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Benchmark Suite And Test System Specs
Benchmark Suite
Our current Android test line-up comprises six key sections: CPU, GPU, GPGPU, Web, Display, and Battery.
| CPU | AnTuTu X, Basemark OS II Full, Geekbench 3 Pro, MobileXPRT 2013 |
|---|---|
| GPU | 3DMark, Anomaly 2 Benchmark, Basemark X 1.1 Full, GFXBench 3.0 Corporate |
| GPGPU | CompuBenchRS |
| Web | Browsermark 2.0, JSBench, Peacekeeper 2.0, WebXPRT 2013 |
| Display | Brightness (Min/Max), Black Level, Contrast Ratio, Gamma, Color Temperature, Color Gamut Volume (sRGB/AdobeRGB) |
| Battery | Basemark OS II Full, BatteryXPRT 2014, GFXBench 3.0 Corporate |
Test Methodology
All handsets are benchmarked on a fully updated copy of the device's stock software. The table below lists other common device settings that we standardize to before testing.
| Bluetooth | Off |
|---|---|
| Brightness | 200 nits |
| Cellular | SIM card removed |
| Display Mode | Device Default (nonadaptive) |
| Location Services | Off |
| Power | Battery |
| Sleep | Never (or longest possible interval) |
| Volume | Muted |
| Wi-Fi | On |
Comparison System Specs
Along with the duo of Galaxy Note 10.1 (2014) models, we have the iPad Air and EVGA Tegra Note 7 representing the latest SoCs from Apple and Nvidia. In addition, we have the Google Nexus 7 (2013) to provide a comparison point to the superpopular Qualcomm S4, which is used in far too many devices to mention.
The table below contains all the pertinent technical specifications for today's comparison units:
As in the PC space, the specs race is interesting to watch in the mobile market. Android's sketchy performance (particularly in older versions of the operating environment) spurred a considerable amount of demand for faster, more powerful SoCs, while Apple stayed relatively modest when it came to its own devices. We suspect that while the Android tablets boast much higher clock rates and core counts, the iPad will hold its own against many of the tablets in our benchmarks.
With the Note 10.1 (2014 Edition), we obviously get two flavors of the device: one with LTE connectivity (and Wi-Fi connectivity) and one with only Wi-Fi connectivity. However, this also entails two completely different SoCs: the Exynos 5 Octa from Samsung in the Wi-Fi version, and the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 in the LTE version. Both versions function identically to the untrained eye, but the lab results will expose performance differences beyond connectivity.