How we rate products, evaluate cameras and test battery life

Last updated: February 2026

Our reviews are always based on multiple days of real-world experience with each product. We absolutely never write reviews based solely on a specs sheet or a brief moment.

Learn more:

• How We Rate Cameras
• How We Measure Battery Life
• How We Evaluate Screens

Additionally, we run a number of benchmarks and tests for each device, such as our:

• Camera Testing (PhoneArena Camera Score)
• Battery Testing (PhoneArena Battery Score)
• Display Testing
• Phone Review Test Results

These benchmarks explore all the fundamental aspects of a given device and provide a firm, unbiased ground for comparison.

In our write-up, however, you should not expect every reviewer to follow an identical writing style. Each reviewer brings a distinct, honest perspective, and we deliberately preserve that individual voice.

At the same time, assigning a score based solely on personal experience can be erratic, and that is why we have introduced a new scoring system on PhoneArena, which has gone into effect for our smartphone reviews starting in late September 2023.

This new scoring system uses a weighted average of twelve fundamental categories of the smartphone experience, each evaluated using carefully selected criteria. This approach ensures that all smartphones are treated equally and minimizes personal bias.

These are the twelve fundamental categories that we rank separately to come up with our final score:

1. Performance Daily (Speed and Performance for daily smartphone tasks)
2. Performance Peak (Performance in heavy-duty tasks and gaming)
3. Battery life
4. Charging
5. Wireless charging
6. Photo Quality
7. Video Quality
8. Display Quality
9. Biometrics
10. Audio
11. Software
12. Design

For each category and for the final overall score, we use a 10-point grading scale, with “1” being the worst score and “10” -- the best.

Each category carries a different weight within the overall score, and some categories have a larger importance for the score than others. These weights are informed by editorial judgment and reader feedback, with the goal of mirroring how most people actually use their phones. That’s why battery life, for example, has a larger impact on the score than charging speed.

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

No.

This means that budget phones will typically score lower than higher-end devices due to their more limited hardware. There are, of course, some exceptions. Some phones punch way above their class. Google’s Pixel A series, for example, has consistently delivered near-flagship camera performance at a lower price point.

Still, as a general rule, higher-priced phones tend to achieve higher scores because they are faster, more capable, and offer a more complete overall experience.

Explaining each of the categories

Let us also guide you through the individual categories:

Category 1: Performance Daily

The perceived speed and smoothness for easy, daily smartphone tasks like calls, mails, browsing and social media.

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

This score is based on a weighted mix of benchmark scores, including CPU performance tests and GPU / gaming-related benchmarks.

Category 3: Battery life

How long does it last?

We perform three separate battery tests on each device. Each phone is set to a fixed brightness level using specialized equipment and software, ensuring consistent conditions across all tests. All testing is conducted over a Wi-Fi connection.

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.

• Learn more about our battery testing process

Category 4: Charging speed

We measure and we rank

We use the manufacturer-recommended charger and the included cable to measure charging time from 1% to 100%. Each device is then assigned a score based on its results.

Category 5: Wireless charging speed

We test the wireless charging speed too!

We use the manufacturer-recommended wireless charger to measure charging time from 1% to 100%. Each device is then assigned a score based on its results.

Category 6: Camera - Photo Quality

Assigning a score to an image is hard, but we have crafted a new system that translates complex image quality assessment into simpler numbers

We have developed a comprehensive new system that evaluates multiple aspects of image quality, which we call the PhoneArena Camera Score.

Under this protocol, every phone goes through extensive testing across all of its cameras and a wide range of shooting conditions.

The process includes both a machine-driven analysis for precise measurement of exposure and color accuracy, as well as a manual image review by our photography experts.

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

We evaluate each camera and prioritize the aspects that matter most, producing separate scores for the main, zoom, ultra-wide, and front cameras.

• Learn more about our camera testing process

Category 7: Camera - Video Quality

How good is the video quality in numbers

To rate video, we start with the same metrics we use for photos (like color accuracy and exposure) but also consider video-specific factors like stabilization, since recording video comes with its own challenges.

Category 8: Display Quality

We do a number of lab tests measuring various screen characteristics

We use professional equipment and software to measure key display characteristics: maximum brightness, minimum brightness, color accuracy, and more.

These measurements are then used to compile a score that reflects overall quality and performance of the phone’s display.

• Learn more about our display testing process

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 evaluate a phone’s loudspeaker system based on volume, sound quality and richness. Scores are assigned relative to typical smartphone performance, allowing consistent comparison across devices.

Category 11: Software and Updates

The software update commitment matters

The key factor in this category is a phone’s software update commitment — both the number of years and the timeliness of these updates. For example, a phone with five years of OS updates ranks higher than one supported only for three years.

Each phone is assigned a score based on that software commitment and update delivery speed, and additional 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.