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Draft:Samsung Galaxy GOS Performance Manipulation Scandal

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The Samsung Galaxy GOS performance manipulation scandal (GOS scandal) is a benchmark cheating scandal involving Samsung and the Game Optimizing Service (GOS), a pre-installed software package on Samsung Galaxy devices. The service has been reported to boost performance only for benchmark applications based on their identifiers, while significantly reducing performance in non-benchmark scenarios, misleading users about the actual performance of the devices.[1]

As a result, Geekbench has permanently banned Samsung Galaxy S10, S20, S21, S22, and Galaxy Tab S8 series.[2]

Background

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The Game Optimizing Service (GOS) was first introduced with the Galaxy S7 series, and some Galaxy users, especially gamers, have consistently voiced complaints about it. However, it was not widely publicized at the time.[3]

It became widely publicized after the launch of the Galaxy S22 series. The problem of the GOS has gradually become known to South Korean users[4], and in response, The OMG-electronics under SBS conducted interviews with Samsung employees about the issues.[5]

SBS interview with Samsung[5]
Questions Answers from Samsung
The issue of Galaxy devices having traditionally low GPU clock speeds has been raised by the users, particularly in mobile gaming communities. Consumer safety is the absolute criterion and most important thing. There is an internal perception that users think it manages performance too restrictively because applications such as games demand (many) functions or (high) performance, though.
There’s been discussion among Galaxy users about how to turn off the GOS. Do you have any plan to provide a way to disable the GOS? We are very focused on consumer safety and will not compromise on that in any way.

In summary, Samsung explained that it is for ′consumer safety.′ However, users did not accept this explanation; instead, it fueled further skepticism about the products, leading to the GOS scandal becoming widely known among the South Korean public.[4][6]

Some users have reported that Samsung Galaxy devices appear to cheat benchmarks. They utilized a disguised version of the Geekbench app, with its package name changed to Genshin Impact, and observed that the scores from this disguised Geekbench were significantly lower than those from the original Geekbench on Galaxy devices.[7] This discrepancy has been independently confirmed by Geekbench developer and Android Police.[8]

Furthermore, users analyzed the GOS and discovered that it contains a database of over 10,000 apps by default, which may influence performance. The database includes not only gaming applications but also non-gaming ones, such as camera apps and Netflix. Users have also reported that the GOS collects user's personal information, including device details and lists of installed apps, and sends it to Samsung servers without user consent.[9]

Primate Labs, the developer behind Geekbench, confirmed the issue and has banned the Samsung Galaxy models — Galaxy S10, S20, S21, S22, and Galaxy Tab S8 series.[10][2][9]

Consequences and reactions

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Responses from Samsung

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First statement

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On March 3, 2022, Samsung posted its first statement on the Samsung Members community. In the statement, Samsung claimed that the GOS is an app that optimizes performance to prevent overheating when playing games for a long time, and said they would provide a software update offering a “Performance Priority” option in response to customer demands.[11]

Second statement

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On March 4, 2022, Samsung posted its second statement. In the statement, Samsung claimed that the GOS does not work in general apps (non-game apps), that is, it does not limit the performance of non-game apps. As for why it did not limit the performance of benchmarks, Samsung explained that benchmarks are not game apps and therefore not subject to the GOS.[12]

Samsung's defense against allegations

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″When considering the overall and ultimate impression of the average consumer with ordinary attention, there is no risk of misunderstanding or misconception that the performance according to the maximum clock speed of the processor displayed and advertised can be enjoyed without restriction at any time, and there is no risk that display/labeling and advertising may hinder consumers' rational decision-making,″ Samsung claimed during the lawsuit in South Korea.[13]

Geekbench banned Samsung Galaxy devices

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Geekbench announced that the GOS results in a reduction of 53.9% in single-core performance and 64.2% in multi-core performance for the Galaxy S22 Ultra.[14]

On March 5, 2022, Geekbench has removed the Galaxy S10, S20, S21, S22 series from its library.[2]

The Samsung Galaxy Tab S8 series was also banned on March 16, 2022.[2]

Samsung Galaxy devices banned from Geekbench[2]

Investigation by the Korea FTC

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An investigation by the Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) began in 2022 after a report was filed. The KFTC is investigating whether Samsung has violated the Act on Fair Labeling and Advertising.[15]

The investigation is expected to be done by 2024, with the next steps moving to a review process. Once the KFTC submits its report for this case, a decision on the legality and severity of penalties will be determined through the review process. If the KFTC finds violations, it may impose fines and refer the case for prosecution.[16]

As of October 17, 2024, the KFTC is reported to have reached a tentative conclusion.[17]

YMCA calls for suspension of Galaxy S22 advertising

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On March 29, 2022, the Korean YMCA Game Consumer Center requested that the KFTC issue a provisional suspension order regarding advertisements for the Galaxy S22 series. The YMCA stated, “The Galaxy S22 series advertisements misled gaming consumers who trusted them, resulting in significant financial losses.” They urged the KFTC to take immediate action with this suspension order to prevent further harm.[18]

Union’s criticism of management failures

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The National Samsung Electronics Union (NSEU), the largest trade union of Samsung Electronics, criticized the GOS incident as a management failure.[19]

The union called the GOS incident as a ‘obvious management failure’ and criticized the company for ″telling employees to tighten their belts and shifting the blame for worsening business performance that comes from management failures.″[19]

Lawsuits

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United States

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A class-action lawsuit[20] has been filed against Samsung in United States, alleging that the company cheats the public to create a false perception of the speed and performance of its smartphones falsely supporting a high price-point to the detriment of consumers.[21]

The lawsuit claims Samsung knows that publications and review sites regularly use benchmarking apps to review and evaluate new devices and compare those devices to competing or predecessor devices.[21] It further alleges that Samsung also knows that if it artificially boosts the performance of its devices when running benchmarking apps, reviewers and the public will falsely believe that the devices are similarly as fast in real-world situations.[21]

Another class-action lawsuit[22] has also been filed against Samsung in United States, alleging that the company intentionally throttles the performance of its devices to cheat benchmarks.[23]

Israel

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A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Samsung in Israel, claiming the company owes compensation to millions of Israelis. The suit alleges that Samsung misled customers regarding device performance, causing them to suffer loss of usage and value. Plaintiffs seek compensation of 750 shekels per affected device, potentially totaling 750 million shekels.[24]

South Korea

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A class-action lawsuit has been filed against Samsung in South Korea.[25]

The plaintiff said, “Samsung Electronics concealed the existence of the GOS program, promoting its products as capable of handling gaming tasks seamlessly with the latest processors and superior performance,” adding, "This constitutes an act of concealing and omitting important information that significantly affects consumer purchasing decisions."[25]

They further state, “Given Samsung’s status in the smartphone market and the trust consumers place in the brand, this is clearly a deceptive display/labeling and advertising practice.”[25]

The trial was postponed due to an investigation by the Korea FTC.[26]

The first trial was held on June 20, 2024.[27]

  • The plaintiff stated, “The defendant used expressions like ‘the fastest’ and ‘the most powerful’ in smartphone advertisements, claiming that the device is optimized for high-performance environments. From the consumer’s perspective, this led to trust in the high specifications being offered.” They further said, “In effect, the GOS was not disclosed during the sales phase. Important information that influences consumer purchasing decisions should have been disclosed in advance.”[27]
  • Samsung responded, “GOS is only applied when running games and is limited to certain high-performance apps. Therefore, it cannot be considered a key factor in the purchasing decision.” They added, “It has been sufficiently disclosed that performance is restricted for game optimization while using game apps, and users generally understand that temperature control features are essential.”[27]

References

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  1. ^
    • Conway, Adam (2022-03-05). "Geekbench accuses Samsung of benchmark manipulation, delists last four years of Galaxy flagships". XDA. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
    • Seon, Dameun (2022-03-06). ""스포츠카 샀는데 속도제한 한 격"…갤S22 성능 소비자 기만 논란 확산". The Hankyoreh (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  2. ^ a b c d e
  3. ^ Gwon, Taekgyeong (2022-03-04). "발열 잡았다던 삼성 갤럭시 S22, '강제 성능 제한' 논란 일파만파". IT Dong-A (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-10-27.
  4. ^ a b Lee, Sangwon (2022-03-04). "삼성은 왜 갤럭시 스마트폰 GOS를 포기하지 않았을까". Sisa-IN [ko] (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  5. ^ a b
  6. ^ Jieun, Bak (2022-03-05). "긱벤치, 갤럭시S22 등 삼성폰 4종 평가 제외…GOS 논란 일파만파". Asia Today [ko] (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  7. ^ Lee, Seungyeop (2022-03-09). "'갤럭시S22' 성능 저하 논란 속 주목받는 中 모바일 게임 '원신'의 정체는". Hankook Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-10-29.
  8. ^
  9. ^ a b
  10. ^ Sattelberg, Will (2022-03-04). "Geekbench just banned the last four years of Samsung flagships over throttling debacle". Android Police. Retrieved 2024-10-30.
  11. ^
  12. ^
  13. ^ Jang, Hamin (2022-07-28). "삼성전자, GOS 표시광고법 위반 의혹 전면 반박... "보통의 주의력을 가진 소비자라면 오인할 우려 없다"". News Worker (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  14. ^ Kim, Gunho (2022-03-06). "게임하면 성능 저하… 갤럭시S22 'GOS' 작동 논란 확산". Segye Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  15. ^
  16. ^
  17. ^ Choi, Taewoo (2024-10-17). "반도체만?… 삼성, 주력 사업 스마트폰·가전도 어렵다". Kukmin Ilbo (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  18. ^ Hong, Hyojin (2022-03-09). "YMCA '삼성 GOS 논란'에 "공정위 임시중지명령 신청"". MONEY TODAY [ko] (in Korean). Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  19. ^ a b
  20. ^ Tracey Holland et al., v. Samsung Electronics America, Inc., et al., Case No. 2:22-cv-01348-JMV-AME, in the U.S. District Court District of New Jersey.
  21. ^ a b c Edwards, Jessy (2022-03-16). "Samsung Class Action Alleges Company Falsely Represents Smartphone Speed". Top Class Actions. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  22. ^ Martin v. Samsung Electronics Co., LTD, et al., Case No. 5:22-cv-01607, in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.
  23. ^ Jewett, Abraham (2022-09-14). "Samsung class action claims company throttles app performance, cheats benchmarking apps". Top Class Actions. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  24. ^
  25. ^ a b c
  26. ^ "갤럭시S22 GOS 소송 1년···재판은 '감감무소식'". Sisa Journal-e (Sisa Journal Economy) (in Korean). 2023-03-25. Retrieved 2024-10-31.
  27. ^ a b c
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