You bought a new smartphone, the same model as your friend's.

You both ran a benchmark test side by side, only to find that your score was significantly lower. You thought it might be due to different system versions or uncleaned background processes, so you ran the test several times, but the gap remained.

There could be many reasons for the discrepancy in benchmark scores.

However, recent discussions around this issue have pointed to a more noteworthy concern: the advertised storage specifications of the same smartphone model may differ from what you actually receive.

01 A Low Benchmark Score Doesn't Directly Mean the Flash Memory Was Swapped

Let's address a conclusion that is easily miscommunicated: the gap in benchmark scores cannot be directly used to determine that a smartphone has mixed flash memory of different specifications.

The physical interface bandwidth of UFS 4.0 and UFS 4.1 is identical, both at 23.2Gbps per lane, with no change in the theoretical upper limit for sequential read and write speeds.

UFS 4.1 is essentially a firmware-level functional enhancement, primarily improving long-term fragmented read and write performance, cache management, and flash memory lifespan, rather than a leap in physical-layer speed.

Devices with hardware support for UFS 4.1 can even unlock 4.1 features through firmware upgrades.

In other words, different particles under the same standard, different manufacturers' tuning strategies, testing temperatures, and storage capacity sizes can all affect the final benchmark score.

Using benchmark scores to identify flash memory specifications is inherently an imprecise approach.

However, the improvements in UFS 4.1 in specific metrics are real—this doesn't mean specification differences don't exist.

Image source: Internet

Kioxia's UFS 4.1 sample data shows a 25% improvement in sequential write speeds and a 90% improvement in random read speeds compared to UFS 4.0.

This gap is not due to interface bandwidth but rather firmware optimization and particle implementation.

In daily use, the difference is very noticeable.

When installing large games, waiting times vary; when browsing through burst photos in the gallery, loading speeds differ; when running a dozen or more apps in the background, the smoothness of switching varies.

The real difference lies not in the benchmark numbers but in the smoothness decay curve during long-term use.

02 What Consumers Are Really Complaining About: Promised 4.1, Delivered 4.0

Behind the benchmark score controversy lies an issue of the right to know.

On the Heimao Complaints Platform, users have reported that for a certain brand of smartphone, the official website advertised the ROM as UFS 4.1, but detection software revealed it to be UFS 4.0. The sales page and product details did not disclose this discrepancy in advance.

The users' core complaint is not that the benchmark scores must be identical but rather that the specifications of the product they purchased should match the advertised specifications.

The key issue is not whether flash memory can be mixed but whether manufacturers disclose this mixing truthfully and whether pricing reflects the differences.

03 Why Is Mixing Used?

Mixing components of different specifications by smartphone manufacturers is not new in the industry.

The supply of memory chips is influenced by production capacity, pricing, and procurement cycles, and the supply volume of a single specification may not cover the entire shipment plan.

Image source: Internet

When a particular specification of flash memory is in short supply, mixing different specifications is a common means to maintain production capacity.

From Apple to Android manufacturers, the mixing of storage particles of different specifications is not uncommon.

The core of the controversy has never been the mixing itself but rather transparency.

04 How Can You Tell What Specifications You Have?

The most direct way is to use detection tools to view the actual model and specifications of the flash memory.

Some software can directly read the supplier and specifications of the flash memory chip. If the specifications read do not match the official advertisement, this serves as a basis for further communication.

Another reference is sustained write stability.

Lower-specification flash memory will show more pronounced speed degradation when writing large amounts of data continuously, such as recording high-bitrate videos or transferring large files in bulk.

If you find that your phone's performance in sustained write scenarios is significantly lower than feedback from other users of the same model, it is worth further investigation.

05 What Really Deserves Attention Here

A smartphone's performance is not determined by a single chip but rather by the combined effects of the processor, memory, flash memory, and cooling.

A good benchmark score does not mean that every component meets the advertised specifications; a low benchmark score does not necessarily mean that a component has been swapped.

Image source: Internet

For consumers, when purchasing, in addition to looking at the processor model and benchmark scores, it's worth asking: What are the specific specifications of this phone's flash memory, memory, and screen? Are there differences between batches? The higher the manufacturer's transparency, the lower the probability of consumers "winning the lottery."

There can be many reasons why the same smartphone model yields different benchmark scores.

However, if the advertised specifications do not match what you actually receive, that's a different story.

This information should have been clearly disclosed before purchase. #SmartphoneFlashMemory #SmartphoneBenchmarks