Introducing time-saver reviews

10 March, 2016
Today we're introducing a new take on our detailed, long-form articles. These are the time-saver editions of some of our most popular reviews. The goal with those is to bring you the gist of our full-length reviews without getting into too many technical details. But they are more than merely abridged versions of our full-fledged review.

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  • D
  • AnonD-513450
  • 7tK
  • 13 Mar 2016

True time saver. Please add antutu benchmarks also.

    • D
    • Dean
    • Hkt
    • 13 Mar 2016

    Liked the new look. Its better then changeing pages this one is a really time saving design

      • D
      • AnonD-513969
      • HsE
      • 12 Mar 2016

      It's a lot better than usual first neat and more informative for many

        • T
        • Tony
        • tDR
        • 12 Mar 2016

        I think it's better than usual one... Informative and just "to the point" of the review... But the most important its easier for the beginner reader to understand the review...

          • D
          • AnonD-351685
          • fmm
          • 12 Mar 2016

          I think its good for people who get bored of the traditional long paragraphs....so its good for me :-)

            • D
            • AnonD-287454
            • utP
            • 12 Mar 2016

            - Do you find them too short or too long?
            - Do you understand the percentile ranks and their visualizations?
            - Do you like this format better than the regular multi-page reviews?
            - How do you feel about our scores and do you find them meaningful?

            1)They are like a medium sized review's and i like it.
            2)I too liked the percentile ranks and their visualizations, can you provide more information on other topics too with the percentile ranks.
            3)No i find this type of reviews a quick glance type reviews. So the regular multi-page reviews should'nt go anywhere.
            4)Yeah, by seeing those numbers would be an easy task for recommending phones to other peoples.

              • ?
              • Anonymous
              • rvG
              • 12 Mar 2016

              Very welcome option for some of us users who just want the gist of a phone's capabilities. Well done gsm arena.

                • H
                • HITMAN
                • f0x
                • 12 Mar 2016

                iphone 6s for me is normal

                  • D
                  • AnonD-415640
                  • jH
                  • 12 Mar 2016

                  Can try- The percentile can be shown in a better vissual format like a beautiful graph

                    • D
                    • AnonD-415893
                    • u1D
                    • 12 Mar 2016

                    1. They should not have a drop down menu if they are single paged (Reviews have a single Introduction page).
                    2. From Now on GSMarena scores must be mentioned in the device specs page.

                      The review must be an article. A long detailed article, that's what the real review is.
                      Scores doesn't really define and make choice easier to buy a phone that bears a high score. A long article review is the best way to get to know everything about the device you're probably going to buy.

                        • D
                        • AnonD-263911
                        • trH
                        • 12 Mar 2016

                        - Do you find them too short or too long?
                        - Do you understand the percentile ranks and their visualizations?
                        - Do you like this format better than the regular multi-page reviews?
                        - How do you feel about our scores and do you find them meaningful?

                        Most people don't have time or they just don't want to read a long article.
                        In my opinion, I think a short and clean scoring review should come with a detail explanations which will be very helpful for people who want to deeply understand the device features.
                        I like the way you are doing right now with time-saver review that link the score to the main review article.
                        Thank you for great device reviews.

                          • S
                          • SDKforLumia
                          • KI3
                          • 11 Mar 2016

                          Let us know in the comments section how you feel about them:
                          - Do you find them too short or too long?
                          - Do you understand the percentile ranks and their visualizations?
                          - Do you like this format better than the regular multi-page reviews?
                          - How do you feel about our scores and do you find them meaningful?
                          Answer to your 1st question is, they are appropriately sized reviews.
                          Answers to rest of the questions are, I have absolutely no idea about how have you done this percentile and ranking thing, so can't comment. Kindly explain these 2 marking system in easy words so that we can have an idea.

                            • S
                            • SDKforLumia
                            • KI3
                            • 11 Mar 2016

                            I don't get the whole percentile and ranking system GSMArena. Please explain how Moto Play has such high percentile and such a low score for display? Totally opposite is Lumia 950 score. Someone please explain how do they rank a certain feature and what good is that percentile for? GSMArena team, any help would be appreciated.

                              • d
                              • dld542004
                              • THx
                              • 11 Mar 2016

                              Chen, 10 Mar 2016I love it Like it a lot!

                                • ?
                                • Anonymous
                                • Ye3
                                • 11 Mar 2016

                                1st : Answering your Questions :
                                -------------------------------------------
                                - Do you find them too short or too long?
                                I find their lenght is great especially for reading a fast review about a phone or to let a friend (not so in tech friend) to read this one page review
                                - Do you understand the percentile ranks and their visualizations?
                                I understand them because I have read them from glossary yet I think they aren't that clear to understand.
                                - Do you like this format better than the regular multi-page reviews?
                                For me , I still prefer the old review if I was looking for myself or wondering to know about a phone more , However the new format is great for my firends to show or to read a review about a phone I am not really thinking about or a phone that I don't have a lot of interest to know about.
                                - How do you feel about our scores and do you find them meaningful?
                                I think they aren't really meaningful because as I can see , You didn't consider the price tag which may let a good midrange have a bad rating while it is actually the best for its price tag.
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                                2nd My own view :

                                - Instead of mentioning "Screen size" , I think it would be better to add "screen ratio"
                                - In these percentile ranks, I think it would be easier for less tech people to understand them if you just added "higher is better" or "lower is better" or maybe add the word "better" toward the better end .
                                - In the Moto-X Play the battery life section was telling how the battery was good and great but the rating was 2.5 , so it is either a mistake or that it is somehow confusing.
                                - Having "Read More" button is a nice add-on

                                  • j
                                  • jaaaan
                                  • 6Q7
                                  • 11 Mar 2016

                                  Good very good

                                    • T
                                    • Thx
                                    • Tmt
                                    • 11 Mar 2016

                                    In my opinion the new format misses sunlight contrast ratio in display section.

                                      • F
                                      • FATEvsDESTINY
                                      • N8t
                                      • 11 Mar 2016

                                      Nice format, I like it. But I'm glad you are keeping the in-depth reviews as well.

                                      I think PPI could benefit from being added to the percentile rank

                                      Percentile rank for resolution is outdated and needs to be changed to 2015+ or maybe even 2016 at this point. The iPhone 6/6S should not score 80% rank with their measly resolution, maybe 50-60% is acceptable, but this year especially that rank is still too high for sub 1080p

                                      Please add brightness range to the "screen close-up" data

                                      "Coolness" needs to be removed from scoring, it is arbitrary/subjective and ruins all your hard work by adding meaningless opinion to an otherwise excellent and objective review

                                      I also feel that "build quality and design" is being scored way too low. I am no fan of Apple but iPhone should not score 3.5 in build quality and design, it is objectively a very sturdy and ergonomic phone, even if I don't like it. That's a fact. iPhone 6/6S and Galaxy S7/LG G2/G4 should be 4.5/5 scores and all other devices scale from there. Please keep in mind this score is not supposed to be opinion.
                                      Lastly, Lumia 950 XL gets butchered in build/design score for the same reason/scoring/opinion. It should not appear like a chinese knockoff phone to potential customers, compare it to an iPhone 6/6S as a five and scale down from there, maybe 3.5 if it's really that bad but then make sure you explain why it is so low

                                        • D
                                        • AnonD-461308
                                        • KS7
                                        • 11 Mar 2016

                                        The time-saver reviews are more focused but there is still scope for making them crispier and less verbose.
                                        The score cards for various standard features may be made finer by resorting to a 10-point score so that the reader gets a better comparative perspective from your assessment.
                                        The review should also attempt on a cost-benefit analysis providing a score of money's worth on the device under review and this will perhaps be a great service to the discerning mobile users and GSMA fans.
                                        The basic format change and its intention is well appreciated.