Alleged Google Pixel 3 XL Lands On Geekbench For A Benchmark Cameo

Geekbench is not just a popular benchmark (one that we quite often use in our various product reviews), it apparently is also a hot landing spot for unreleased hardware. Such is the case once gain, this time for Google's Pixel 3 XL. The unannounced handset made an appearance on Geekbench, and while the scores look pretty good, its entry is riling up users for another reason.

Prominent leaker Ice Universe posted a screenshot of the Pixel 3 XL on Geekbench, with the entry revealing a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC), 4GB of system RAM, and Android 9.0. So why all the rabble-rabble? The Snapdragon 845 is Qualcomm's fastest mobile chip to date, after all, and the Snapdragon 855 is not out yet.

Google Pixel 3 XL，4GB RAM，SDM845，Android 9.0. pic.twitter.com/G4cj6LLoPR

— Ice universe (@UniverseIce) August 3, 2018

If you scroll through the comments in the Twitter post, you will find an abundance of criticism over the amount of RAM. "Google messed this one up pretty bad," a user commented. Another user found the situation to be "seriously sad," and yet another conceded that the performance numbers are in light with expectations "but 4GB of RAM does suck."

Is this a case of getting too caught up in the specs, versus actual performance? We are not willing to pass judgement at this early stage. For one, the leak could be inaccurate, and secondly, if it is accurate the scores look pretty good. We plotted them out in a graph with our own collection of Geekbench scores, and here's how the leaked Pixel 3 XL compares:

It is right up there with Samsung's Galaxy S9+ in multi-core performance, and sports a faster single-core score. Overall, the Pixel 3 XL lands near the top of the pack, hanging with the higher-performing smartphones.

Also note that the iPhone X runs away from the competition. That's notable because it only has 3GB of RAM, yet is able to outpace the competition.

That said, Geekbench focuses on CPU performance, not RAM. If looking at the situation while sipping from a half empty glass, the 4GB of RAM is still a bummer, as it could negatively affect multitasking performance and other workloads. However, if peering at things while chugging a glass that is half full, the iPhone X shows that is not the end-all-be-all when it comes to performance.

Which glass are you holding? Let us know in the comments section below.