Do smartphone benchmarks matter?

Benchmarks matter inasmuch as it reflects the user experience, which is to say, benchmark numbers taken alone are meaningless. However, if you tell me a game runs with specific characteristics of user experience such as quality settings and frame rate, that data describe what I can experience playing that game.

Maybe I don't play that game. Perhaps, I'm not a mobile gamer at all. Even then, benchmarks can provide value by describing what real world performance is attainable provided that benchmarks reflect real user experiences.

I would say that benchmarks matter but only within the context of how benchmark numbers relate to a tangible thing you could experience with the phone. A CPU score? I think the value is questionable until you talk about how an app runs.

Are they still a useful reference and do you consider them when shopping for an upgrade?

I think benchmarks are more useful for enthusiasts to understand relative performance but are usually detached from the user experience that I really care about when making a purchase.

I want to know the benchmarks, but these would not drive my purchasing decision. I want to hear from reviewers who actually used the phone... because I plan to use the phone to do phone things, not to run benchmarks.