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How we score phones

What the MxMob score out of 10 measures, the ten categories behind it, and what it deliberately does not claim to tell you.

Last updated 2026-09-11

Every phone on MxMob carries a score out of 10, with a breakdown across ten categories. This page explains what that number is, how it is arrived at, and — just as importantly — what it is not.

What the score measures

The MxMob score rates the hardware a manufacturer has specified, calibrated strictly against current state-of-the-art flagship specifications. Rather than inflating scores by grading every phone on an easy curve, hardware categories are measured against the apex mobile benchmark in real time.

It is an objective analysis of the verified specification sheet. We do not receive review units or claim hands-on testing that has not taken place. Any site that gives you a number for a phone announced yesterday is reading specifications and forming an editorial view. We state that methodology clearly so readers understand exactly what the numbers represent.

The ten categories

Each category is scored out of 10 and shown in the breakdown on every phone page. Hardware categories evaluate absolute engineering standards against current flagship benchmarks, while the Value category specifically evaluates what you get for the launch price.

Display

Reads: Panel type, size, resolution and pixel density, refresh rate, peak brightness, cover glass.

Rewards: Brightness that holds up outdoors and a high refresh rate on a panel with the resolution to match. A 120Hz screen at low density does not score like a 120Hz screen at high density.

Performance

Reads: Chipset and fabrication node, CPU and GPU configuration, memory type and amount, storage type, published benchmark figures.

Rewards: Sustained, current-generation silicon paired with memory and storage fast enough not to hold it back. Benchmark numbers count, but a fast chip on slow storage is marked down.

Camera

Reads: Sensor count and type, megapixels, aperture, optical stabilisation, focal lengths and true optical zoom, video capability, selfie hardware.

Rewards: Useful optical range and stabilisation over headline megapixels. A genuine telephoto scores; a 2MP macro sensor added to inflate the count does not.

Battery

Reads: Capacity, chemistry, wired and wireless charging rates, reverse charging.

Rewards: Capacity judged against screen size and chipset efficiency, not in isolation, plus charging fast enough to matter in a day.

Software

Reads: OS version at launch, vendor interface, and the manufacturer’s published OS and security update commitments.

Rewards: Long, explicitly promised update support. This is the category where cheap phones most often lose points that specifications alone would not reveal.

Gaming

Reads: GPU architecture and benchmark throughput, sustained thermal stability (vapor chamber / cooling), display refresh rate and fluidity, plus battery endurance under heavy 3D load.

Rewards: The complete mobile gaming triad: sustained GPU power, a fluid display that actually renders high frame rates, and battery timing that lasts through long sessions without sudden depletion or thermal throttling. High silicon compute alone cannot earn an apex gaming score if the screen or battery bottlenecks the experience.

Durability

Reads: Cover glass generation, frame and back materials, IP rating, and any drop or military-standard certification.

Rewards: What the phone is actually made of. A current-generation cover glass on an aluminium or titanium frame with a full IP rating scores well; plastic with no rating does not.

Connectivity

Reads: The generation of every radio and port: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 5G band coverage, USB version, eSIM, NFC, ultra-wideband, satellite and GNSS.

Rewards: How current the hardware is, not how long the list is. Wi-Fi 7 scores above Wi-Fi 6 and USB 3.x above USB 2.0 — an older generation pulls the score down even when the feature is present.

Features

Reads: Sensor complement, speaker configuration, haptics, and vendor extras such as an action button, camera control, IR blaster or on-device AI hardware.

Rewards: Substance over marketing. A depth or LiDAR sensor and an ultrasonic fingerprint reader count; a longer list of named features does not.

Value

Reads: Launch price against everything above, and against what else was on sale at that price.

Rewards: What you actually get for the money. This is why an affordable phone can outscore a flagship, and frequently does.

How the categories become one number

The overall MxMob score is a weighted composite anchored heavily in hardware capability: Display (12%), Performance (18%), Camera (16%), Battery (12%), Software (10%), Durability (8%), Connectivity (7%), Gaming (7%), Features (5%), and Value (5%).

This strict weighting ensures that high value alone cannot inflate an entry-level device with modest hardware into a 9+ score. Ratings distribute realistically across four distinct tiers:

  • 9.0 – 10.0 (Apex Flagships — Green): Reserved strictly for top-tier devices with near-zero hardware compromises: 3nm flagship silicon, 1440p/1.5K LTPO adaptive displays, dedicated periscope telephoto optics with OIS, IP68/IP69 protection, and extended update commitments.
  • 8.0 – 8.9 (Sub-Flagships & Flagship Killers — Green): High-performance devices offering near-flagship experiences with one or two minor trade-offs (e.g. standard optical zoom or aluminum instead of titanium).
  • 7.0 – 7.9 (Mainstream Mid-Range — Yellow): Capable, dependable daily drivers with noticeable trade-offs, such as mid-tier silicon, plastic mid-frames, or standard 1080p non-LTPO screens.
  • 6.0 – 6.9 (Budget Daily Drivers — Orange): Functional smartphones designed for essential needs, featuring entry-to-mid processors, basic secondary cameras, and slower USB 2.0 data transfer.
  • Under 6.0 (Entry-Level — Red): Low-end phones with legacy hardware, 720p or 60Hz panels, eMMC storage, slow wired charging, or uncommitted software support.

Where the numbers come from first

A phone is only scored after its specification sheet has been compiled from manufacturer documentation and checked for completeness. Records that fall below our completeness threshold are not published at all, so no score is ever built on a half-empty sheet.

The sources used for each device are listed on that device's page.How we source data covers that process in full.

What the score does not tell you

  • Real-world camera output. Processing decides most of it, and processing is not a specification. Two phones with identical sensors can produce very different photographs.
  • Measured battery endurance. Capacity and efficiency indicate a lot, but only testing settles it.
  • Build quality and feel in the hand. Not something a spec sheet can hold.
  • Software reliability. The update promise is a fact and is scored; whether the updates are any good is not.
  • What it is worth today. Scores are set against the launch price. A phone that has since dropped 40% is better value than its score suggests.

When scores change

A score is revisited when the record behind it changes — a corrected specification, a confirmed figure that was previously blank, or a manufacturer extending its update commitment. Scores are not quietly adjusted to follow a phone's reputation, and they are not influenced by advertising, affiliate arrangements or manufacturer contact.Our editorial policy sets out those boundaries.

Telling us we are wrong

If a score looks indefensible to you, say so — particularly if it rests on a specification we have recorded incorrectly. A wrong figure is a bug and gets fixed. Email support@mxmob.com or use ourcontact page with the device and the source.