Samsung Galaxy S8 and its larger sibling, the S8+, have been getting a tremendous amount of attention ever since the Note 7 fiasco last year. It’s almost like an iPhone pre-launch frenzy.
This year, the U.S. versions of the Galaxy S8 and S8+ will likely get the Snapdragon 835 processor from Qualcomm, while the models for the rest of the world will have the Exynos 8895. The problem is, the Exynos outstrips the Snapdragon in performance benchmarks on GeekBench.
There’s no doubt that both are powerful chips, and neither is a compromise as far as Samsung is concerned. But the fact remains that users in the United States could be getting the lesser of two great processors.
In the GeekBench benchmark, the Exynos 8895 chipset was tested in a device with model number SM-G955F, which is believed to be the S8+. The device with this chip achieved a score of 1978 in the single-core benchmarking test, while the same device with the Snapdragon 835 came in at a lower 1929. In the multi-core section, the Exyno-powered device got a score of 6375, significantly higher than the 6084 for the device running on the 835 from Qualcomm.
What does that mean?
From a user perspective, it could mean very little. But perceptible or no, there will be a slight difference in performance. That means the international version could be the better variant compared to the ones to be sold and shipped to the United States.
Interestingly, the two processors are very similar to each other. Both use the same 10nm FinFET process technology, which lets them use 40% less power – that means a longer battery life. And both have octa cores as well. In addition, both the chipsets support gigabit LTE, 4K gaming and Virtual Reality (VR).
But there are some subtle differences, as you can see from the chart below:
Until the devices are launched and we can get our hands on them, we obviously cannot comment on which version will be better. Benchmarking is just one element; it’s the actual user experience that matters. From that perspective, the difference may not even be noticeable.
We have about 10 days to go before the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8+ are launched, and a further three weeks before they’re shipped out. Stay tuned as we bring you reviews of the devices once users get their hands on them.
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