Article has been updated, the original article was published on February 20, 2018

After using it for a while, your smartphone may not be as fast as before. You may feel it has slowed down, but before upgrading based on your feelings, you might as well try some scientific methods first. To determine if the phone speed is slowing, you can run some benchmarks and speed tests - if the test results are not ideal, you can also improve the phone's performance.

Basics of Benchmark Testing

Benchmarks have been around for many years on personal computers. Benchmarking is a test that measures the performance of different components and compares them with each other. It allows computer enthusiasts to measure the additional performance gains from a processor upgrade or new graphics card.

There are also benchmarking applications for phones now, which use a series of pre-programmed operations to test the internal components of the phone. For example, a browser benchmark might reload the same page 20 times to see how well the application is processing. Graphic benchmarks, on the other hand, may render complex scenes on the screen to check how quickly the phone displays these contents.

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While these benchmarks are not particularly useful for comparing different phones (as each model is built and optimized differently), they can help you track the performance of your device over time. This should tell you if your phone is achieving the speed and responsiveness you want.

If you want to enter the world of benchmarking, you don't need any special expertise: dedicated applications can do the heavy lifting for you. To get a full view of how your phone performs, you may need to try a variety of applications. We have some recommendations.

Select the right application

All the benchmark applications we collect allow you to record scores for later viewing. By running these applications regularly, you should be able to track the performance of your system and discover them when there is any speed drop. You can also compare your scores with other users’ scores – if you can’t find this data in the app itself, you can use the benchmark name and your phone model name for a quick web search. However, you should not be too worried about comparing with any phone other than your own.

Geekbench 5 (free for Android, $1 for iOS) is a highly respected app focused on processor speed and graphics processing power. After running various tests, it provides single-core scores (the performance of your device using one processor core to handle a set of tasks) and multi-core scores (the performance of processing the same task on multiple cores). The app will record your test results over time, so you can check for any performance drops or issues. It also allows you to compare your device to other devices that pass the same benchmarks – even on other platforms.

The free app 3DMark (for Android and iOS) focuses on games and graphics, showing how your phone handles complex visual scenes and high-intensity renderings. A nice feature is that it shows the comparison of your phone's test results running on the same phone model. This should give you a good idea of ??whether your phone is running as fast as it should.

Further test

The above application will provide a comprehensive overview of your phone's performance. But you may want to test more specific aspects of the mobile experience, such as your web browser and battery.

You can start by running an application that will tell you whether your Internet Service Provider (ISP) provides the download and upload speeds it promises. We like Ookla's Speedtest (for Android and iOS) or Netflix's Fast Speed ??Test (for Android and iOS). Both apps are free, although Ookla allows you to pay $1 to remove ads. Like any benchmark, run the test two to three times to get the average.

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To test more aspects of web browser performance, such as the speed of its rendering pages or its ability to handle complex web applications, try other benchmarking tools. Basemark, for example, is a free and comprehensive browser benchmarking tool that you can access through its website. As with other tests, run it regularly to ensure your browser always provides you with a satisfactory level of performance.

Last but not least, you can benchmark your phone's battery performance. Of course, you may be able to spot your own battery life without the help of a third-party app – just check the remaining battery level you have at the end of the day. If you prefer the battery testing app, check out PCMark and GSam Battery Monitor for Android and Battery Testing for iOS (all of which are free).

Recover performance

Now that you are familiar with some benchmarking applications, please start running them regularly. If you notice a significant drop in performance over time, you can take steps to address this issue.

First of all, the best way is to clean up cluttered files on your device: delete apps you no longer need, delete photos and videos that have been backed up elsewhere, and keep the right amount of remaining storage space. Then run the benchmark again to see if further action is needed.

To get your smartphone to run at the highest speed, you may need to do a deep cleanup: a complete factory reset. This will clear unwanted applications and any accumulated junk data. While a reset won't restore your phone to a brand new performance – it now has to deal with more demanding operating systems and applications due to the update – a restart should at least take your device to an acceptable level.

Safely back up all files, photos, and videos before you start, as the reset process will erase all of this content. You should also double check if you know your app and account passwords as you need them to set up your phone again. When you are ready, on your Android device, open Settings and select System, Advanced, Reset Options, and Delete All Data (Factory Reset) on your Android device. On your iPhone, go to Settings and select General, Reset, and Erase All Content and Settings.

After completing the reset, you will have to set up your phone from scratch again. When you do this, don't forget to install a benchmark tool or two to track the performance of your system.

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