Speed Test: iPhone 7 Plus vs. Galaxy S8 vs. OnePlus 3T vs. LG G6 vs. Pixel

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There’s no denying that there are only two major smartphone operating systems competing these days. Yes, Microsoft had its day, but that’s over, and both iOS and Android remain robust and dominant. As such, people have become pretty much used to seeing the latest Android flagships being tested against, Apple’s iPhone incarnations. However, a real-world speed test which pit the iPhone 7 Plus against the Galaxy S8, OnePlus 3T, LG G6, and Google Pixel had surprising results.

iPhone 7 Plus Vs. Galaxy S8 And More

Popular YouTuber EverythingApplePro conducted the comparison to see how the latest Android’s fared against the iPhone 7 Plus. Of the handsets tested only the two South Korean devices the S8 and G6 are products announced this year, 2017. So, it would be natural to expect, because of the latest tech in the two, they would dominate. However, what is surprising about the test is, it reveals something completely unexpected.

The Speed Test

Just last week we reported about an earlier speed test, which was not conducted in a real world scenario. It placed the Galaxy S8 up against Apple’s flagship but delivered mixed results. You can see that here. As for its findings, they were diluted due to it not being conducted in a scientific enough manner.

What about this test?

Fortunately, EverythingApplePro takes a more thoughtful, considered approach to this speed test, by dividing it into two rounds.

Round 1 & 2: All five devices, that’s the iPhone 7 Plus, and the four Android flagships are placed side by side. With round-1 focusing on how quickly they could all open the same applications. Round-2 had the tester move in reverse through the open applications on each device. Ultimately recording the overall time each took to complete both rounds.

As for the results, they were as follows:

  1. Apple iPhone 7 – 3-minutes 18-seconds
  2. OnePlus 3T – 7-minutes
  3. Samsung Galaxy S8 – 7-minutes 40-seconds
  4. LG G6 – 8-minutes 3-seconds
  5. Google Pixel – 8-minutes 49-seconds

Surprising Results

So, thanks to EverythingApplePro this speed test ultimately reveals what earlier comparisons have deduced. And that is the surprising fact, the iPhone 7 Plus with its 2016 tech based A10 chipset is faster than the Galaxy S8. A smartphone which boasts 4GB of RAM, that’s 1GB more than the 3GB on the iPhone and a Snapdragon 835.

Furthermore, it reveals, that not even LG’s latest G6 is a match, with it lagging behind in fourth place. And it too is bristling with technology created for a 2017 flagship Android smartphone. As for the remaining two, the Google Pixel, with it’s Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 and 4GB RAM comes in way behind the pack. Although, the OnePlus 3T, at least comes in second. However, at 7-minutes dead on, it’s still twice the time the iPhone 7 Plus took to complete the speed test.

Why?

So, the question on your lips is probably “Why can last years iPhone beat the Android flagships?” And to be frank, it’s not entirely clear why, however, it could be a combination of things like the OS and processor. As such, please take the following speculation with a pinch of salt.

Having said that one thing is clear, the fact that the OnePlus 3T has 6GB of RAM, seemed to aid it. Whereas, 4GB just didn’t cut the mustard for the other Android smartphones. Back to the possible reasons why one could be that Apple’s iOS platform is the more efficient OS. Meaning it’s better optimized to work with its chipset and 3GB of RAM to run on the iPhone 7 plus at optimal speeds.

Could the fact that all the Android handsets are running on third-party chipsets mean they are not as efficient as a whole? Possibly, a new test comparing a Galaxy S8 running with an Exynos 895 is required to rule out that thought. However, it would seem to be in combination that Android is also holding back the speed test smartphones. Something which iPhone fans have long argued is the case and the reason why they choose the iPhone.

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