Rightware, the creator of the Browsermark web browser performance suite and Kanzi, the UX powering Audi automobiles, is getting ready to launch a cross-platform graphics/gaming benchmark called Basemark X. This is a 3D “game-like” application built on the Unity Engine 4.0 which aims at simulating the workload experienced by the hardware when running demanding games. The benchmark will work across iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8+, so when this comes out, we will be able to make more meaningful cross-platform benchmarks to give you a good idea of what your next smartphone is capable off in our reviews.
It’s an understatement to say that benchmarking on mobiles is still in its infancy and will still evolve for a while, but we felt that the current set of benchmark has fallen behind the times, and doesn’t always reflect real-world conditions. Of course, those synthetic scores will never supersede in-apps benchmarks, but they are great apps to analyze what the system is capable of in a controlled way.
Basemark X should bring some much needed freshness in that category of apps on mobile. After following the Rightware team for some time, it’s fair to say that this is only the beginning, and that the pace of innovation should pick up, hopefully on a yearly basis. Do you follow benchmarks? How important are they in your purchase decision? Let us know in a comment below.
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