We’ve gotten reports that HDXPRT 2014 no longer works on newer versions of Windows 10. We ran tests in our labs and found that to be true.
At least one user has reported that the problem may be the version of CPU-Z the benchmark uses.
We’re working to track down the problem and hope to provide a workaround in the near future and a more definitive fix (if necessary) later.
Please let us know if you’ve encountered this issue and if you’ve found any ways to work around it.
Eric
I saw an interesting article recently, Here’s why I gave up my beloved Galaxy S7 for a boring old iPhone. It’s only been a few weeks since we featured the Samsung S7 in the XPRT Weekly Tech Spotlight, so of course I had to read it. The interesting thing is this guy really loved his Samsung S7, and even declared it “the best smartphone I’ve ever used.” He loved its VR capabilities, camera, and its look. He even prefers Android as an operating system.
So why would he give it up for an iPhone 6s Plus? Simply put, battery life. As a self-described heavy user, he found his Samsung S7 dying before 5 PM every day. The iPhone 6s Plus lasted much longer.
This is a good reminder that people have different priorities. Your priority could be having the fastest phone, the longest battery life, the best screen, or the broadest compatibility. This is why there is no such this as “the best device.”
This is why we are always asking for your input. Knowing your priorities helps the community build better tests!
Eric
Last week, we discussed the increasing complexity of power options in Android 6.0. Features such as Doze and App Standby have changed the way that the operating system manages app activity, and the wide array of UI skins used by many vendors ensures that the steps needed for pre-test configuration differ considerably from device to device.
Managing Android’s Doze feature is critical to getting a good BatteryXPRT score. To show how involved this process can be, we thought it might be helpful to present the steps for one device. Below my sig are the configuration steps we used for the Huawei Mate 8, which we recently featured in the XPRT Weekly Tech Spotlight. For other phones we’ve tested, the steps have been quite different. We’re working on distilling our experience for our tips and tricks document, and the updated version of the document will be available soon. If you have any useful tips, please let us know.
Justin
Whitelist BatteryXPRT (there are two ways to do this)
1) Access Battery manager from Settings/Advanced settings or from the Phone Manager app on the home screen.
2) Select Protected apps.
3) Use the toggles beside BatteryXPRT and BatteryXPRT Tests to allow them to keep running after the screen turns off.
Configure sleep settings
1) Open Settings from the home screen.
2) Select Display.
3) Select Sleep.
4) Select Never. This may reset to a default setting on its own. In our case, it reset to 10 minutes.
Configure screen lock settings
1) Open Settings from the home screen.
2) Select Advanced settings.
3) Select Security.
4) Scroll to the bottom of the list and use the toggle to turn off Screen lock. This keeps the device screen from locking after standby periods during the test.
Android developers continue to respond to user demands for longer battery life. Android 6 brought a number of enhancements to improve battery life, and Android N promises even more! Device makers often add device-specific options in their customized UIs, which means the options can differ greatly from device to device. A power-conscious user has a lot more control, but with that control comes complexity.
Not that long ago, preparing a device to run BatteryXPRT was simple: turn off automatic updates, kill unnecessary backgrounds apps, and set the screen to stay awake for at least 30 minutes. That’s still the case for many devices. However, it’s often much more complex. You may have to whitelist BatteryXPRT to keep Android from killing it when the device is in standby. Always-on features may interfere with standby. Security lock timers can override screen-timeout settings for the display – and the list goes on.
We’ve been testing a lot of devices and taking notes. In the next couple of weeks, we’ll be updating the BatteryXPRT Tips and Tricks document to reflect what we’ve learned. If you’ve encountered any of these issues, we’d love to add your tips to the list, so please send them our way!
Eric
We’re excited by the high level of interest the community and vendors have shown in the upcoming cross-platform MobileXPRT benchmark. We’ve received general observations about what a cross-platform benchmark should be, along with detailed suggestions about tests, subsystems, and benchmark architecture. We appreciate all of the responses and welcome more, so please keep them coming!
The number-one concern we’ve heard is that we be sure the benchmark tests all platforms fairly. Transparency will be essential to assure users that the tests are performing the same work on all platforms and performing the work in the appropriate way for each platform.
Fortunately, the XPRTs are well positioned to address that concern. From the beginning, we have used a community model. The source code is available to all members, which is the ultimate in transparency. (If you’re not a community member, it’s easy to join!)
Speaking of source code, we released TouchXPRT source code to the community this week. Members can download the source here (login required).
Eric
It’s only been a couple of weeks since we announced a cross-platform XPRT. It’s still early days, but we’ve already started getting ideas from vendors and media—from both people within the community and those who have not yet joined. We’re incorporating these ideas into our investigations, and plan to be sending a design document for the community to critique in a few weeks.
However, we are always looking ahead and Bill’s trip to IDF16 got us thinking about future benchmarks. Virtual reality is obviously going to be big. Bill said that he thinks he saw more things using the Oculus Rift than there are Oculus Rifts in the world! The Internet of Things has been ramping up for a while now, and shows no sign of slowing down. Computer vision is another emerging area, one with many possible applications. There are a lot of exciting possibilities!
As always, we want to know what you think. What upcoming technologies are you excited about? What would like to see in these benchmarks? Please let us know!
Eric
