How to read a tech review (and spot a useless one)
Scores are the least useful part of a review. Here's what to look for instead — and the warning signs of a review you shouldn't trust.
A good review answers one question: should someone like you buy this? The score at the top is a summary, not the answer. Here is how to get real value from a review.
Read the verdict, then the cons
Start with the one-line verdict and the list of drawbacks. Pros are often similar between competing products; the cons tell you whether a product fails at something you personally care about — battery life, weight, a missing port, slow charging.
Check how it was tested
Trustworthy reviews explain their method: how long the device was used, what battery test was run, which conditions photos were taken in. "We used it as our main phone for two weeks" is more useful than impressions from a launch event.
Look for comparisons
A product is only good or bad relative to its alternatives at the same price. A strong review names those alternatives and says when you should choose them instead.
Match the reviewer's priorities to yours
A gaming reviewer may criticise a laptop's graphics you will never use; a photographer may forgive a heavy phone for its camera. Read why something scored lower, not just that it did.
Warning signs
- No drawbacks at all
- Only specifications repeated from the box
- No photos or samples taken by the reviewer
- Every product from one brand scores highly
- Buy links everywhere, with no disclosure
Combine sources
Read two or three reviews from different kinds of outlets, then check long-term owner feedback after a few months — problems like battery wear and software bugs often appear later.
The bottom line
Use scores to shortlist and reviews to decide. The most useful sentence in any review is the one that tells you who shouldn't buy the product.