| Criterion | Max points |
|---|---|
| Carrier | 30 |
| Budget | 25 |
| Strictness | 20 |
| Must haves | 15 |
| Form factor | 10 |
| Keep phone | 10 |
The rules
- Each criterion scores between 0 and 1, then gets multiplied by its points.
- If we haven't verified a fact yet, it earns 40% credit, never full credit.
- Up to 25% over your budget earns half credit for budget.
- Setup guides use the phone you already have: they cost $0 and already work on your network.
- Discontinued phones are listed in the legacy section, not ranked. Sold-out phones stay in the full table but aren't ranked.
- If you say you want a different device, setup guides for your current phone aren't ranked.
- A phone with no app store at all counts like a feature phone on the “how locked-down” question.
- App must-haves (Uber / Lyft, WhatsApp, Signal, banking / 2FA, iMessage, tap to pay) count inside the must-haves points. A workaround (possible but limited) earns 60% credit.
- Affiliate links and sponsorships are never inputs. The scoring code can't see them.
- Ties are broken alphabetically.