OnePlus 5 Release Date Tainted By Benchmark Cheating?

The OnePlus 5 was announced Tuesday and positive reviews for the device are already coming in. However, XDA Developers warns that benchmark results being reported are inaccurate due to OnePlus providing reviewers with overclocked handsets.

OnePlus has reportedly tampered with the OnePlus 5 results in benchmarks including AnTuTu, Androbench, Geekbench 4, GFXBench, Quadrant, Nenamark 2, and Vellamo. Those testing the device may find it indicating that the OnePlus 5 outperforms other flagships, such as the Galaxy S8 Plus and Pixel XL; however, those results may not be accurate.

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The cheating mechanism causes the OnePlus 5 to report benchmark results to report at the maximum potential ability for OnePlus 5. However, typical users may not find the handset performing at that level. XDA published its OnePlus 5 benchmark results without the cheating mechanism alongside its original benchmark results and determined a significant difference in performance

In response, OnePlus said in a statement that it has not overclocked the OnePlus 5 review models, but rather set the device to indicate the ideal performance of the device.

People use benchmark apps in order to ascertain the performance of their device, and we want users to see the true performance of the OnePlus 5. Therefore, we have allowed benchmark apps to run in a state similar to daily usage, including the running of resource intensive apps and games. Additionally, when launching apps the OnePlus 5 runs at a similar state in order to increase the speed in which apps open. We are not overclocking the device, rather we are displaying the performance potential of the OnePlus 5.

XDA noted that One Plus 3 and OnePlus 3T were the subjects of a similar benchmark cheating issue in January. At that time, OnePlus admitted to rigging handsets to overperform during benchmarks, but now the Chinese manufacturer insists there is no wrongdoing on its part.

The OnePlus 5 features a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and an Adreno 540 GPU, much like many other 2017 Android flagships on the market. Often the newest smartphone will lead the pack in benchmark results, but performance differences will be minimal between devices running similar hardware.

Read: OnePlus 5 vs. OnePlus 3T Comparison Review: Features, Specs And More

In addition to its processor and GPU, the OnePlus 5 features a 5.5-inch Full HD display, 6GB and 8GB RAM options, 64GB and 128GB internal storage options and a 3,330mAh battery.

The OnePlus 5 is currently available for preorder and will be available starting June 27. It remains to be seen whether this scandal will affect its performance on the market.