We’re more than halfway through 2022, and it’s time to take a look at premium phone performance!

The Snapdragon 8 Gen1 has been a controversial chip for expensive Android phones. Qualcomm used ARM reference designs to build a powerful System on Chip. Samsung was responsible for producing the chip on Qualcomm’s designs. Then, manufacturers build phones around those power and thermal specifications.

That thermal conversation has been a challenge to track this year. The Snapdragon 8 Gen1 is a powerful chip, but it’s a finnicky performer if thermals and battery life aren’t handled appropriately.

This SOC arrived at the same time as some significant changes to Android. The way Android 12 handles storage reduces performance for numerous apps and services. Years of my benchmarking results on older phones are no longer directly comparable to current phones with Android 12 and newer.

Phones released in the first half of 2022 are a unique group of devices.

More powerful (but hotter) CPU and GPU, balanced against performance sapping software.

The refreshed Snapdragon 8+ Gen1 is starting to ship in new phones for the second half of the year. ARM is improving the power efficiency, Qualcomm is refining the design, and TSMC is replacing Samsung for the chip fabrication.

It’s a good time to chart how these devices currently compare against each other.

We’ll see where these companies are improving later in the year. We’ll get to see if the 8+ Gen1 runs cooler. We’ll get to see if app developers are taking better advantage of this SOC performance.

Let’s look at some benchmark scores!

I’ve taken a sampling of different premium phones using the 8 Gen1: mainstream devices, productivity phones, camera focused phones, gaming phones. We SHOULD expect some differences in how these products perform different tasks.

It’s not enough to say a phone has the most powerful chip. How the phone handles heat matters. The battery capacity matters. The focus and design of the phone matters.

It’s like saying “a V8 engine is the best”, but is that V8 in a sleek sports car, a comfy sedan, or a heavy-duty truck?

As a point of comparison, I’ve also included two mid-ranger phones to see how significantly less expensive options might compare against the premium tier. The iQOO Neo 6 uses the Snapdragon 870, which is a “Plus PLUS” version of the Snapdragon 865 released in 2020.

The Poco X4 GT uses the Dimensity 8100, which features a similar CPU core configuration as the Snapdragon 870, but on a smaller die size, which should be more efficient. Both the iQOO and the Poco retail for less than $500. The cheapest phone on this list with an 8 Gen1 retails for around $700.

Let’s begin!

If you’re curious how I test these phones and grade performance, I wrote up my methods in this blog post!

Synthetic CPU and GPU Scores (GeekBench)

Starting with synthetic bench scores, GeekBench runs a series of tiny tests and delivers a score based on the results of those tiny tests.

2022 was notable for some major controversies from companies like OnePlus and Samsung for manipulating phone performance. Several brands this year were found to be throttling the performance of the phone when using real-world apps and games, but leaving performance unrestricted for benchmarks.

As we’ll see throughout many of these tests, GeekBench (and other synthetic testing apps) are poor predictors of real-world performance.

Pay attention to these results.

The mid-ranger phones predictably take the bottom spots for single core performance. The Moto Edge+ arrives as the least impressive premium phone, easily outpaced by the smaller Galaxy S22.

If someone was motivated to buy a phone based on this data, especially people looking to get more use out of a premium gadget purchase, we’ll have to check back to see if this ranking remains similar for real-world apps.

Video Rendering – PowerDirector

Immediately on our first challenge, this list is significantly different than our ranking for GeekBench scores.

A tight cluster of 8 Gen1 phones leads the pack. The mid-range Neo6 divides the list. The Axon 40 trails the rest of the premium phones, with the Galaxy S22 turning in a better but unremarkable time.

This app likes the SD870 better than MediaTek’s Dimensity 8100 for our two sample mid-rangers.

Video Rendering – KineMaster

Rendering the same project, KineMaster has a faster rendering engine than PowerDirector. There’s a lot less spread in these results. Performance has plateaued, and KineMaster doesn’t seem to derive much benefit from more powerful SOCs.

It’s simply a matter of optimization at this point.

There’s less than a 10% difference between a top-of-the-line chip from 2022, and a refined version of a chip from 2020. That works out to about a 4 second difference in finishing a one-minute 4K video project. Every improvement matters, but one might wonder if that performance difference is worth a roughly $300 price difference.

It’s difficult to argue someone should buy a new phone if they use KineMaster.

It’s also worth noting that our charts here are a little different than our PowerDirector rankings.

Different software. Different optimization. Different results. The iQOO 9 Pro was our fastest 8Gen1 on PowerDirector and our slowest on KineMaster.

Video Transcoding – PowerDirector

Our Transcoding test is less complex than the render test. This is more inline with a consumer doing a simple edit to a single video file, instead of editing multiple clips together.

Our mid-rangers bookend the test. The tried-and-true SD870 in the Neo6 takes our top spot over all the 8Gen1 phones, the Dimensity in the Poco lags the rest of the pack.

Worth noting here, a phone like the Moto Edge+ ranked the lowest in our GeekBench test, but puts in a mid-pack showing here. The Samsungs tie for slowest.

Video Transcoding – KineMaster

The same test file edited on KineMaster, and while the chart shakes up a little, we still see the mid-rangers take first and last. The Neo6 is now tied with the RedMagic and the Note 22.

Only a seven second difference separates the fastest from the slowest, and the Poco is still capable of finishing the task in a shorter time than the video would take to play.

The S22 moves up the list, but only manages to tie the Moto.

Podcast Mixing – Audio Evolution

Audio editing is a compute heavy task, and Audio Evolution generally enjoys better performance with each new generation of SOC. The Axon (which typically scores lower on many other tests) leads the pack tied with the Moto (which was the lowest score on GeekBench).

Unlike video editing, both mid-rangers fall where we would expect them to if our apps were really leveraging the increased compute power of the 8Gen1. Phones that manage performance and thermals more aggressively however, are completing this task really close to the mid-rangers.

While Samsung advertises both the S22 and the Note 22 as having the same “powerful” chip, consistently we see the S22 fail to keep up with the bigger Galaxy.

Oddly, through some quirk of optimization, the Poco F4GT lands the slowest score.

Video Stabilization – Google Photos

Video Stabilization is still my voodoo test.

I’ve yet to discover any trend in these results which might account for why Google Photos might prefer one phone over another. The hunt continues. This is basically an “intermission” bar graph at this point.

We have found the ONE practical task where the S22 can beat the Moto though.

Synthetic File Compression – RAR Lab

Another synthetic benchmark, RAR has its own test for data compression. Measuring how much information the cores can handle per second.

This test is directly comparable against the desktop client of RAR, where my old laptop with an 8^th Gen Core i7 scores around 5200 KB/s, we can see premium tier phones today deliver nearly the same CPU performance.

RAR really likes the Note 22 for this test, but the Neo6 with an SD870 manages our second fastest score. Moto manages to eke out a win over the S22, and the Dimensity in the X4GT outpaces the Axon and Poco F4GT.

Real World File Compression – RAR Lab

Running a large file compression task however, our list changes from the synthetic benchmark. As we account for thermal throttling, it should come as no surprise that the phone with an active cooling fan built in would take the top spot in the real-world test.

The Note 22 performs well, but it slides a few spots below phones that scored significantly lower in the synthetic bench. The Axon is our last place for 8Gen1 phones, and the Dimensity powered Poco is 50% slower than that.

The Neo6 with an SD870 manages to hold on to its second-place finish, showing that this SOC is not only still powerful, but also manages heat better than phones like the Note 22.

Synthetic Photo Processing – Photomate R3

Another synthetic test, this is one of my favorite apps to showcase how changes to Android’s storage policies have wrecked performance for developers. This timed test built into PhotoMate used to complete in roughly 15 seconds on phones from 2019.

Today, with “significantly more powerful” hardware, our best times are doubled. There’s certainly room for optimization and improvement from the developer, but how the app is forced to store and organize files is largely out of the developer’s control. Times CAN get better, but I doubt they’ll ever return to pre-Android 12 scores.

The Dimensity takes it’s only outright win across the entire collection of benches. The Note 22 lands a close second place. The Moto ends up in the upper-mid-pack, while the Axon and S22 bring up the rear.

There’s an almost 30% slower finish from the Axon than the SD870 powered Neo6.

Batch Photo Processing – Photomate R3

Getting into the last test I run, this is the most brutal task I grade. Batch processing 200 RAW photos from a Sony mirrorless camera. I’m breaking this up over three bar graphs to show different aspects of the same test.

First, in terms of outright completion, the RedMagic takes a handy victory. Again, like our file compression test, active cooling keeps overall performance more consistent for longer periods of time.

The Note 22 slides into a close fourth place behind the Honor and Moto. The S22 falls well behind the mid-rangers, and the Axon is dead last by a significant margin.

Now, we can break up these scores in batches, comparing the first hundred photos processed against the second hundred. This gives us a look at thermal throttling over a long period of time. This list is sorted by the completion of the first hundred. RedMagic’s second batch is faster than almost every other phone’s first batch.

The OnePlus 10 Pro had the third fastest first batch, but throttled harder on the second batch. If you remember from the first graph, the OnePlus fell from third place to sixth place over the course of this test.

Similarly the S22 was fourth from last finishing the first batch, but throttled even harder, and ended up second to last at finish. The first hundred on the S22 was significantly slower than the second hundred photos on the Note 22. Running hot, the Note is still faster than the S22 running fresh.

The Axon picked the slowest speed and managed to stay the most consistent over the entire test. It finished this processing at roughly room temperature, while faster phones were noticeably warmer to the touch.

Looking at the throttling as a percentage, the Axon throttled the least. A 1.4% difference between the two batches would be impressive if the phone weren’t going so slow.

The real winner of this test is the RedMagic with active cooling.

The mainstream performance of phones without exotic cooling is somewhere in the 7-10% range. This group is where we would consider performance to be “very good”. Phones are sealed compute platforms, and only employ passive hardware for venting heat.

Both of our mid-rangers turn in great mid-pack results. They fit right in, and look indistinguishable from more expensive devices this year.

The Moto and the Vivo X 80 Pro look like they should be similarly poor performers, but looking back, we can see how different these devices actually are. The Vivo is reigning in the 8Gen1 more at the start of this test, but still slows by the same margin. The Moto is letting the 8Gen1 run unrestricted at start, but slows by the same percentage. The Moto’s second batch time is faster than the Vivo’s first batch.

Similarly, the OnePlus 10 Pro and the S22 look like they should be similarly poor performers based on percentage of throttling. A 20% difference in times is not great. Again, the OnePlus starts with a much faster time, but can’t maintain that initial speed. The S22 is just perpetually slow throughout these longer consistent compute tasks.

Regardless, no phone has as strict a cap on performance as the Axon.

Some Anecdotal Thoughts on Gaming

I’m not running the detailed graphs on gaming anymore, but I can still share some thoughts on a handful of titles which aren’t traditionally mentioned in other reviews.

Switching to the Dimensity has been a significant score for the Poco.

Xiaomi, Blackshark, and Poco phones have had serious issues with some of my favorite arcade-y titles. Specifically, Tesla vs Lovecraft and Undead Horde are unplayable on Qualcomm powered Xiaomi phones. The Poco X4GT with a Mediatek SOC is the first I’ve tested that plays those games phenomenally smooth.

Likewise, the Dimensity 8100 punches well above its weight on Brightridge. Turning all the graphics settings up to their maximum, the Neo6 with an SD870 hovers in the low 40s for frame rate, most of the 8Gen1 phones hang in the mid 50s, and the Dimensity often outpaces all other phones except the RedMagic.

The RedMagic is an exotic test case. Thanks to better cooling, it’s capable of some truly impressive results. The phone will run scary hot, but it can sustain much longer play sessions at much higher frame rates.

The Moto is capable of peaking 100fps in a game like Undead Horde, but it can’t sustain it. The RedMagic will keep over 100fps in that title even while the screen temperature climbs above 120° F.

If you’ve ever played Dead Cells on a Switch or a Steam Deck, it looks good at 60fps. It looks a LOT better on a RedMagic at 120fps.

While many reviewers showcase Genshin, there are tons of great games and emulators available on Android. Every phone handles every game a little different. As we’ve seen with Video, Audio, and Photo processing, using the same SOC does not guarantee the same performance.

A VERY general trend however, unless the phone is capping frame rate, we should expect a rather fast decline in frame rate with phones using an 8Gen1.

OnePlus got in trouble for pinning gaming to 60fps, but generally games can maintain 60fps for longer play sessions.

Phones that spike performance higher, seem to crash harder. It’s less impressive personally to see a couple minutes of 90fps, if my average frame rate plummets to 45fps.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Synthetic benchmarks are easy to manipulate, and are poor predictors of real-world performance.

While reviewers like to hide behind the shield of “average consumers” in their testing, the vast majority of Android consumers are shopping near the $400 tier of phones. SIGNIFICANTLY more people buy below $400 than above $600.

Increasingly, as we look at more expensive premium tier devices, we need better data on the pros and cons of moving up the food chain. If we’re told a new $900 phone has better performance, a GeekBench score is insufficient to describe that improvement.

Often, there might not be a practical improvement for the specific apps a consumer wants to use.

Causal examination of UI fluidity and opening social media apps is horrifically insufficient for justifying the increased costs of a premium tier device. A $300-$400 phone is more than capable of performing daily compute tasks, and a $200 phone is likely sufficient for “covering the average consumer basics”, with compute power to spare.

Outside of camera and image processing technology, we need specific tests to demonstrate where more expensive devices deliver their value.

If someone is a mobile content creator or vlogger, balancing great cameras against video rendering performance also means picking a side between PowerDirector and KineMaster. It’s little different than comparing expensive laptops, and choosing between Adobe Premiere and Davinci Resolve.

The podcast producer might opt for an Axon of all phones, but the Moto is equally as performant AND has the best desktop mode to edit in.

Moto again takes an edge (pun intended) for office and document work, where it handily trades blows with a Note 22. It costs less, is just as (sometimes more) powerful, has stylus support, and ReadyFor is a better desktop mode than Samsung Dex.

A photographer out in the field, trying to minimize gear weight by not packing a laptop, a gaming phone will process RAW files the fastest, but the higher resolution and more color accurate screen on a Note 22 would probably be the better choice. That photographer knowing what sacrifice they would make for processing time.

Throughout all of these tests, our mid-rangers delivered great results. Even in cases where the Dimensity 8100 was not as well optimized as the SD870, it still completed tasks faster than I was expecting. It’s certainly a more powerful SOC than most mid-ranger phones using a Snapdragon 700 or 600 series chip.

We’re certainly due better optimization from app developers to leverage more of the compute power of our phones. In many situations, CPU and GPU performance from a phone built in 2019 will resemble our current premium options. Consumers rarely have the benefit of using two phones side by side to look for differences, and the majority of tech “reviewers” rarely inform those kinds of performance differences.

If someone likes to edit video in KineMaster, a Galaxy S20 Ultra is almost identical to a Note 22 in rendering. If someone likes to edit in PowerDirector, an LG V60 is still one of the fastest phones available.

Where do we go from here?

The next crop of Qualcomm powered phones is starting to ship out internationally. The 8+ Gen1 SOC promises similar performance as the 8Gen1, but with 10-15% less power draw. This would be a significant improvement for battery life. In heavy lifting compute and gaming situations, we should expect higher AND more consistent performance. Hopefully, these new phones also run cooler.

We have a nice chunk of data here from phones launched in the first half of the year to see if Qualcomm can deliver on these claims outside of synthetic benchmarks.

We should expect some optimization and refinement from the next generation of MediaTek SOCs, and we’ll also have to keep an eye on the Tensor 2 which will be used in the upcoming Pixel 7 and 7 Pro.

This field is WIDE open. Better competition will keep Qualcomm on their toes, and consumers will reap the benefits.