An unannounced Samsung smartphone believed to be the upcoming Galaxy S10 Lite was recently spotted in the Geekbench database, featuring the Snapdragon 855 chipset from Qualcomm along with 6GB of RAM. The device is identified by the model number SM-G970U which has been linked with the upcoming Galaxy S10 Lite model in previous reports. More specifically, the SM-G870U spotted in the benchmark’s database features an MSMNile motherboard which is the codename used by the Snapdragon 855 silicon. The benchmark tool seems to recognize all eight CPU cores and lists a base frequency of 1.78GHz, but the single-core and multi-core benchmark results leave a lot to be desired.
The device yielded a little under 2,000 points in the single-core tests, and 6,266 points in the multi-core benchmark, which is roughly on par with the results achieved by the Samsung Galaxy Note 8 variant equipped with the Exynos 8895 silicon. However the Snapdragon 855 chipset is expected to be considerably more proficient at handling the Geekbench tests, and the underwhelming scores topped by the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite in this particular instance are likely caused by the fact that the device and software are not properly optimized just yet. End results are most likely going to change by the time the smartphone will hit the shelves, especially given that Qualcomm’s high-end chipset solution already performed much better in the Geekbench tool in a previous benchmark discovered in September.
Background: Samsung will apparently break tradition this year and launch a larger number of variants for the 10th generation of Galaxy flagships. According to reports, the OEM will release a 5G-enabled Galaxy S10 model which will carry the SM-G977 model number, along with a standard Galaxy S10 known as the SM-G973 and a Galaxy S10 Plus identified as the SM-G975. Finally, the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite will be known as the SM-G970, while the SM-G970U variant spotted in Geekbench should correspond to the model set to launch in the United States. Unsurprisingly the SM-G970U runs Android 9 Pie, but oddly enough the device seems to conceal 6GB of RAM, contrary to previous reports suggesting that the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite will ship with only 4GB of RAM.
Impact: The benchmark results at hand indicate that the Korean OEM is preparing the Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite as well as the rest of the lineup for market release, but the scores should not be viewed as a baseline for the smartphone’s actual performance. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 855 is the most powerful Android chipset solution to date and preliminary tests have shown much better results compared to the recent benchmark. Meanwhile, the international Samsung Galaxy S10 variants are expected to employ the OEM’s in-house chipset solution, specifically the new Exynos 9820 SoC. The chipset was spotted in Geekbench last year and yielded a lower score in the single-core tests compared to Qualcomm’s chipset, but outperformed the Snapdragon 855 in the multi-core benchmarks. The Samsung Galaxy S10 Lite is expected to be unveiled in late February and hit the market a couple of weeks later.