Benchmark Tests for Android Devices: Browsermark, Neocore, AnTuTu and Vellamo

Let's get to know the remainder of the benchmark tests that can gauge the performance of your smartphones/tablets.


Broswermark

Rightware, recently spun off from Futuremark, has introduced the 'Browsermark' benchmark test in order to compare the browsers of various smartphone devices. The test measures a browser's performance in JavaScript and HTML rendering. The test results are reported in numbers. If you want a reference point for your device, currently, among the smartphones, the 'Samsung Galaxy Nexus' has the highest reported browsermark score of 98272.

GL 2.1

The 'GL Benchmark' is a 3D benchmarking program designed to test how well your phone can reproduce 3D scenes and images. So, this benchmark test is actually a test of the strength of the GPU of your smartphone/tablet device. Currently, the Power VR SGX 543 MP2 is the leader in the GPU department and its stamina is reflected in the GL Benchmark tests. Please note that the GL Benchmark test is a combination of several other benchmark tests whose results are reported in 'FPS' (Frames Per Second) and 'mS' (milli Seconds).

Neocore

Neocore is another GPU benchmarking test which benchmarks the Open GL ES-1.1 graphics performance. The results of this benchmark test are reported in FPS. You can download it from here: Neocore for Android

AnTuTu

AnTuTu can run a full test of a key project, through the "Memory Performance", "CPU Integer Performance", "CPU Floating Point Performance", "2D 3D Graphics Performance", "SD card reading/writing speed", "Database IO" performance. A Total score is reported once you run this benchmark. If you want a reference point for your device, "Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime" with a score of 12872 has the highest score till date.

Vellamo

Vellamo, a benchmark test originally developed by Qualcomm, is a mobile web-browser benchmark that provides a holistic view into browser performance by measuring each component systematically, providing results for CPU and memory, scrolling, JavaScript, HTML 5, canvas rendering speed and network access. So, it is similar to the 'Rightware Browsermark' test.

So, that's some of the benchmark tests that you need to be aware of. Click on the links below to download benchmarking applications or visit sites for testing your smartphone and/or tablet.

-> Quadrant

-> Linpack

-> Nenamark 1

-> Nenamark 2

-> JavaScript (Not an Application)

-> Browsermark (Not an Application)

-> GL 2.1

-> Neocore

-> AnTuTu

-> Vellamo

Stay Tuned..!!

Benchmark Tests for Android Devices: Quadrant, Linpack, Nenamark and Sunspider Javascript

A few days ago, we got to know the basics of benchmark tests. Let's see what they are in detail:

Quadrant

'Quadrant' is a product of 'Aurora Softworks'. It is nothing but a series of tests performed on a mobile device which benchmark the CPU, Memory, I/O and 2D/3D graphics. The 'Standard Quadrant' is free for Android Users who can download the application from the 'Android Market' and run it on their devices. The benchmark provides an overall score which can be compared with the benchmark scores from the other devices. If you overclock your CPU, this will obviously get reflected in the benchmark test in a better score. If you want a reference point for your device, the 'Samsung Galaxy Note' has one of the highest, or probably, the highest Quadrant score of 3624 (without overclocking).

Linpack

The Linpack benchmark is a measure of the system's floating point computing power. Introduced by Jack Dongarra, it measures how fast a device can solve a dense N by N system of linear equations. This benchmark was originally designed to run on supercomputers in the 1970's. So, you can imagine how advanced the device in your hand is today. You can download this application from the 'Android Market' and check the strength of the CPU in your device. The results are designated in MFLOPS (Millions of Floating Point Operations per Second).

Nenamark 1

The first iteration of the 'Nenamark' benchmark test was designed to test the strength of the GPU (The above two tests, Quadrant and Linpack, measure the strength of the CPU). Nenamark 1, designed to run around 10-15 fps (frames per second), uses programmable shaders for graphical effects such as reflections, dynamic shadows, parametric surfaces, particles and different light models to push the GPU to the limits. Results are designated in FPS.

Nenamark 2

Nenamark 1 had been released an year ago and since then, the smartphones have become a lot more capable with refresh rates of their screens crossing 60 fps. So, the Nenamark 1 was not deemed very effective to test such devices and hence Nenamark 2 had been conceptualized. Results are designated in FPS.

JavaScript

'Sunspider JavaScript' is a benchmark that aims to measure the JavaScript performance on tasks relevant to the current and near future use of JavaScript in the real world, such as encryption and text manipulation. In other words, the test simulates real-world usage of JavaScript on Websites. The results are reported in milliseconds (ms). If you want a reference point for your device, the 'Samsung Galaxy Nexus' has one of the best scores: 1879 ms.

Just remember that the more you score on 'Quadrant', 'Linpack', 'Nenamark 1' and 'Nenamark 2', the better. The lesser you score on 'JavaScript', the better.

We'll talk about the rest of the benchmark tests in future post. Stay Tuned..!!

Comparing Ultrabooks: Asus Zenbook, Toshiba Portege, Lenovo Ideapad and Acer Aspire

So, let's discuss the other 'Ultrabooks': The 'Toshiba Portege Z830 / Z835' and 'Lenovo Ideapad U300S'.

Parameter ---------- Toshiba Portege Z830 / Z835 ------------Lenovo Ideapad U300S

Thickness                          0.31 - 0.6 inches                                     0.6 inches

Weight                                     1.12 Kg                                             1.315 Kg

Battery Life                              6 - 7 Hrs                                              6 - 7 Hrs

Storage                                128 GB SSD                                       256 GB SSD

Processor                          Core i7 / i5 / i3                                       Core i7 / i5

Pricing                            Starting From 929$                            Starting From 1095$

Display Panel                        13.3 inches                                          13.3 inches

Resolution                         1366 * 768                                            1366 * 768

Sound                        Waves MaxxAudio 3                     SRS Premium Surround Sound

Connectivity    1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA           1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, HDMI

The battery-life times that have been quoted here are based on real-time testing done by many enthusiastic tech specialists and not the actual manufacturer quoted battery-life times (which are obviously higher). So, some of the categories in which the ultrabooks slugged it out: 

Best Audio: Asus Zenbook

Bang & Olufsen ICEpower is a Danish research and development company specializing in audio applications. They have worked closely with Asus and have integrated fantastic sound performance inside the Zenbook. Previously, audio performance in one of the Acer's other laptops, the NX90JQ, was also highly appreciated. So, it is a no-brainer that the best performance in the audio category had to go to Asus Zenbook. The audio performance in the other ultrabooks is certainly good for everyday listening, but as I said earlier, the standout performer is the Asus Zenbook.

Best Connectivity: Toshiba Portege Z830

The Portege Z830 just manages to steal the crown in this category from the Asus Zenbook. Both of them come with a similar set of connectivity options. But, the Asus has a mini HDMI and mini VGA connectors (adapters are supplied in the box) and a single USB 3.0 and another single USB 2.0 connectors where-as the Toshiba Portege Z830 has a single USB 3.0, Two USB 2.0, a HDMI and a VGA connectors. So, with an extra USB 2.0 connector and a regular sized HDMI, VGA connectors, which do not require any other adapter to be plugged-in, the Toshiba Portege Z830 out-does the rest of the competition.

Best Price: Acer Aspire S3

The 'Acer Aspire S3' is priced the least among ultrabooks. Although, you get less features when compared to the other ultrabooks, it certainly satisfies all the mandatory eligibility criteria for being an ultrabook. That is enough for the Acer to walk away with the prize in this category.

Best Battery-Life: Toshiba Portege Z830

In real world testing, the 'Portege Z830' has managed to beat the other ultrabooks in battery-life, although not by a huge margin. It has sacrificied performance, which is lower than that of the Ideapad U300S or Asus Zenbook, for achieving this feat. 

Best Display: Asus Zenbook

While all the displays contain the latest technology (being LED back-lit LCDs), the 'Asus Zenbook' offers a better resolution. In fact, it offers 1600 * 900 along with 1366 * 768 resolution. The 1366 * 768 resolution is offered in the 11.6 inch zenbook while the 1600 * 900 resolution is offered in the 13.3 inch zenbook. So, the best-display crown goes to the Zenbook.

Best Touchpad & Keyboard: Lenovo Ideapad U300S

Step aside from the specifications, and you have consider this factor, as there are people who type lengthy reports and spend considerable amount of time resting their palms, typing away to glory. The device has to make sure that the user doesn't feel uncomfortable while spending much time and that the touchpad is neither under-responsive nor over-responsive and this is where the Ideapad U300S scores. 

Best Performance: Asus Zenbook

Yes. The Asus Zenbook offers the best performance of all the ultrabooks with the Ideapad U300S coming in at the second position. The reason for this is that the Zebook contains a high performing SATA III disk that not only makes the laptop boot-up in a very short time but also allows it to transfer data in and out of the device at lightning speeds.

So, there you have it. All the 4 ultrabooks currently in the market compared. If you still think that you don't have enough options, wait for the 'Consumer Electronics Show' in January, 2012. A barrage of new ultrabooks are expected to be showcased there and they will soon make their way into the market.

Benchmark Tests for Android Devices: Quadrant, Linpack, Nenamark

Of late, you would have been hearing about benchmark tests like ‘Quadrant’, ‘Nenamark’, ‘Linpack’, ‘Browsermark’ etc. being performed on smartphones and tablets and avid tech enthusiasts eagerly comparing how all these latest devices are competing against each other. We’ll explore what these benchmark tests are, the reason for them becoming popular and the various benchmark tests in this article.

1. What are benchmark tests?
• In computing, a benchmark is the act of running a set of computer programs for the purpose of assessing the relative performance of an object. So, benchmarking in smartphones and tablets is usually associated with assessing the performance characteristics of the smartphones' and tablets' hardware. But, that doesn't mean there aren't any software benchmark tests. So, please understand that these tests are being performed only to compare the relative performance of the devices and in no way can be used to conclude how smooth or how fast the actual user experience will be.
2. Why have these benchmark tests become popular for smartphones and tablets?
• Each and every smartphone and tablet that is being released into the market today has almost the same components: a CPU (Central Processing Unit / Microprocessor / Core), a GPU (Graphics Processing Unit), an Instruction Set, RAM (Random Access Memory), Display containing a particular amount of resolution, Internal Flash Memory etc. Almost all the benchmark tests can run successfully on these devices and gauge the performance of these in-built components. The relevance of some of these tests significantly gains weight when we factor in the ‘Operating System’ that is run on the devices.
3. What are the various benchmark tests that are relevant to the smartphones and tablets?
•  The following list of tests are relevant
•  Quadrant
• Linpack
• Nenamark 1
• Nenamark 2
•  Javascript
• Browsermark
• GL 2.1
• Neocore
• AnTuTu
• Vellamo

We’ll explore in detail what these tests are and how each of them conveys more information about the inner characteristics of the device in future posts.

Comparing Ultrabooks: Acer Aspire S3 and Asus Zenbook

It is an open secret that the success of 'Macbook Air' had prompted Intel to explore the area further which has led to Intel convincing its business partners to explore the category further. Acer and Asus take the opportunity of being the first entrants to this market. Acer came out with its 'Aspire S3' model and Asus has made its launch with the 'Zenbook'. This is how they compare with each other as far as technical specifications are concerned

Parameter -------------------------- Acer Aspire S3 -----------------------------------Asus Zenbook

Thickness                             0.51 - 0.6 inches                               0.1 - 0.7 inches

Weight                                     1.406 Kg                                             1.4 Kg

Battery Life                               4 - 5 Hrs                                            5 - 6 Hrs

Storage                      20 GB SSD + 320 GB HDD                      128 / 256 GB SSD 

Processor                                 Core i5                                           Core i7 / i5 / i3

Pricing                             Starting From 899$                              Starting From 999$

Display Panel                         13.3 inches                                11.6 inches / 13.3 inches

Resolution                            1366 * 768                               1366 * 768 / 1600 * 900

Sound                          Dolby Home Theatre                         Bang & Olufsen ICEpower

Connectivity          Two USB 2.0, HDMI, VGA      1 USB 3.0, 1 USB 2.0, mini HDMI, mini VGA

So, as you can see 'Ultrabooks' have some very good specifications and also offer mostly comparable performance. The specifications list is just to show you the kind of power contained in something so slender and light. There are 2 other ultrabooks that are currently available in the market: Toshiba Portege Z835 and Lenovo Ideapad U 300S. We'll discuss the same parameters for these ultrabooks and then study their reviews to find out which one is the best among them.

Stay Tuned..!!

Ultrabooks: Features & Specifications

Let's learn about a new category of devices making their way into the market. They are called 'Ultrabooks'. 'Ultrabooks' are primarily a product of the initiative being undertaken by Intel. Intel has put down the specifications that these new devices have to adhere to:

1. Thickness
• Less than 20 mm (0.8 inches)
2. Weight
• Less than 1.4 Kg
3. Battery Life
• Should be at least 5 hours
4. Storage
• Use flash-based SSDs (Solid State Drives) instead of HDDs (Hard Disk Drives).
5. Processor
• First Phase: CULV (Consumer Ultra Low Voltage) Intel Sandy Bridge
• Second Phase: CULV Intel Ivy Bridge
• Third Phase: CULV Intel Haswell
6. Pricing
• Around 1000$ US (50,000 INR)

The above parameters 1,2,3,6 are obvious and self-explanatory. Let's explore the parameters 4 and 5.

Parameter - 4 (Storage)

For the past many years, all Personal Computers have come with Hard-Drives (Hard Disks). The technical definition of a Hard-Disk or HDD (Hard Disk Drive) is as follows:

"HDD is a Non-Volatile Random Access Data Storage Device. It features rotating rigid platters on a motor-driven spindle with a protective enclosure"

Basically what the definition tries to tell you is that there are flat circular disks mounted on top of one another. These are called platters. They store the actual data. The spindle (in the middle of these disks) rotates the platters and the data is read and written with the help of read/write heads. So, when you want to access data, these heads help you. So, the important things to take away is that

1. The HDDs have moving parts (Platters, Read/Write Heads)
2. In HDDs, the speed of read/write access is limited by the speed of read/write heads and also the speed at which the platters are rotated
3. The HDDs are noisy (due to the moving parts)

The Solid State Drives (SSDs) overcome the limitations and problems that are traditionally faced with the HDDs.

1. SSDs do not have any moving parts. Hence they generate no noise at all.
2. The read/write performance is dramatically enhanced. For example, 'Ultrabooks' having SSDs can boot up an operating system within seconds and transfer data between them and other devices at very fast speeds as compared to the HDDs.
3. They produce very little heat and consume very little power as compared to the HDDs.

Parameter - 5 (Processor)

As you all might be knowing, Intel's latest processors are 2nd Generation (Sandy Bridge) Core i3, Core i5, Core i7 processors. These processors are built for normal laptops whose performance and power requirements are entirely different from that of the 'Ultrabooks'. 'Ultrabooks', being very thin and very light, needed a separate computing platform which can make them deliver a better battery life while not overly compromising on performance. To meet such requirements, Intel has developed the CULV platform which uses less power and gives similar or better performance as compared to the traditional processors.

Many manufacturers including Asus, Lenovo, Toshiba and Acer have dived into this category. Expect a slew of 'Ultrabooks' to be announced by other leading manufacturers at next year's 'Consumer Electronics Show (CES)' scheduled to take place in January. We'll discuss more about the 'Ultrabooks' already released into the market in future posts.

Stay Tuned..!! 

Milking the Galaxy: Journey from Galaxy S to Galaxy S II

I bet that reading the title would have made your mind wander off to the ‘Milky Way’ galaxy in which our planet Earth is a teeny-tiny part. Well, let me bring you back to it. I am talking about the ‘Galaxy’ range of smartphones and how Samsung’s marketing and operation teams worked together in a cohesive fashion to generate mind boggling revenues for the company.

It all started when Samsung announced the ‘Galaxy S II’ smartphone at ‘Mobile World Congress’ at Barcelona in February 2011. Samsung declared that the smartphone would be released in the world markets starting from its homeland in April and yes, true to its word, the ‘Galaxy S II’ has been released in almost every major world market till date and it has been a resounding success everywhere.

Almost all of you know that the smartphone has redoubtable specifications and has gained the approval and praise of almost every tech enthusiast in the world. But, if you view the whole ‘Galaxy S II’ exercise from the business point of view, you will get to know the real thing.

Understand that there are two technologies that are most prevalent in the market today: GSM and CDMA. While the GSM versions of the phones work on different carriers by just changing the SIM card, the CDMA versions are locked down to a specific carrier. Samsung originally released the ‘Galaxy S II’ bearing the model number GT-I9100 with the ‘Android’ operating system, a GSM version. On May 9, 2011 they announced that they had received 3 million pre-orders for the smartphone.

Samsung was very quick to foresee that it wouldn’t be able to meet the huge cumulative demand from all the markets. There is a very good reason for it. As you would have already got from my previous posts, The ‘Galaxy S II’ uses two important components manufactured by Samsung itself. The display ‘Super AMOLED plus’ is manufactured by Samsung and the SoC (System on Chip) i.e. Exynos 4210 is also manufactured by Samsung. So, Samsung had taken the help of Nvidia. It launched a Tegra-2 powered version (GT-I9103) of the ‘Galaxy S II’ and named it ‘Galaxy R’ also called the ‘Galaxy Z’ in Sweden. This European version of the ‘Galaxy S II’ didn’t get a ‘Super AMOLED plus’ screen and instead settled for an ‘SC-LCD’ display and a reduced 5 megapixel camera instead of the 8 megapixel camera that the original came with. But it was also priced lower as compared to the ‘Galaxy S II’ GT-I9100 version.

In order to compete well in the relatively lesser priced smartphone section, Samsung released another version called ‘Samsung Galaxy W’. This doesn’t have a dual-core processor but instead settles for a single core 1.4 GHz Qualcomm processor with an ‘SC-LCD’ screen and a 5 megapixel camera. It was also priced lower as compared to the original ‘Galaxy S II’ version in order to compete well.

In many of the world markets, 4G technologies had already been in place and Samsung also saw an opportunity there. The originally released ‘Galaxy S II’ did not have LTE (Long Term Evolution – A 4G Technology) baked into it. So Samsung released a variant of the ‘Galaxy S II’ called ‘Galaxy S II LTE’ and ‘Galaxy S II HD LTE’ on August 28, 2011. While the ‘Galaxy S II LTE’ has a 4.5 inch Super AMOLED display, the ‘Galaxy S II HD LTE’ sported a 4.65 inch SuperAMOLED 720p display.

Samsung saved the Canadian and the American markets for the last. In America, Carriers (Service Providers) tie up with mobile companies and sell CDMA versions at subsidized rates. Normally the contracts have duration of 2 years after which, the user gains ownership of the phone. Samsung tied up with ‘Sprint’, ‘T-Mobile’ and ‘AT&T’ carriers and offered ‘SPH D710’, ‘SGH T989’ and ‘SGH I777’ respectively. All of these are variants of the ‘Galaxy S II’ smartphone. The ‘T-Mobile’ version was released with a 1.5 GHz dual-core Qualcomm processor instead of the Exynos CPU as the Exynos CPU wasn’t compatible with T-Mobile’s network. There are other differences between the models but they are minor. Samsung was able to bring the entire ‘United States of America’ under its purview with this release strategy. Currently, Samsung is also selling the ‘Galaxy S II Skyrocket’ for ‘AT&T’ (SGH-I727) which is an improvement over the original version that the carrier originally got. Similar to the strategy followed in the US, Samsung also hooked up with carriers like ‘Rogers’, ‘Bell’ and ‘Telus’ to cover the Canadian market. Samsung also launched a ‘Texas Instruments OMAP 4430 SoC’ powered ‘Galaxy S II’ which most people feel might be due to a deficiency of the ‘Exynos 4210’ SoCs. The ‘OMAP 4430’ chip offers a relatively similar performance as compared to the ‘Exynos 4210’ chip.

The point to be noted is that, Samsung has successfully been able to penetrate all the major world markets with the myriad variants of the ‘Galaxy S II’ smartphone while not compromising majorly on any of the original characteristics that had made the phone such a popular device. If we consider the BCG matrix, when the ‘Galaxy S II’ was released in April, it was a ‘STAR’ and it has now become a ‘CASH COW’ which Samsung is looking to milk. This also reaffirms the relevancy of a popular proverb: ‘Make hay while the sun shines’. J

As we approach the end of another eventful year, one of the Samsung representatives has said that the world will witness the successor to the ‘Galaxy S II’ which, as you might have already guessed by now, is the Galaxy S III’ (to be released at Mobile World Congress at Barcelona in 2012). Samsung has surely had a hell of a lot of fun with the ‘Galaxy S II’ this year. Hopefully it will deliver again with the ‘Galaxy S III'.

Stay Tuned..!!