What Is AnTuTu and How to Read the Scores
AnTuTu is the most quoted smartphone benchmark: a single number people use to compare device performance. The MobileRank database holds AnTuTu scores for nearly two hundred chipsets — from tens of thousands of points on decade-old chips to 3,942,923 on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. That's exactly why it matters to understand what the score is made of, which test version produced it, and where the lines between "great" and "good enough" actually sit.
What AnTuTu measures
The total score is the sum of four test groups:
- CPU — raw processing: math, data handling, multi-threading;
- GPU — graphics: game-like scenes with effects, rendering speed;
- MEM — memory and storage: RAM bandwidth, read/write speeds;
- UX — "user experience": system responsiveness, list scrolling, image recognition.
The current line-up is versions ten and eleven; only scores from the same version are comparable — the methodology changes, so an AnTuTu 9 score does not equal an AnTuTu 10 score on the same device.
What counts as a good score in 2026
The reference points below come from the current scores of modern chips in the MobileRank chipset catalog; older models in the database may still carry results from earlier test versions, which must not be compared to flagship scores directly:
| AnTuTu score | Tier | Examples from the database |
|---|---|---|
| 3,000,000+ | Top flagships | Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 — 3,942,923, Dimensity 9500 — 3,485,039, Exynos 2600 — 3,161,830 |
| 2,000,000 – 3,000,000 | Flagships and sub-flagships | Dimensity 9400 — 2,820,364, Apple A19 Pro — 2,568,709 |
| 1,000,000 – 2,000,000 | Upper mid-range | enough for any game at high settings |
| 500,000 – 1,000,000 | Mid-range | Snapdragon 6s Gen 3 — 622,608: everyday tasks with little headroom |
| under 500,000 | Budget tier | social apps, messengers, casual games |
A practical rule: 600-800K is plenty for smooth everyday use, comfortable gaming starts around 1.5M, and anything above 3M is future-proofing and marketing.
Why scores vary between runs
The same phone can swing 5-15% between runs. The reasons:
- Thermal throttling. As the chip heats up, it drops frequencies. The first run on a cool device almost always beats the third one in a row.
- Performance modes. Many Android skins switch on a "game mode" specifically when a benchmark launches — treat manufacturer numbers as a ceiling, not a typical result.
- Background processes, firmware, test version. Even room temperature affects the long GPU test.
That's why the honest comparison is averaged results across many devices — as in the most powerful phones by AnTuTu ranking — rather than a single screenshot.
What AnTuTu doesn't show
The score says nothing about the things that actually separate a good phone from a mediocre one at the same price:
- camera — sensors, optics and processing are not tested at all (that's what the camera phone ranking is for);
- battery life — a powerful chip can drain the battery faster;
- sustained performance — a 10-minute test won't show how the phone throttles after an hour of gaming;
- display, speakers, haptics, build quality.
AnTuTu answers exactly one question: "how much performance headroom does the hardware have". Nothing more.
How to use AnTuTu when choosing a phone
- Define your scenario: up to 800K covers everyday use; for heavy gaming look from 1.5M upward.
- Compare chipsets, not marketing names: the same phone model often ships with different processors in different markets. Check any specific chip in the catalog — say, the Dimensity 9500s at 3,037,573 points versus the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 at 3,942,923.
- Weigh the score against the price: paying extra for another million points only makes sense for gaming or long-term headroom.
- Cross-check with the aggregate score — in the MobileRank methodology performance contributes 38% of the total rating; the rest is camera, battery, display and value.
You can compare any two chips or phones on AnTuTu and every other spec on the comparison page.