Reviewing on a mid-range phone (on purpose)

Most people don't own the newest phone, so most reviews shouldn't be written on one. That's our rule at Glint Lab: every game gets its first test on a mid-range or older device before we form an opinion.

It changes what you notice. Frame drops during big battles, heat during long racing sessions, load times that a flagship hides — these all show up clearly on modest hardware. If a game only sings on a top-tier chip, that's important information you deserve.

We also check which settings rescue performance. Often a game runs poorly on default but becomes smooth after dropping visual quality one notch. We note exactly what worked so you can copy it.

This is why our ratings sometimes differ from reviews written on premium devices. Neither is wrong — but we'd rather match the phone in most people's pockets.