Benchmark scores are the speedometers of the phone world — useful, but only if you know what they measure. AnTuTu returns one big number by blending CPU, GPU, memory and storage tests; it is great for ranking raw power but says nothing about sustained performance, because the test lasts only minutes.
AnTuTu: the big-picture number
Treat AnTuTu as a class indicator. 400–600k = entry, 700k–1.2M = solid mid-range, 1.4M+ = flagship. Differences under 10% are within testing noise — a phone scoring 1.62M is not meaningfully faster than one at 1.55M.
Geekbench 6: single-core is king
Most apps use one or two threads, so Geekbench's single-core score predicts everyday snappiness better than multi-core. Apple's chips dominate single-core (3300–3500+), which is why iPhones feel instant even with less RAM. Multi-core matters for video editing, emulation and heavy multitasking.
3DMark and sustained performance
For gaming, sustained GPU tests matter more than peak numbers. This is where cooling design separates phones with the same chipset: a vapor-chambered gaming phone can keep 90% of its peak performance after 30 minutes while a slim flagship drops to 70%.
When benchmarks lie
Some manufacturers whitelist benchmark apps to unlock higher clocks — a practice called benchmark cheating. The defense is cross-checking: if a phone's AnTuTu implies flagship speed but its Geekbench single-core is mid-range, trust the independent review. Also remember that efficiency (performance per watt) decides battery life; a score achieved with 10W draw is worth more than the same score at 15W.
On PhoneHub every phone page shows AnTuTu and Geekbench numbers next to real-world indicators like screen-on time and throttling class, so you can connect lab numbers to lived experience.