Snapdragon 855 TESTED – how this 5G chip will make 2019 phones insanely fast
SMARTPHONES in 2019 are getting a major speed boost thanks to a new chip that promises "unimaginable performance".
But is Qualcomm's Snapdragon 855 – expected to feature in this year's most popular handsets – all it's cracked up to be? We've put it to the test.
What is the Qualcomm Snapdragon 855?
The Snapdragon 855 is the latest mobile processor from US chip-making giant Qualcomm.
It's a "flagship" chip, which means it's likely to feature in the very best smartphones from the likes of Samsung, Sony and OnePlus.
It's also going to power the very first 5G phones we're expecting to see in 2019, which will offer super-fast data download speeds.
And it's built on a brand new "7nm manufacturing process", which basically means it can squeeze more computing power into a smaller space – so expect supercharged performance.
What is a smartphone "benchmark"?
To test how fast a smartphone's processor is, we use something called a "benchmark".
Benchmarks are types of apps that make a chip perform very difficult tasks.
These apps track how well the processor handled the tasks, and then gives them a score.
There are lots of different benchmark apps out there, and they all test smartphones in a different way – so the best way to gauge a phone's performance is to look at lots of different benchmark scores.
Qualcomm Snapdragon 855 tested – is it any good?
We had a chance to test out the Snapdragon 855 at this year's CES 2019 tech show in Las Vegas.
To benchmark the chip, we used two of the most popular testing apps: AnTuTu and Geekbench.
After three AnTuTu tests, the Snapdragon 855 scored an average of 359,442.
Here's how that compares to other phones you may have heard of:
- Snapdragon 855 – 359,442
- iPhone XS – 355,856
- iPhone XS Max – 353,572
- Huawei Mate 20 – 306,608
- OnePlus 6T – 295,942
- Samsung Galaxy Note 9 – 282,912
- Samsung Galaxy S9+ – 266,871
- LG G7 ThinQ – 258,319
As you can see, the Snapdragon 855 came out on top.
It's not surprising that it beat most of the Android phones on the list, but trumping the iPhone is particularly impressive.
That's because Apple creates its own chips, and then optimises its handsets specifically for that chip alone.
This is compared to Android phone manufacturers, who generally make do with whatever chips are available at the time.
So is it a similar story with Geekbench? After three tests, the average score was 10,989.
Here's how that compares to more familiar gadgets:
- iPhone XS – 11,264
- iPhone XS Max – 11,209
- Snapdragon 855 – 10,989
- OnePlus 6 – 8,858
- Samsung Galaxy S9+ – 8,660
- LG G7 ThinQ – 8,469
This time the iPhone won, but that's not a major surprise.
Both the Snapdragon 855 and Apple's A12 chip are built on the same efficient manufacturing process, so they're always going to have close scores – and lead the pack.
Of course, you shouldn't read into these numbers too much.
Different smartphone chips handle tasks in different ways, and a benchmark test doesn't always reflect how you'd use a phone from day to day.
Speed is only one part of a phone's story: you also need a great camera, excellent battery life and an attractive design.
Try out phones before you buy them, read gadget reviews, and weigh up the handset's performance against all the other features – and against the price, most of all.
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Want to invest in a new blower? We've rounded up the very best Android phones you can buy today.
And if you've already got one, check out the official guide to the best Android apps and games for last year.
Read why our favourite Android phone of 2018 was the Google Pixel 3 XL.
Are you tempted to upgrade your smartphone this year? Let us know in the comments!
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