The Android Central team is made up of tech enthusiasts who eat, sleep, and breathe all things Android. Our ranks also include experts in several related fields, including Google apps and services, mobile games, PlayStation, AR/VR, smart home, wearables, audio and more.
We love the products and services we write about, and we spend countless hours testing and reviewing everything from smartphones to smartwatches, wireless headphones to security cameras, and social media apps to games. We want to share that excitement with our readers while imparting our expertise and authority around the devices and services we cover. As such, we take the responsibility to provide accurate, honest and reliable reviews very seriously.
Our efforts are supported by our parent company, Future automaton, one of the largest technology vendors in the world. The resources and support provided by Future help us ensure that we are able to provide our readers with content they can trust and believe in.
To learn more about the Android Central team and their areas of interest and expertise, visit our About Us page.
Android Central’s guarantee to our readers:
- We do not receive any compensation for reviewsnor do we allow brands to have pre-release access or participate in our review process unless they are specifically marked as SPONSORED CONTENT.
- Like our audience, we love the Android ecosystem, so we know what our readers want to know. This shared passion guides our strategy for the products and services we choose to review.
- If a product or service is below average or should be avoided, we’re not going to blow your mind — we’ll tell you! We will not hesitate to be critical when it is justified.
- Likewise, if we give a product or service a high rating and/or our endorsement, we’ll tell you exactly why he earned this accolade.
- Every product or service we review has been handled, including daily and intended use, and thoroughly tested by our staff. Sometimes we may recommend a product in a buying guide that for some reason we couldn’t get our hands on. In such cases, we have a strict process to research such devices using multiple trusted sources.
- If you think we’re breaking any of these promises, we want to know (and so does our boss). You can always email our Content Director Al Sacco directly with your concerns. Al reads every message from our readers and takes them very seriously.
Our ratings, explained
Android Central rates the products and services we review on a scale of stars from 1 to 5, with 1 being the lowest rating and 5 being the highest. Reviews combine objective data and performance with the subjective context of the product in its larger ecosystem, as well as the personal experience of the writers.
- 1-1.5 stars: We cannot recommend this product or service in good conscience. Save your money!
- 2-2.5 stars: We also don’t recommend this product or service, but it does have some qualities that set it apart from something you definitely shouldn’t buy. In these cases, we often recommend waiting for an update or a new version before considering making a purchase.
- 3-3.5 stars: These products are resolutely intermediate. This rating is perfectly average, and while we’re not overly enthusiastic about the product or the game, the reader may find enough good in it to warrant a purchase.
- 4-4.5 stars: These reviews are for above-average products and services and should be considered for purchase. Often these will earn our Recommended badge (more on that below).
- 5 stars: They are the best products or services in their respective categories, and we recommend them without hesitation or reservation. These reviews will generally receive our Best badge. Your money will be well spent on a product or service rated 5 stars by Android Central.
Android Central rewards, explained
Our best badge honors go to those rare products and services that stand out, head and shoulders above the competition. They might not always be the most expensive or the most sophisticated devices, but they generally tick all the boxes for the things we’re looking for from this article. Top badges are only awarded to five-star rated products or services.
Products or services that earn our Recommended Badge do it because they are among the best in their category. They are good value for money and an option that we can comfortably recommend to our readers based on our review criteria and experience with similar devices or services. Recommended badges are usually awarded to products or services with a 4-4.5 star rating.
Games that win our Indispensable badge are the best of the best. Whether revolutionizing a genre or perfecting a proven formula, these games deliver a gaming experience people won’t want to miss. We rate games based on a number of criteria such as story, gameplay, performance, and more. Games that typically earn our Must-Play badge receive 4-5 stars.
Android Central’s All-Star Review Team
Android Central’s team of writers bring a wealth of expertise and enthusiasm to the reviews they write. With decades of combined experience, each author approaches new reviews with the same degree of enthusiasm and skepticism that our readers have come to expect.
Jerry Hildenbrand has been taking gadgets apart to see how they work for over a decade, and Harish Jonnalagadda has gotten his hands on nearly every Android phone released in Asia since 2010. Nick Sutrich reviewed Android devices for the northern market American for nearly as long, and Andrew Myrick has been exploring Chromebooks and Chrome OS like no one else.
Michael Hicks and Jennifer Locke are staples in the Android, AR/VR, and PS5 communities, and Chris Wedel has quickly made a name for himself reviewing smart home devices and tech for kids and families. Editor Derrek Lee and Editor Jeramy Johnson share an affinity for smartwatches and wearables and haven’t come across a pair of smart glasses they won’t try.
The core team is also supported by a number of contributors who regularly review the products, including Jay Bonggolto, Namerah Saud Fatmi, Ted Kritsonis, Samuel Tolbert and Charlie Wacholz.
Android Central reviewers focus on products and categories in which they are industry experts and bring their own unique personalities and perspectives to complete the objectivity expected of one of the best Android blogs.
Again, you can find out more about our reviewers on our About Us page.
Our testing methodology for products, applications, services and games
Backed by years of experience and by our parent company, Future PLC, we have a well-established set of processes, ethics, and standards that we follow for all reviews and recommended content on Android Central.
Specific processes may vary by product or category, whether it’s flagship, mid-tier or entry-level Android smartphones, the latest Chromebooks and tablets, smartwatches and headphones, smart home devices or apps, services and games. – but the underlying values remain the same.
We strive to take our time to truly understand and evaluate the products and services we review so our readers can feel confident and trust our recommendations.
We will not recommend any product or service that we would not recommend to friends and family or purchase for ourselves. This is our promise to you.
