PCMark is one of the most widely used benchmarking apps out there, on just about any platform, and the Android version is always evolving. As with any other category of apps, constant innovation is needed to stay ahead of the pack or even relevant as benchmarking becomes more commonplace and complex, and that’s what the latest update to the Android version of PCMark brings. Along with the Work test suite being updated and streamlined with a number of new tests and tweaks to give a more accurate picture of battery life and productivity speeds, users can now take advantage of a tool that lets them see how much, if at all, an Android version upgrade affects the performance of a given app on a given device.
Many benchmarks focus on raw performance power or gaming-centric tasks, but some feature tests that work on the principles of real-world use. PCMark is one of them, and their Work benchmark suite features a battery of tests that are meant to tell a user how feasible working from their smartphone is, and how long they would be able to do so. The new version of the test suite, Work 2.0, improves the tests that were already present, and adds in tests for video editing and data manipulation. Closer to the raw performance side of things, PCMark’s newest update adds in a new test suite for computer vision, a concept in which computers read and analyze things like text in images, barcodes, and the like.
The new update also adds in a few extra options in the results viewing screen. Users can now check out scores across OS versions, if available, for a given device. The results are clearly separated out in the viewing screen, allowing users to see how an update affects a particular facet of device performance, such as memory speed, input/output, or 3D processing, three common areas where users typically see a rise or fall with software updates or flashing new custom ROMs. The newest version of the official PCMark app for Android is available from the Play Store right now, and supports most Android versions up through Android 7.0 (Nougat).
