Earlier today we published our first results using GLBenchmark 2.5, the long awaited update to one of our most frequently used mobile GPU benchmarks. 

In our first article we ran GLBenchmark 2.5 on devices based on Samsung's Exynos dual and quad SoCs, Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4, NVIDIA's Tegra 2/3 and TI's OMAP 4. We had problems getting older devices to run, which is why we only had the abridged set of starting data on Android. In addition, GLBenchmark 2.5 only supports Android 3.x and up.

GLBenchmark 2.5 is already available in the Google Play store, however the iOS version is still in Apple's review process. Thankfully we've been able to get our hands on the iOS version and now have results for the new iPad, iPad 2 as well as the iPhone 4S. Read on to see how the A5 and A5X stack up in Kishonti's latest OpenGL ES benchmark.

For quite a while now, GLBenchmark has been a regular test in our smartphone, tablet, and SoC reviews. As GPU performance has steadily increased, GLbenchmark 2.1.x started hitting vsync more of the time in onscreen tests, necessitating an updated version of the test with heavier assests, reworked rendering code, and improved functionality for testing. 

Today Kishonti Informatics has released GLBenchmark 2.5.0 into the wild, and we're taking a first look at performance across the current crop of devices. 

If you've been following our SoC related coverage, you'll probably have come across our coverage of Qualcomm's upcoming SoCs in their Mobile Development Platforms (MDPs). It's an interesting way to get both a feeling for the performance of a given platform before things are final, and to see how much OEMs affect the final performance. 

Qualcomm flew us out to San Francisco to take a look at its newest part, APQ8064, which is quad core Krait v2 at up to 1.5 GHz with Qualcomm's new Adreno 320 GPU, and no baseband. This is an SoC destined primarily for tablets, although the combination of APQ8064 and MDM9615 will likely also be a common upcoming platform for the highest end phones. Read on for some benchmarks!

At the very top of HTC’s new lineup are three flagship devices: the One X, its cousin the One XL, and the One S. I say flagship because HTC’s One S is really a device with a level of fit and finish beyond the rest of the high-end to midrange device category. Don’t let its diminutive size and 4.3" display fool you, the One S packs a lot of punch. It’s almost funny to write it, but the T-Mobile One S has been the device I’ve been reaching for more often than a few other larger size phones for a while now. For those wanting a device with arguably the best in-hand feel around, and an outline that isn’t large like the norm, the One S might make more sense than the One X.

Read on for our full review.

I was reminded yesterday of the Droid RAZR launch event. One of the RAZR product managers excitedly leapt at the opportunity to run me through some benchmarks on the demo device, a rare opportunity at these sorts of events. The results were, for the time, startling. Motorola took sometime to optimize the browser in ways that set it head and shoulders above the competition in some benchmarks. The result was a Sunspider score that was fully half of its predecessor the Droid Bionic. 

That's how I felt as I started to run the Motorola Atrix HD through its paces yesterday. The Atrix HD softens the hard edges of the RAZR design philosophy a touch, and to good effect. The white sample we received is understated and rather pretty, though I wonder if I wouldn't have preferred an all white back, rather than that expanse of Kevlar. And inside, Motorola has moved on from the OMAP 4 that won their hearts last year and adopted Qualcomm's Snapdragon S4. Yes, the MSM8960 scores another design win. Read on for our preview of the performance.

Today was an extremely busy day for Google, with the formal announcement of both Android 4.1 Jelly Bean, and two new members of the Nexus family – the Nexus 7 tablet, and Nexus Q streaming device. While I already wrote up impressions about the Nexus Q based on a media center demo, Android 4.1 and Nexus 7 require a closer look to fully appreciate. I got my hands on a loaner Nexus 7 and Galaxy Nexus with Android 4.1 and have been using and testing the devices all day (in addition to catching a session or two). 

Read on for a mini review of both the Nexus 7 and Android 4.1 on a Galaxy Nexus.