PhoneArena Review Ratings are here: the most advanced smartphone review rating system
We are happy to introduce a new smartphone scoring system on PhoneArena, which has gone into effect starting in late September 2023!
This new system is a complete overhaul of the way smartphones are rated and it accounts for more nuance and detail. Our new rating protocol measures the performance of phones across twelve categories with carefully selected criteria to ensure that all devices are treated equally and to minimize personal bias.
The personal opinion of our experienced reviewers still matters, but subjective opinion is now expressed in the writeup, rather than affecting the score of a device. Many aspects of a smartphone experience are deeply personal and they will continue to be a part of our reviews, and we certainly don't want to create reviews that lack character or color. However, those personal opinions are best expressed in writing and, we feel, have to be separate from the score of a device where cool heads should prevail.
So what's this new PhoneArena Smartphone Review Rating system all about and how does it work?
After careful deliberation, we have come up with 12 fundamental categories that describe our modern smartphone experience:
- Performance Daily (Speed and Performance for daily smartphone tasks)
- Performance Peak (Performance in heavy-duty tasks and gaming)
- Battery life
- Charging
- Wireless charging
- Photo Quality
- Video Quality
- Display Quality
- Biometrics
- Audio
- Software
- Design
For each category and for the final overall score, we use a 10-point grading scale, with 1 being the worst and 10 -- the best.
Each category carries a different weight in the total score, and some categories have a bigger significance than others. We have used our judgment, readers' opinions and common sense to find a balance that reflects the way most people use their phones. For example, battery life is something most people care about deeply, so it carries more weight than a category like charging speed. There will always be opinions about what matters most in a device, so that is why you can see the scores for each of these twelve categories and compared devices for each one of them individually.
Right now, you will find a widget with a summary of the scores right after the introduction section in most of our reviews from the recent past.
You can see how the PhoneArena Review Rating Widget looks below.
PhoneArena Review Rating Widget example
PhoneArena Review Rating Page: coming soon!
Coming soon: By the end of May 2024, we will launch a brand new benchmark section at PhoneArena, where you will be able to see all the ratings for phones we have reviewed using this new system.
The webpage will allow you to easily compare all phones that we have ranked.
For example, you will be able to see the best ranking phones by overall score, or just look at the phones that excel in, say, battery life, or photo quality. Additionally, you will be able to compare multiple device scores easily.
Is the price of a device accounted for in the score?
No.
This means that a low-end phone will typically get a lower score than a higher-end device, since usually those low-end phones use slower or less capable components. Of course, there are exceptions. For example, the Pixel A series traditionally have cameras that punch way above their class. The iPhone SE (2022) also has an outdated design, but a faster processor than its peers. And the list goes on.
However, as a rule of thumb, cheaper phones will get lower scores, while more expensive phones will receive higher scores, simply because they typically have more features.
We are not leaving it at that and in we will also show you more context for each score, so you get an idea of where the device stands among its peers too. And remember, that often a lower score will correspond to the lower-end class of the device, but it might still be outperforming its peers!
Explaining each of the categories
So let us quickly guide you through all the individual categories:
Category 1: Performance Daily
The perceived speed and smoothness for easy, daily smartphone tasks like calls, mails, web browsing and social media
For this category, we evaluate how well the phone performs in daily tasks. Questions that we ask when we come up with a score in this category are the following:
- Do apps load fast?
- Is the scrolling smooth?
- How does the gesture navigation work?
- Is there any overheating with simple tasks?
Category 2: Performance Peak
How well the phone performs for heavy-duty tasks and gaming
We have a separate category measuring more intense tasks and this score is based on a weighted mix of benchmark scores.
In the mix we have CPU performance tests and GPU / gaming-related benchmarks.
Category 3: Battery life
How long does it last?
Each phone we review goes through three battery tests. Using specialized equipment and software, we set each phone to a fixed brightness level to ensure an equal playing field and all phones are connected to a Wi-Fi network for these tests.
Test #1: Web Browsing -- we run a script that cycles through a set of webpages and scrolls around at pre-set intervals, emulating a real world browsing session. This is our lightest battery test.
Test #2: Video Streaming -- we run the same video playlist over a Wi-Fi connection and at the same video quality at the full size of the screen, and measure how long the phones last.
Test #3: 3D Gaming -- we run a popular gaming title with the same graphics settings and in the same environment / level on each phone we test. This test stresses the GPU.
Based on those three results, we come up with a final battery score for this category.
Category 4: Charging
We measure and we rank
We use the recommended by the manufacturer charger and the cable that comes in the box to measure how long the phone charges from 1% to 100%. Based on the results, each phone is assigned a score.
Category 5: Wireless charging
We test the wireless charging speed too!
We use the recommended by the manufacturer wireless charger to measure how long the phone charges from 1% to 100%. Based on the results, each phone is assigned a score.
Category 6: Photo Quality
Assigning a score to an image is hard, but we have a new complex system just for that
We have created a new complex system that looks at various aspect of image quality and we call it the PhoneArena Camera Score. Based on the results each phone gets in this test, we assign it a 1-10 score.
Here is a brief explanation of the PhoneArena Camera Score. Under this new protocol, every phone goes through extensive testing, including all of its cameras across a number of different scenarios.
It's an in-depth complex process that has both a machine element for precise calculation of deviation in exposure and color accuracy, as well as manual inspection of images by our experts to assess a number of additional camera elements.
Here are some of the main criteria we evaluate in phone cameras:
- Exposure and subject exposure
- Color temperature and color tint
- Detail resolution level
- Oversharpening artifacts
- Portrait mode separation quality
- Preview reliability (HDR, resolution, portrait mode)
- Stabilization in video
- And more
Category 7: Video Quality
How good is the video quality on a 1-10 scale
Just like we have for photo quality, we use the PhoneArena Camera Score for video as well.
Just like for photography, here too we look at video quality performance across a number of categories, and the final score is used to arrive at a 1-10 score for the review rating.
Category 8: Display Quality
We do a number of lab tests measuring various screen characteristics
We use professional equipment and software to measure the characteristics of a phone display: maximum brightness, minimum brightness, color accuracy, and more.
We use these measurements to come up with a score that shows how advanced the display on a phone is.
Category 9: Biometrics
Fingerprints and face ID performance ranked by performance and accuracy
We test the performance of a phone's fingerprint scanner or face recognition system for speed and accuracy, and assign a score based on the results.
Category 10: Audio
Evaluating a phone's speaker system
We test the phone's loudspeakers and assign a score based on how loud it plays, and the quality and richness of the sound. The classification is based on typical performance for smartphone loudspeakers.
Category 11: Software
The software update commitment matters
The defining factor in this category is the software update commitment for each phone and whether updates are expected to arrive in a timely fashion or with a delay. For examply, a phone which is set to receive five years of OS updates will rank higher than a phone that will only be supported for three years.
Each phone is assigned a score based on that software commitment and update delivery speed, and some other factors like software restrictions are also considered.
Category 12: Design
Build quality, materials, looks
How well is this phone designed? That can be a subjective matter, but we have a set of criteria that help us come up with a rating based on the build quality, the materials used, any special design elements, and more.
Got any questions?
You can already see the new review score widgets in more than forty phones we have reviewed recently and all phones going forward will be reviewed using this new protocol.
In the early days, you will also see a short explainer of the score and why you should look at it in the context of the average values rather than just take the total value run with it.
However, many older reviews will probably remain with the previous scoring system. Remember that the scores from the new system and old system are not comparable.
Also, we will be happy to explain the details, so ask away! And... tell us what you think about this new system! Do you like it? Is there something else you would have included? The comment section is now officially open!
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