Samsung Galaxy S30 could be a massive upgrade on the Galaxy S20

The Samsung Galaxy S20 Plus, above, could be nothing on the Galaxy S30 (Image credit: Future)

It goes without saying that the Samsung Galaxy S21 will be more powerful than the Samsung Galaxy S20, but we now have an idea of just how much more powerful, and it could be an enormous jump.

Based on leaked benchmark tests shared by GizChina, the GPU in Samsung’s next major smartphone chipset (rumored to be called the Exynos 1000) is capable of performance that’s up to three times faster than the GPU in the Snapdragon 865 – which is the top current Android chipset, found in US models of the Galaxy S20.

The benchmark included three tests, with the biggest difference coming in ‘Aztec High’, where the Adreno 650 GPU in the Snapdragon 865 managed 20fps, while the Exynos 1000’s GPU managed 58fps.

Not always that fast

It’s worth noting that the Exynos wasn’t quite so far ahead in the other two tests though – in ‘Aztec Normal’ it managed 138.25fps, while the Adreno 650 managed 53fps, and in the Manhattan 3.1 test it reached 181.8fps, with the Adreno 650 getting 123fps. Still, in all cases the Exynos 1000’s GPU was way ahead.

There are a few other things to note though. Firstly, this is just GPU performance, not performance of the chipset as a whole, so the Exynos 1000 won’t necessarily be this much faster in all circumstances.

Secondly, early leaked benchmarks should always be taken with a pinch of salt. They could be fake, and even if they’re not they’ll be working off non-final hardware – though if anything that latter point means the Exynos 1000 could be even better in the end.

If this benchmark is the real deal then depending on where in the world you are, you might still not get to experience this power yourself, as Samsung typically uses Snapdragon chipsets for its flagship phones in the US.

But of course there will also be a new Snapdragon chipset (likely dubbed the Snapdragon 875) ready in time for the S30, and that’s likely to be a big improvement on the Snapdragon 865 as well.

James Rogerson

James is a freelance phones, tablets and wearables writer and sub-editor at TechRadar. He has a love for everything ‘smart’, from watches to lights, and can often be found arguing with AI assistants or drowning in the latest apps. James also contributes to 3G.co.uk, 4G.co.uk and 5G.co.uk and has written for T3, Digital Camera World, Clarity Media and others, with work on the web, in print and on TV.