What the new beta brings
AnTuTu announced a public beta of its long‑standing Android benchmark on 4 September, making the update available from the official website and the major app stores. The company says the goal is to move away from the “score‑chasing” culture that has dominated the Android performance scene for years and instead provide numbers that reflect how a handset behaves in the hands of a typical user.
A transparent baseline for everyone
To keep the playing field level, AnTuTu published a set of reference scores taken under tightly controlled laboratory conditions: the room was kept at 26 °C (79 °F), the test devices were charged to at least 80 % and the display brightness was locked at 300 nits. By sharing these numbers, developers and reviewers can see exactly how the new tests perform before they start running them on their own phones.
CPU testing – from raw clocks to real‑world balance
Older versions of the benchmark mainly rewarded devices that could hit the highest possible clock speeds. V12 changes that philosophy. Modern SoCs constantly toggle between short, high‑power bursts and longer, low‑power efficiency phases. The new CPU test measures how well a processor manages this dynamic scaling, looking at both single‑core and multi‑core performance under realistic workloads. In practice, this means a phone that stays cool and responsive during everyday tasks will score higher than a device that only shines in short, all‑out sprint tests.
GPU overhaul – gaming‑grade stress
Mobile gaming has become a major use‑case, and the V12 GPU suite reflects that. The benchmark now renders detailed 3D environments with soft shadows, realistic lighting and texture filtering designed to push contemporary graphics cores. A standout addition is a Vulkan‑based Cooperative Matrix test, which forces different GPU compute units to collaborate on heavy matrix calculations – a scenario common in AI‑enhanced gaming and AR applications. Phones with newer Mali, Adreno or PowerVR GPUs should see a noticeable lift in their scores if they can handle these visual challenges.
Memory and storage – latency, fragmentation and real‑world I/O
Memory performance is no longer measured by simple bandwidth numbers. V12 introduces a dynamic latency stress test that simulates mixed‑type workloads (e.g., background sync while a game loads) and a fragmentation test that evaluates how performance degrades as storage fills up over time. The sequential and random read/write tests have been refined, and an application‑level I/O benchmark now strips away external noise to reveal the raw speed of the device’s internal storage. For UK buyers who keep a lot of media on‑device, these tests give a clearer picture of long‑term performance.
UX module – the feel of smoothness
Perhaps the most user‑centric change is the revamped UX module. Instead of looking at isolated hardware metrics, the new algorithm tracks actual OS rendering pipelines and input latency. The resulting score maps directly to perceived smoothness when launching apps, scrolling through feeds, or watching system animations. This is especially relevant for foldable phones and tablets, where UI fluidity can make or break the experience.
Design tweaks and future‑proofing
The AnTuTu app itself has been refreshed with a card‑based layout that makes it easier to filter by test category. It also adapts to larger screens, meaning the same benchmark can be run on tablets and foldables without sacrificing readability. Under the hood, V12 adds support for Android’s 16 KB memory page size, ensuring compatibility with next‑generation hardware architectures that are already appearing in flagship devices.
Scores aren’t comparable with V11 – why that matters
Because the test suite, workloads and scoring algorithms have been overhauled, V12 results cannot be directly compared with those from V11. A higher score does not automatically indicate a faster phone; it simply reflects the new evaluation criteria. This caveat is crucial for anyone looking at historical benchmark data to decide on a contract or outright purchase.
What this means for UK Android shoppers
For consumers hunting deals on carrier contracts, the shift to real‑world testing could level the playing field. Phones that previously topped the charts by exploiting synthetic benchmarks may see their lead shrink, while devices that deliver consistent day‑to‑day performance – such as the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 or MediaTek Dimensity 9300 – could climb the rankings. When comparing contract offers, look for models that score well in the new UX and memory fragmentation tests, as these are likely to stay snappy even after months of use.
Looking ahead
AnTuTu has positioned V12 as a living benchmark, inviting feedback from the community before a final release later in the year. If the public beta proves reliable, we can expect future Android reviews and carrier comparison tools to adopt the new scoring system, giving UK buyers a more meaningful way to gauge performance beyond raw numbers.
Source: Android Headlines (6 Sept 2026)