Recently, Samsung plunged into another scandal. There was evidence that it artificially reduces the performance of devices when working with more than 10 thousand applications. Moreover, this is due to the regular Game Optimizing Service (GOS) utility; the task of which is to optimize the operation of the smartphone during the gameplay. Curiously, in the list of applications whose performance is limited, there is not a single benchmark application.
Surprisingly, the list of “persona non grata” includes 233 applications of Samsung itself and it contains more than a hundred utilities from Google. And at the same time, the Game Optimizing Service favors the synthetic tests Geekbench, 3D Mark, PCMark, GFXBench, Antutu, CPDT and Androbench; which do not slow down. It turns out that although the company does not specifically wind up the results of tests and measurements, in fact they show the performance that the smartphone does not produce in normal work scenarios.
When you start the test, the device runs at maximum power, respectively, the benchmark gives excellent results. But then, when the tests are completed, the performance decreases – the graphics and processor frequencies are lowered so that the smartphone does not eat the battery and does not overheat.
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Geekbench accuses Samsung of benchmark manipulation
The Geekbench developers reacted to this and expelled the flagships of the Galaxy S10, Galaxy S20 and Galaxy S21 series from the results table, and also deleted all the results of the run. Another interesting point to note is that the list does not include the Galaxy S22 series; despite Samsung confirming that the line comes with GOS, at least in South Korea. The reason for this metamorphosis is currently unclear.
After extensive internal testing we have determined the following Samsung Galaxy handsets use GOS: Samsung Galaxy S22 (all models) – Samsung Galaxy S21 (all models) – Samsung Galaxy S20 (all models) – Samsung Galaxy S10 (all models). Today we delisted these handsets from the Android Benchmark chart on the Geekbench Browser.
In a statement provided to Android Police, Geekbench said the following:
Earlier this week, we were aware of Samsung’s Game Optimizing Service (GOS); and how it throttles the performance of games and applications. GOS decides to throttle (or not to throttle) applications using application identifiers and not application behavior. We view this as a form of benchmark manipulation as major benchmark applications; including Geekbench, faces no limits by this service.