How we test
It’s all in the testing
If you’re like the members of the Android Authority team, you’re probably asked often: Which phone is the best? It’s a deceptively simple question, but we’re going to help you answer it and we’re going to do it in the most objective way possible. Introducing the new Android Authority testing methodology!
Going forward, all smartphones that we review will be put through over 40 standardized tests, with the aim of establishing which is the best of them all. Here’s an inside look at our all-new testing methods, including what we’re looking for in each test, the companies we partner with for testing equipment, and what this means for smartphone reviews on Android Authority going forward.
Category testing
Camera Testing
Because smartphones use digital cameras, there are literally hundreds of ways you can rate digital images objectively, pixel by pixel. However, the image processing is just as important as the raw capabilities of the camera. In this light, we send a professional photographer out into the world to compare shots to a real camera, and rate ten common scenes.
Camera Testing
Because smartphones use digital cameras, there are literally hundreds of ways you can rate digital images objectively, pixel by pixel. However, the image processing is just as important as the raw capabilities of the camera. In this light, we send a professional photographer out into the world to compare shots to a real camera, and rate ten common scenes.
Display Testing
The most visible part of your smartphone is the display, and like the camera: it's completely possible to rate it objectively. Our partners at Portrait Displays (SpectraCal) have provided us with the same top-of-the-line display testing solution—CalMAN—to measure the performance of each smartphone screen. We can tell you everything you want to know about how the latest phones look in any situation.
Display Testing
The most visible part of your smartphone is the display, and like the camera: it's completely possible to rate it objectively. Our partners at Portrait Displays (SpectraCal) have provided us with the same top-of-the-line display testing solution—CalMAN—to measure the performance of each smartphone screen. We can tell you everything you want to know about how the latest phones look in any situation.
Performance Testing
New apps and games mean your phone needs to be able to power through any processing load thrown at it. Using our proprietary Speed Test G app, we run a phone from 100% charge to an empty cell. This way, we can see how a phone performs over time, and wait out any benchmark shenanigans. We only report verified scores, so no cheating or boosting will stain our results. Reading Android Authority reviews will give you a great picture of how well a smartphone performs.
Performance Testing
New apps and games mean your phone needs to be able to power through any processing load thrown at it. Using our proprietary Speed Test G app, we run a phone from 100% charge to an empty cell. This way, we can see how a phone performs over time, and wait out any benchmark shenanigans. We only report verified scores, so no cheating or boosting will stain our results. Reading Android Authority reviews will give you a great picture of how well a smartphone performs.
Battery Testing
Probably the most important feature of smartphones, the battery is tough to properly test. However, we can tell you how long it takes to charge, and what a worst-case usage scenario would look like with our proprietary Speed Test G benchmarking app. It may not be granular to every use case, but we offer apples-to-apples comparisons of battery results — every time.
Battery Testing
Probably the most important feature of smartphones, the battery is tough to properly test. However, we can tell you how long it takes to charge, and what a worst-case usage scenario would look like with our proprietary Speed Test G benchmarking app. It may not be granular to every use case, but we offer apples-to-apples comparisons of battery results — every time.