A Techiadd review is only worth reading if you know how we reached our verdict. This page explains exactly how we test the technology we cover. The short version: we use the thing, properly, for as long as it takes to form an honest opinion — and we never score a product we have not tested ourselves.
We live with the product
Specifications tell you what a device is supposed to do; only use tells you what it is actually like. So we test hardware the way you would use it. A phone goes in a pocket and becomes someone’s main phone for days or weeks — through a full battery cycle, real photos, real notifications, real commutes. A laptop runs a normal workload. Headphones get worn on actual journeys, not just in a quiet room. We are looking for the things a spec sheet hides: the keyboard that flexes, the app that drains the battery, the feature that sounds great and is never used.
We measure what can be measured
Alongside lived experience, we run repeatable, like-for-like tests so our comparisons are fair. Depending on the category that can include battery rundown tests under controlled conditions, performance and thermal benchmarks, display brightness and colour measurements, charging-speed timings, and standardised photo and audio comparison sets. We run the same tests on competing products so that “faster” or “brighter” means something, and we tell you which benchmarks we used so the numbers are checkable.
We test against real tasks
For software, apps and AI tools, the test is whether the thing helps a real person do a real job. We set concrete tasks, try the tool against them, and report where it succeeds, where it struggles, and who it is actually for. We are sceptical of demos and marketing claims, and we try to break things the way ordinary use does.
How we score
When we give a rating, it summarises our honest overall judgement after testing — balancing performance, value, build quality and how well the product does what it promises. A score is never influenced by advertising, by a manufacturer’s cooperation, or by an affiliate relationship. We are happy to give a low score to an expensive product and a high score to a cheap one, because the score is about the product, not the price tag or the brand.
Where our review units come from
We usually borrow review hardware from manufacturers, as is standard in this industry, and sometimes we buy it ourselves. Either way, accepting a unit obliges us to nothing. We return loaned products after testing, we do not keep them as perks, and whether a company lends to us has no effect on our verdict. This is set out in full in our Ethics Policy.
When we update a review
Technology changes after launch. A software update can fix a flaw or introduce one; a price can drop; a recall can change the picture entirely. When something material changes, we revisit the review and update it, noting what changed and when — in line with our Corrections Policy.
Disclosure
Every review tells you how we tested, how long we spent with the product, and whether the unit was loaned or bought. If anything could be seen as a conflict, we disclose it. That way you can weigh our verdict with the full picture in front of you.