Samsung’s new foldables have a benchmark problem

Benchmark figures are a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, it’s incredibly useful to be able to summarize a phone’s capabilities in the form of a few easily comparable numbers. But the flip side of that is a mire of misleading tests, oversimplifications, and that lingering specter of benchmark manipulation. Nonetheless, every time we come across a compelling new phone — like any of Samsung’s latest foldables — we’re at least curious what the benchmark performance would look like. But with the Galaxy Z8 series, Samsung appears to be taking deliberate steps to block benchmark apps.

The Galaxy Z Fold 8, Z Fold 8 Ultra, and Z Flip 8 units we have access to all refuse to allow us to run popular benchmark apps. Not only does Samsung prevent these apps from being installed through the Play Store, but we’re not even able to sideload them, suggesting the presence of a blacklist.

While that’s very frustrating, it’s also not the first time we’ve run into a situation like this, and it’s not necessarily unreasonable for a device manufacturer to want to limit access to benchmark apps on devices that are still actively under development and testing — that’s just a leak waiting to happen.

Indeed, tipster Ice Universe shares that the Fold 8 units currently in the hands of media show the hallmarks of engineering firmware, rather than a final, retail build. So it’s entirely possible that this app-blocking activity is all a holdover from development.

A Samsung spokesperson confirms to Android Authority that the company is aware of this behavior and is working to address it. The company has already reached out to share updated software that promises to resolve the situation — we’re getting on testing that straight away, and will share the outcome with you.

Hopefully all this means that this is nothing any of you ever have to worry about, and not something that users can expect to run into on the foldables they’re currently pre-ordering.