How important is the new crop of “real world speed tests” that always wash over the web each time a new flagship smartphone launches? On one hand, they’re beyond unscientific. They also definitely only tell part of the story. But on the other hand, they likely provide a better head-to-head comparison than specs on a piece of paper (or on a computer screen) ever will. Apple proves each and every year that cores, gigabits, and gigahertz do not necessarily add up to superior performance. These new real world speed tests often help emphasize that reality, and it’s always fun to see how flagship phones from different vendors stack up in the real world.
With that in mind, dozens of YouTubers have now jumped on this bandwagon. We’ve shared a few different tests that have popped up over the past few weeks, but now the one we’ve been waiting for is finally ready for primetime.
YouTube user PhoneBuff was one of the first YouTube vloggers to start sharing videos that show head-to-head speed tests in this style. In a nutshell, two phones are shown side by side and each one must open the same series of apps. First, the apps are opened following a fresh boot, and that comprises the first “lap.” Then, the second lap involves opening each app is opened again in order to see how each phone performs when recalling apps from memory.
Again, this is hardly a scientific speed test. At the same time, however, this type of test is currently the best way to pit one smartphone against another while performing functions that are commonplace while people are actually using their phones in the real world.
With that in mind, it’s time to see how Samsung’s hot new Galaxy S8+ smartphone fares against the reigning speed champion, Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus. Can Samsung finally beat Apple for the first time ever? Can the company at least come close? Or will this be yet another embarrassing blowout, with Apple’s iPhone continuing to dominate the competition? Okay, so maybe our headline gave it away, but you should still watch the full video below.
