What's being demonstrated here isn't a real world usecase rather it is a demonstration that software (cpu based) GLES implementation can run at 60 fps with this test. In the production devices (and also available on Panda too) the actual GPU driver/libraries for the SGX540 is used.
Practically this means that the Linaro tool chain won't double the performance of this test on a fuller environment.
Additionally it's fairly specious to say 'double' the performance, on Android things are typically vsync'd and double buffered so if you render at < 60fps you will degrade to 30fps.
IMO this is mildly disingenuous or at best naive and from a technical perspective Linaro should really do a better job trying to make their efforts relevant.
They'd be better off showing off improvements in browser performance because the CPU is still used for some 2D rendering.
Actually, in many cases Android does use the software renderer.
Take a look at /system/lib/egl/egl.cfg
In many cases where I've looked (though it varies on device) the software renderer does get picked up. If you remove the entry for the software renderer, it often speeds up in general, because hardware is forced to be used.
It practice it doesn't very often unless there's a very weird EGL configuration being requested which the h/w version doesn't support. But your point applies that you'd be better off removing the s/w renderer.
Practically this means that the Linaro tool chain won't double the performance of this test on a fuller environment.
Additionally it's fairly specious to say 'double' the performance, on Android things are typically vsync'd and double buffered so if you render at < 60fps you will degrade to 30fps.
IMO this is mildly disingenuous or at best naive and from a technical perspective Linaro should really do a better job trying to make their efforts relevant.
They'd be better off showing off improvements in browser performance because the CPU is still used for some 2D rendering.