Class Action Accuses Samsung of ‘Benchmark Cheating’ via Galaxy App

Samsung dupes the public by using the “game optimizing service” apps on its Galaxy smartphones, billed as preventing device overheating and extending battery life during long periods of gameplay, for “benchmark cheating,” alleged a fraud complaint Friday in U.S. District Court in Newark, New Jersey, that seeks class-action status. Samsung has programmed its devices to “run at faster than normal speeds” when they detect performance-measuring apps “used by reviewers and consumers to test and compare the speed and performance of smartphones and tablets,” it said. “Samsung knew that publications and review sites regularly use benchmarking apps to review and evaluate new devices and to compare those devices to competing or predecessor devices,” said the complaint. Samsung also knew if it “artificially boosted the performance of its devices when running benchmarking apps, reviewers and the public would falsely believe that the Devices were similarly as fast in real-world situations,” it said. Samsung “intentionally cheated on benchmarking apps to create a false perception regarding the speed and performance of the Devices, to thereby increase the demand for its new devices, and to support a high price-point for these devices -- all to the detriment of the buying public,” it said. The suit charges Samsung with unjust enrichment and violations of consumer protection laws. Samsung didn’t comment Monday.