Evaluating a smartphone isn’t easy.

Trust me: As someone who spent several years reviewing what seemed like several billion Android devices, I know how hard it can be to cut through the surface-level stuff and get to the root of what really matters about any particular rectangular slab.

What I’ve learned over the years is that we’ve reached a point where a device’s more obvious elements — the materials, the specs, and so forth — aren’t nearly as important as they might seem. Sure, you want to like the way a phone looks. Yes, you want it to feel comfortable to hold and carry. And of course, any modern-day flagship should be impeccably fast and packing a top-notch camera (especially if you’re paying top dollar). 

To read this article in full or to leave a comment, please click here