of variables
  • vipuls1979 - Thursday, June 6, 2013 - link

    Guys, i hope you must be aware of latest blackberry Q10 launched in India
    for more details visit http://mobiknowhow.blogspot.com/2013/06/blackberry...
  • MonkeyK - Thursday, June 13, 2013 - link

    Are the battery test stats really right? 1 hour of additional Wifi web browsing time is huge. But every other review that I have read shows the S4 having slightly longer battery life. So what gives?
  • elucid - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - link

    I guess Part 2 is not coming? If it still is, a battery test with a real LTE network like Verizon (or even ATT) would be interesting.
  • reapergato - Tuesday, June 18, 2013 - link

    2 months later and still no Part 2? I sure hope with all that extra real world testing the part 2 article will knock our socks off....
  • Optimummind - Sunday, June 30, 2013 - link

    It's been over 2 months and still no Part 2?

    Also, after re-reading the review, it seems the article has been edited from its original release.

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