A new cross-platform benchmark for Apple and Android devices

March 29, 2016

3DMark Sling Shot Apple benchmark for iPhones and iPads

Apple's new iPhone SE and 9.7-inch iPad Pro arrive in stores this week. So today we're releasing a new a cross-platform 3DMark benchmark test to help you compare them with the latest Android devices.

Introducing Sling Shot Extreme

Released today on the Apple App Store, and already available for Android devices from Google Play, 3DMark Sling Shot Extreme is a cross-platform benchmark test for the latest high-end smartphones and tablets. It uses Apple's low overhead Metal API on iPhones and iPads, OpenGL ES 3.1 on Android devices, and has a 2560 × 1440 rendering resolution on both platforms. 

Sling Shot Extreme is a more demanding version of Sling Shot, a test we introduced last year. Sling Shot is a cross-platform OpenGL ES 3.0 benchmark with a 1920 × 1080 rendering resolution. Use Sling Shot to compare mainstream Android and Apple smartphones and tablets.

We recommend using Sling Shot and Sling Shot Extreme to benchmark the majority of modern devices. Our Ice Storm tests should now only be used to compare older iPhone and iPad models with low-cost Android smartphones and tablets. 

On iOS, Sling Shot and Sling Shot Extreme compatibility starts with iPhone 5s, iPad Air, and iPad mini 2, and runs to the latest devices. Sling Shot Extreme is available from the Apple App Store in our free 3DMark Sling Shot App.

On Android, your device must have Android 5.0 or later and support OpenGL ES 3.0 for Sling Shot and OpenGL ES 3.1 for Sling Shot Extreme. Sling Shot Extreme is included in the 3DMark app, available for free from Google Play.

Download 3DMark Sling Shot Apple benchmark from the App Store  Download 3DMark Android benchmark from Google Play