Last updated June 2026
Buying a new phone or tablet, or choosing a plan, takes real time and real money. We built the Compass scores to give you a faster, more reliable starting point — so you can spend less time researching and more time deciding.
There are two separate scores on PhoneCompass. They measure different things, and they work differently. Here’s how each one is built.
The Compass Score: How we rate phones and tablets
The Compass Score is a weighted average of expert reviews from independent tech publications, normalized to a common scale and weighted by source credibility. It answers the question: if you asked the most knowledgeable, most trustworthy voices in tech journalism what they thought of this device, what would the consensus be?
It is not a user rating. It is not influenced by manufacturers. No one can pay to improve it.
How we build it
Every publication in our system has been evaluated against a set of criteria: How long have they been covering devices? Do they have a documented testing methodology? Are their reviewers named and accountable? Do they have a track record of editorial independence? Based on that evaluation, each source is assigned a credibility tier — and reviews from higher-tier publications carry more weight in the final score.
Before any score enters the calculation, it is normalized. A 4/5 from one publication and an 82/100 from another are both converted to the same /10 scale so they can be compared fairly. The final Compass Score is then a weighted average of all qualifying scores for that device.
We also apply a mild adjustment to account for review volume. A device with two reviews should not display the same level of confidence as one with thirty — so scores with limited review counts are modestly pulled toward the platform average until more data accumulates. As reviews come in, the score converges toward the true consensus.
What the confidence labels mean
You will sometimes see a label beneath the Compass Score. Here is what each one means:
Early score — Fewer than 5 reviews have been counted. The score is real but treat it as a first impression, not a verdict.
Based on X reviews — The standard state. Enough reviews to be meaningful, not enough to call it definitive consensus.
Strong consensus — 10 or more qualifying reviews point in the same direction. This is as confident as we get.
No score — Some devices have not been reviewed enough by qualifying sources to produce a number we would stand behind. We would rather show nothing than show something misleading.
What we don’t include — and why
User ratings are displayed separately on PhoneCompass as a community signal, but they are deliberately kept out of the Compass Score calculation. Unverified user ratings are vulnerable to manipulation, selection bias, and review bombing in ways that expert reviews are not. Mixing them into a single number would make the score harder to trust, not easier.
We also exclude reviews from sources without clear editorial independence, publications that no longer actively cover devices, and any source where we cannot verify a genuine hands-on review took place.
Does the score change over time?
Yes. The Compass Score updates automatically whenever a new expert review is added to our system. For most devices, scores stabilize within the first year as the major publications complete their coverage. For older devices, the score reflects the historical expert consensus at the time they were reviewed.
The honest part
No scoring system is perfect. Ours reflects the expert consensus as captured by the publications we track — which means it inherits their collective blind spots alongside their collective wisdom. A device that is beloved by enthusiasts but ignored by mainstream press may score lower than it deserves. A flagship from a major brand will always have more reviews than a budget device from a regional manufacturer.
The Compass Score tells you what the experts think. What you actually need from a device is something only you know.
The Compass Value Score: How we rate carriers
The Compass Value Score rates carriers on verifiable cost and terms — not on user sentiment or review averages. It is designed to answer a different question than the device Compass Score: not “what do reviewers think?” but “what does this carrier actually offer, and how does it compare?”
Each carrier is evaluated across five dimensions, each weighted by its impact on the typical subscriber’s experience:
Value — 35% How competitive the carrier’s pricing is relative to what you get. Assessed against comparable plans in the market.
Cost Transparency — 25% Whether the price you see reflects what you actually pay. Considers taxes-included pricing, recovery fees, activation costs, and other charges that affect the real monthly cost.
Flexibility — 20% How freely you can use the service without penalties or lock-in. Considers contract terms, deposit requirements, and pricing stability.
Inclusions — 15% What comes with the plan beyond basic talk, text, and data. Considers hotspot access, international features, streaming perks, and similar extras.
Network Standing — 5% The quality and reach of the underlying network the carrier runs on, including deprioritization policies and coverage footprint.
These inputs are drawn from carrier-published information in our database. The score updates automatically as that data changes.
What the Compass Value Score is not
It is not a customer satisfaction rating. It does not incorporate user reviews, complaints, or sentiment data. A carrier can score well on verifiable terms and still have poor customer service — those are separate things, and we try to cover them separately in our editorial content.
A note on data and limitations
The Compass Value Score is based on data we maintain about each carrier’s plans, pricing, and terms. We update this data regularly, but carrier offerings change frequently and without notice. The score reflects our best assessment at the time it was last calculated — it may not capture the most recent promotional pricing, limited-time offers, or mid-cycle plan changes.
The scoring methodology itself may also evolve over time as we refine our approach. Scores should be used as a starting point for your research, not as a final verdict. Always verify current pricing and terms directly with the carrier before making a decision.
If you notice an error in a carrier’s data, please report it and we will review it promptly.
FAQs
Can manufacturers or carriers influence either score?
No. Neither score can be improved through a commercial relationship with PhoneCompass. See How We Make Money.
Why doesn’t this device have a Compass Score?
The device has not yet been reviewed by enough qualifying sources for us to produce a score we would stand behind.
Why is the Compass Score different from scores on other sites?
Most aggregators treat all reviews equally. Ours weights by source credibility — a publication with a longer track record and documented methodology carries more influence than one without.
How often are scores updated?
The device Compass Score updates automatically when new expert reviews are added. The Compass Value Score updates automatically as carrier data in our system changes.