How SlashGear Approaches Reviews
At SlashGear, we take reviews seriously. Our goal is to provide a fair, balanced, and informative critique, whether we're reviewing a smartphone or an electric car, and give readers an accurate representation of what they can expect from each product. With no shortage of ways to spend your money in the technology and automotive worlds, we want to help readers make informed decisions on the value of each product, at any given price point.
We judge each product based on real-world experience, and — except where clearly noted — all SlashGear product reviews are based on market-ready products, not pre-release prototypes. Given the speed at which new products are released and existing products updated, it's important to remember that our review is a snapshot and that the competitive landscape could change over time. Our scoring, therefore, is most relevant when our review is published.
We provide honest and thorough assessments of every product we review, considering both the good and bad aspects. While the criteria for what makes a successful product will vary, SlashGear's goal is always to indicate its overall quality and value.
Scoring
Our scoring system is an aggregate number based on a range of criteria. We assign each product a score between 1 and 10, with 10 being the highest rating. Our scores are intended to provide an indication of the overall quality and value of the product. Each score indicates how a product compares to its contemporaries, as well as how well it lives up to expectations.
Review Scale
- Something is so wrong with the product that we recommend everyone actively avoid it.
- Fundamentally broken from a developmental standpoint. How was this product greenlit for release?
- The product seemingly has a handful of redeeming or useful features, but fails to execute on any of its ideas.
- You should probably buy a rival product, even if it costs more.
- This product toes the line of being unsuccessful, but we can see what they were trying to do (even though they didn't quite get there).
- Below average: This product doesn't quite do what its makers promised. It's not much better than acceptable.
- Average: This product is solid, but not a whole lot more. It's good, not great.
- Great: A high-quality product that's more than likely worth its asking price and worth considering.
- Almost perfect: There may be an issue or two that could be better, but this product is definitely worth buying.
- Effectively flawless: This value of this product meets or exceeds its price, and it fulfills the reviewer's expectations.
While numerical scores can be useful, reviews are by their nature subjective. This means that different SlashGear reviewers may have very different opinions about a particular product depending on personal preferences, experiences, or tastes. Don't get lost in the discourse. It's important to remember that a review score reflects just one person's opinion. So while it can be taken into account when considering your next purchase, you should also take into consideration other reviews and opinions as well.
Products that achieve a score of 9 or above are awarded SlashGear Editor's Choice, a sign of how highly we rate them. Products that score between 8 and 9 earn the SlashGear Select designation and are well worth considering in their category.
Embargoes and Review Units
We believe in transparency. While SlashGear's reviews are typically based on products supplied by manufacturers, as is the standard practice in the industry, our opinions and conclusions are independent. Any sponsored content is clearly marked. Where applicable, we accept early products so that we can give as thorough and informative a review as possible.
To submit your product for review, please email us at .
For more information about our privacy policies, fact checking, and corrections, click here.