The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 edge Review
by Joshua Ho on April 17, 2015 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Smartphones
- Samsung
- Mobile
- Galaxy S6
- Galaxy S6 Edge
System Performance Cont'd: GPU Performance
As previously mentioned, the Galaxy S6 uses a Mali T760MP8 clocked at 772 MHz, which should provide a healthy improvement in GPU performance over the Exynos 5433. To test this, we run through our standard suite of game-style GPU benchmarks. However, there are still some CPU benchmarks present within these tests such as the 3DMark physics test. In general though, a strong GPU is needed to perform well in these tests. For those interested in an architectural deep-dive of the Mali T760, I would refer to Ryan’s article on the Midgard architecture for more information.
The Galaxy S6 starts out fairly strong in 3DMark. Overall performance is boosted by a chart-topping physics score, while pure graphics performance trails a bit. In this case the S6 is roughly on par with the iPhone 6 Plus, but would have to close quite a gap to catch up to the HTC One (M9).
BaseMark X finds the S6 the runaway winner. The phone is well ahead in both the Dunes and Hangar test, beating the next-best phones (primarily Adreno 420/430 based) by 25% or more depending on the test. The increase over the S5 is especially remarkable; Samsung has more than doubled their performance in this benchmark in barely a year.
GFXBench 3.0 is another strong showing for the S6. In both offscreen tests it's 15% or more ahead of the next closest phone, which is once again the HTC One (M9). Meanwhile compared once more to the S5, Samsung's performance has more than doubled. Consequently even the onscreen tests show significant gains, as the GPU performance gain more than outstrips the additional performance required to drive the higher resolution 1440p AMOLED display of the S6.
Overall, as we can see the performance of the S6 is in line for what is expected from its Mali T760MP8 configuration. Interestingly though the phone's performance exceeds the scaling we'd expect from adding two shader cores and increasing frequency to 772 MHz, as compared to the Exynos 5433-powered Note 4 Exynos. This suggests that the Exynos 5433's GPU was bandwidth-limited to some extent, in addition to any possible thermal throttling that would occur over the course of a GFXBench run. But I suspect we'll have to save the deep dive for a future article as I can't take the review unit apart to find out.
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akdj - Sunday, April 26, 2015 - link
I'll re-read, but I could've sworn that was mentioned a couple times. Maybe it was ARS, but I'll check, as you're right. SVoice is the 'front end' to access GVoice and therefore allows Sammy to 'remember' your search information, etc. I've been able to work around, I believe, on my Note 4 now with the 5.0.1 updateUse Google Laincher. Disable Samsung account and sync and mine flies! Much faster than Nova, Go or vanilla TouchWiz and 'possibly' part of Google's Launch code, while using its only syncing data through Google (possibly SVoice or SRememberEverything in the background). I'll have to recheck and time but the update to LP has certainly sped all facets of the UI, updates, app launching and all around perceived 'speed'. I use a dark wallpaper, Nova Launcher 70% of the time and GLauncher the other portion.
Possibly Google's new 5.0.1 code is more specific to usage of its own services overriding those of carrier or the OEM. Again, unsure but damn it flies!
I'm going to spend this week with Google's camera to see if the Note 4 fan shoot the new raw still formats. As a decent camera with Lightroom on board and a CC subscription, I'm excited for the raw output of these hamdsets.
Are you speaking from experience? (Do you own one) or what you've read in reviews? I've certainly seen that mentioned and thought it was here ...pertaining to your suggestion it was forgotten. When I read it, I checked it in the Note 4 and using TW straight, indeed it runs through SVoice first with a significant delay (regardless of bandwidth). It seems quicker in Nova, slower in Go, fastest using Google Launch
pSupaNova - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
Reading this review I can't help thinking Intel is in trouble if Samsung manages to ship lots of this handset.it will show that they are getting their SOC manufacturing into gear.
Schickenipple - Tuesday, April 21, 2015 - link
It's a little comical that a good portion of the 'pluses' of android phones have now gone the way of the iPhone. I fear there will be very little for Samsung lovers to hold over iOS soon.... How will you reboot when the OS freezes every day? Can't add an SD card??!! Blasphemy!Seriously though, they look pretty nice. Almost like an iPhone.
FlushedBubblyJock - Friday, April 24, 2015 - link
oh but if feels so industrial designed and so well built in my hand its so ergonomic my money impression is very, very high as my brain has been fried to a crisp from my desire to be somebody important and wealthy...FlushedBubblyJock - Friday, April 24, 2015 - link
excuse me but i have too go visit steve jobs grave for my monthly pilgrimage, and check my stock portfolio for my apple daily increase, an apple a day keeps retirement at bay !!!holmberg - Wednesday, April 22, 2015 - link
Could we get a measurement of the audio quality (i.e. the DAC and amplifiers, NOT the speakers), similar to what you did for the S5 here:;http://anandtech.com/show/8078/smartphone-audio-te...
FlushedBubblyJock - Friday, April 24, 2015 - link
oHHMMM ah I have recieved a premonition:When the time comes, metal industrial apple clone design won't be the glossy cocktail party rave it is now for all the reviewers... the new "nano carbon" hardshell and totally black design will be the inherently desired feel it up in the hand "win" the reviewers and crybabies all claim we want.
So, soon enough, when it's as cheap as a popcan is now, carbon fiber phone rage will storm the gates.... oh it's so light and so stiff, it feels so strong in my hand (like a fem commenting) ...
YEP - that's coming next - then after the reviewers convince the whole industry to trend toward carbon fiber and leave the metalheads in the dust (their newly created idiots wake) we will have another brain fart of gigantic proportion to deal with...
Warnings about carbon fiber slivers will go unheeded - there may be a whole section on how to reduce scratches and nano crackings and splittings of the fiber along with sales kits and superglue derivatives to rebond the nano cracks...
Next some of the more fervent feeler uppers will wind up in the hospital witth carbon paw poisoning or necessary eye cleansings since they sneezed up the raw carbon tubes into their own faces...
In the mean time they will have alzheimers from feeling up their aluminum metalized wonder industrial builds....
Yep, coming soon to a raw brain fart industry of elite 1% self love.
Forget that plastic if flexible, moldable, much more comfortable in the hand, lighter, and easily snapped apart and together - we must now have metal with apple 5star hex screws - and soon only carbon fiber probably with glass reinforced or ceramic fastener holes... and the elite will rave at the sensational high quality super high $$$$$ feel in their paws...
Yeah man, it's coming - if they charged ten grand for solidified rice paper the elite and feely nerd ego wackos would praise it to the moon and sky...
FlushedBubblyJock - Friday, April 24, 2015 - link
Where the heck is the scree resolution comparison and the pixels per inch chart putting the apple fans to shame ?I just read elsewhere the ppi which was always fanfare here when apple had the lead is 557 ppi ...
That's way above the 200-300+ I'm used to seeing...
So it's 4k resoluion and 557 pixels per inch - doesn't that deserve a whole page of glorious praise comparing to the other losers, which is everyone is it not ?
ubcjack - Tuesday, April 28, 2015 - link
Can Anandtech write an article to explain how Samsung implement PDAF over Sony's IM240 sensor? I'm really interested in the implementation.DIYEyal - Thursday, April 30, 2015 - link
If this phone was thicker with a bigger battery, dual sim, micro SD and waterproof it would have been the perfect phone for me.Rumors suggest that samsung is about to release a dualsim version, so I'll probably buy that.