Samsung Galaxy Fold Makes First Benchmark Run Debut With Snapdragon 855 SoC

Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Fold features more than an outlandish design. It is also outfitted with some serious horsepower. The Galaxy Fold is packing Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 855 SoC, 12GB of RAM, and a whopping half-terabyte of internal storage. This is the same SoC found in all of the new Galaxy S10 variants, but only the Galaxy S10+ can match its 12GB of RAM in its highest-end configuration.


Obviously, we are interested in seeing how these specs translate into performance. Fortunately for us, benchmarks for a "Samsung SM-F900F" have found their way into GeekBench's database. The SM-F900F model number corresponds to the international variant of the Galaxy Fold. The listing indicates 11388MB of memory and "ARM implementer 81 architecture 8 variant 13 part 2052 revision 14" confirms the device is rocking an octo-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 855.

Despite its premium hardware, the Galaxy Fold listed here ultimately scores a bit below its Galaxy S10-branded siblings. Our own testing with the Galaxy S10+ with 8GB RAM and 128GB of storage posted scores of 3521 and 11202, respectively. This is not an insignificant margin.


We would not lose hope yet, though. This test was likely submitted with development firmware and will probably see further optimization ahead of its April 26th launch. Likewise, Geekbench's workload is unlikely to be constrained by RAM capacity. As more RAM means more power draw and heat, it is possible this is constraining the Fold's Snapdragon 855 in some circumstances. Of course, more RAM also means the device should maintain its performance in heavy multitasking scenarios -- that is if you can envision a current smartphone workload that needs 12GB of memory.

There is also the possibility that this listing is spoofed. Fake results have appeared in benchmark databases before, so we will not really know until the final version arrives.

Regardless of performance, the Galaxy Fold is certain to be a divisive product in its first iteration. Recent hands-on footage has shown the crease to be a lot more prominent than Samsung's marketing images might have us believe. It is also a bulkier device once folded than most other smartphones on the market. Whether the expansive 7.3" screen this affords is worth it or not will be a matter of personal preference.

We respect Samsung's approach to innovating and taking chances, though. The Galaxy Round and Galaxy Note Edge both launched with similarly premium form-factors. While the Galaxy Round's full screen curve never caught on, the Galaxy Note Edge's eponymous curved edge has become a mainstay feature in Samsung's Galaxy lineup. Samsung is almost certainly working on solutions to the crease for the second generation Galaxy Fold and we are not ready to bet against the concept yet.