PhoneArena Introduces New Scoring System for Smartphone Reviews! - PhoneArena

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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, as we now rate smartphones across 12 different categories with carefully selected criteria to ensure that all devices are treated equally and to minimize personal bias.

This is not to say that the personal opinion of our experienced reviewers does not matter! 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:

Speed and Performance for daily smartphone tasks
Performance in heavy duty tasks and gaming
Battery life
Charging speed
Wireless charging speed
Camera - Photo Quality
Camera - Video Quality
Display Quality
Biometrics Speed, Performance and Reliability
Audio Quality
Software and Updates
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 of these categories carries a different weight in the scoring system, and some categories have a larger importance for the score than others. That is where we had to use our judgment and readers' opinions to find a balance that reflects the way most people use their phones. For example, the battery life of a device is a very important category that carries more weight than the charging speed. Both are important, but we feel most people have set their priorities this way.

At the moment, you can still only see the final, holistic score in our reviews, but soon we will be introducing a new visualization where you will be able to see a breakdown of scores by category.

Is the price of a device accounted for in the score?

No.

What this means is 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 had 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 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: Daily Performance

The perceived speed and smoothness for easy, daily smartphone tasks like calls, mails, 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: Extreme Performance

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 speed

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 speed

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: Camera - 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 come up with a score based on extensive testing. We will soon introduce you to that new camera rating system with all the exciting detail that goes into it, so stay tuned!

Category 7: Camera - Video Quality

How good is the video quality on a 1-10 scale

Just like we have for photo quality, we now have a new rating system for video quality. Expect a lot more detail to come in a separate post where you will learn what exactly goes into that brand new video quality 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 Quality

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 and Updates

The software update commitment matters

We investigate the software update commitment for each phone and look if there are limiting factors to the software experience, like a ban on fundamental apps or other major restrictions on software. Each phone is assigned a score based on that.

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 will soon see a new graph with each review that shows the individual scores for each category and will have a clear understanding of why each smartphone review score is the way it is. We are working to deliver that to you in the coming months.

For the first few months of using this system, you will also see a disclaimer right after the introduction paragraph of a review saying specifically when a smartphone score is based on the new system. Older reviews might still use our previous scoring system, which is why at the moment direct comparisons of many scores are not possible. We will be re-evaluating older devices based on the new system over the coming weeks, however, and will be updating this article when the process is complete.

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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"Smartphone" - Google News
October 13, 2023 at 09:09PM
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PhoneArena Introduces New Scoring System for Smartphone Reviews! - PhoneArena
"Smartphone" - Google News
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