Samsung Phones Delisted From Geekbench: Throttling Issue

Samsung phones were delisted from the Geekbench benchmark charts in 2022 after the company was found to be throttling the performance of thousands of apps, including popular games, without user consent. The delisting was a direct response to Samsung’s Game Optimizing Service (GOS), which was discovered to be limiting CPU and GPU performance in a wide range of applications, not just games. This article explains what happened, why Geekbench took action, how the throttling worked, and what it means for Samsung users.

Background: The Game Optimizing Service (GOS) Controversy

In early March 2022, a South Korean user discovered that Samsung’s Game Optimizing Service (GOS), a pre-installed system app on Galaxy phones, was throttling the performance of over 10,000 apps. While GOS was designed to manage thermals and battery life during gaming, the list of affected apps included non-gaming applications like Instagram, TikTok, Netflix, and even Samsung’s own apps. The only apps exempt from throttling were a small number of benchmark apps, including Geekbench, which allowed Samsung to achieve impressive benchmark scores that did not reflect real-world performance.

The discovery sparked outrage among users and reviewers, who felt deceived. The issue was particularly pronounced on the Galaxy S22 series, which had just launched. Users noticed that games ran at lower frame rates and resolutions than expected, and that the phone’s performance dropped significantly after a short period of gaming. The throttling was so aggressive that some games were rendered at reduced resolutions to maintain frame rates, leading to a blurry visual experience.

Geekbench’s Response: Delisting Samsung Devices

Geekbench, a widely used cross-platform benchmarking tool, responded by delisting all Samsung devices from its Android benchmark charts. In a statement, Geekbench’s developer, Primate Labs, said that the delisting was due to “concerns about the integrity of the benchmark results.” The delisting applied to all Samsung devices, including the Galaxy S22, S21, Note 20, and others, across both single-core and multi-core charts.

Primate Labs explained that the throttling of non-benchmark apps while leaving benchmark apps unthrottled was a clear violation of benchmark integrity. They stated that “benchmark results should reflect the performance of the device under typical usage conditions,” and that Samsung’s approach made it impossible to compare devices fairly. The delisting was a significant blow to Samsung’s reputation, as Geekbench is one of the most trusted performance measurement tools in the tech community.

How GOS Throttling Worked

GOS is a system-level app that monitors CPU, GPU, and thermal conditions in real-time. Its purpose is to prevent overheating and excessive battery drain by limiting performance when the device gets too hot or when a game demands too much power. However, Samsung configured GOS to throttle a broad set of apps, not just games, and the throttling was not user-configurable at launch.

The throttling mechanism worked by capping the CPU and GPU clock speeds. For example, on the Galaxy S22 Ultra, the Exynos 2200 chipset (or Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in some regions) would normally boost to high frequencies, but GOS would limit them to lower values when running a non-benchmark app. This resulted in lower frame rates, longer loading times, and reduced overall responsiveness in many popular apps.

Users could temporarily bypass GOS by disabling it via ADB commands or by using third-party apps, but this often led to overheating and reduced battery life. Samsung later released a software update that added a “Performance Priority” option in the Game Booster settings, allowing users to disable GOS throttling for individual games. However, the update did not change the default behavior, and non-game apps remained throttled.

Impact on Benchmark Scores and Real-World Performance

The delisting had a significant impact on how consumers and reviewers perceived Samsung phones. Prior to the delisting, Galaxy S22 series phones posted impressive Geekbench scores, often matching or exceeding competing devices. After the throttling was exposed, it became clear that those scores were artificially inflated. Independent testing by reviewers showed that when GOS was disabled, the Galaxy S22 Ultra’s performance in games like Genshin Impact improved dramatically, with higher frame rates and better stability.

However, the throttling also had a positive side: it kept the phones cooler and extended battery life. In fact, many users reported that their Galaxy phones ran cooler than some competitors, which was a direct result of GOS. This created a trade-off between performance and thermal management that Samsung had chosen to implement without informing users.

Geekbench’s delisting was not permanent. After Samsung released the software update that allowed users to control GOS, Geekbench re-listed the devices in March 2022. The re-listing was conditional on Samsung’s commitment to allow users to disable throttling for all apps, not just games. Geekbench also stated that they would continue to monitor Samsung’s behavior to ensure benchmark integrity.

How to Check and Control Throttling on Your Samsung Phone

If you own a Samsung phone and want to check if GOS is throttling your apps, you can follow these steps:

Open the Game Booster app (usually found in the Game Launcher) and tap on “Performance Priority.”
Select the game you want to run at full performance and enable the “Performance Priority” option.
For non-game apps, you can use ADB commands to disable GOS entirely, but this requires a PC and may void your warranty.
Alternatively, you can use third-party apps like “GOS Disabler” (if available) to control GOS behavior, but be aware that this may cause overheating.

To check if a specific app is being throttled, you can use a monitoring app like CPU Throttling Test or GameBench to measure frame rates and CPU usage while the app is running. If you notice that performance drops after a few minutes, GOS is likely active.

Common Misconceptions About GOS and Throttling

One common misconception is that GOS only affects games. In reality, it affects a wide range of apps, including social media apps, video players, and even some productivity tools. Another misconception is that throttling is always bad. In some cases, throttling is necessary to prevent overheating and protect the battery. However, the issue was that Samsung applied throttling without user consent and excluded benchmark apps, which made the behavior deceptive.

Another misconception is that only Exynos variants are affected. While the Exynos chipsets are often more prone to thermal throttling, GOS is also present on Snapdragon variants, and the throttling behavior was similar across all regions. The delisting applied to all Samsung devices, regardless of chipset.

Alternatives and Comparisons

If you are concerned about throttling and benchmark integrity, you might consider alternatives to Samsung phones. Many other Android manufacturers, such as Google, OnePlus, and Xiaomi, also use thermal throttling, but they generally do not exclude benchmark apps from throttling. This means that their benchmark scores are more representative of real-world performance. Apple’s iPhones also throttle under heavy load, but they do so transparently and do not exclude benchmark apps.

When comparing phones, it is important to look beyond benchmark scores. Real-world performance, thermal management, and battery life are more important than a synthetic score. You can also look at independent reviews that test sustained performance, such as those that run a game for 30 minutes and measure average frame rates.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are Samsung phones still delisted from Geekbench?

No, Samsung phones were re-listed on Geekbench in March 2022 after Samsung released a software update that allowed users to disable GOS throttling for all apps. The re-listing was conditional on Samsung’s commitment to maintain benchmark integrity.

How do I disable GOS on my Samsung phone?

You can disable GOS by going to Game Booster settings and enabling “Performance Priority” for individual games. For non-game apps, you can use ADB commands to disable GOS entirely, but this requires a PC and may cause overheating and reduced battery life.

Does GOS affect battery life?

Yes, GOS is designed to save battery life by limiting performance. When GOS is disabled, your phone may use more battery, especially during gaming or heavy usage. However, the impact on battery life varies depending on the app and usage patterns.

Why did Samsung throttle benchmark apps?

Samsung did not throttle benchmark apps; it left them unthrottled to achieve high benchmark scores. This was done to make the phones appear more powerful than they were in real-world usage, which is why Geekbench delisted them.

Is throttling illegal or unethical?

Throttling itself is not illegal, but excluding benchmark apps from throttling is considered unethical by the benchmarking community because it misleads consumers. It is a form of benchmark manipulation that undermines the trust in performance comparisons.

Will future Samsung phones have the same issue?

Samsung has stated that it will allow users to control GOS in future devices, and Geekbench is monitoring the situation. However, it is possible that Samsung may continue to use throttling for thermal management, but as long as it is transparent and applies to all apps equally, it should not lead to delisting.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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