Methodology
How we score phones
Every phone in our catalogue is scored out of 10 in the same eight categories. Scores come from the structured specification data we hold for each device, plus the lowest retailer price we have recorded. Because every phone is measured the same way, comparisons are like-for-like.
The eight categories
- Camera
- Sensor and lens configuration, megapixels, telephoto reach, ultrawide and front camera hardware.
- Battery
- Battery capacity relative to screen size, charging wattage and wireless charging support.
- Performance
- Processor class and RAM, judged against phones released in the same period.
- Display
- Panel type, size, and refresh rate.
- Gaming
- Sustained performance signals: processor class, RAM and refresh rate together.
- AI
- On-device AI feature support declared by the manufacturer for that chipset.
- Software
- Operating system and the manufacturer's stated update commitment.
- Value
- The other categories weighed against the lowest price we have recorded.
What the overall score means
The overall score is a weighted blend of the eight category scores. It is a summary of how a phone's specification and price compare with the rest of our catalogue at the time you view it, so it can move when prices change.
What our scores are not
- • They are not independent expert reviews, and we do not claim hands-on lab testing.
- • They are not paid placements. Retailers cannot buy a higher score.
- • They are not benchmark results; we do not publish numbers we have not measured.
If we introduce an editorial review process in future, reviewed phones will be labelled separately from these structured scores.
Prices and price data
Value scores use the lowest price we currently hold from a UK retailer. Every price is labelled with its status — live, not recently checked, or demo development data. We never present demo data as a current market price, and we only publish price averages, drops or "good price" labels once we have recorded enough genuine history to support the claim.
How we make money