So, you need a new smartphone, but how do you know which phone is right for you? How do you decipher the often impenetrable technical specifications behind camera performance, audio playback, and smartphone processors? It can be a minefield for many and this is undoubtedly why there has been a boom in the number of review sites to help the uninitiated make the correct decision when spending many hundreds of dollars, if not over a thousand when buying a smartphone.
Even consumers who are considered to be one of the most technically savvy age groups look to online reviews when researching brands and products, with 36% of global internet users between the ages of 25 and 34 taking advantage of such reviews.
Expert advice is at hand
Fortunately, there is a multitude of expert review sites that provide advice and ultimately recommendations to users based on their requirements, desires, and budget. One prominent example is Wirecutter, the product review website which was acquired by the New York Times Company in 2016. The review site provides the results of extensive research to highlight the best options in a range of categories from the best iPhone and best Android phone to the best budget Android phone and the cheapest usable option for consumers on the tightest budget.
Review sites helping consumers in the wider entertainment sector
Review sites have emerged to deal with the wide range of services on offer in the entertainment industry. One example of this is the music streaming industry with a surfeit of providers including Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music. This has led to sites such as the American media website CNET providing expert advice to consumers based on a range of parameters, including recommending the best music streaming site for compensating artists.
In crowded industries with a wide range of service providers, review sites can provide consumers with relevant advice to enable them to make the right choice. For example, in the iGaming industry, there is also a company that helps players choose between the multitude of online casinos. In the same way, as review sites help consumers make the correct choice when purchasing a smartphone, such online casino review sites use experts to provide information about gambling sites and rank them according to game selection and bonuses, alongside deposit and withdrawal methods, and the clarity of terms and conditions. A responsible review site will also ensure that the listed casinos hold a relevant license such as a Curacao Gaming License with respected gambling authorities.
The phenomenon of the expert review site has also led to recommendations for other areas of the entertainment industry, in part driven by the boom in online streaming services, including Netflix, HBO Max, and Hulu. Sites such as Mashable consider the pros and cons of each streaming service such as the availability of free trials and the catalog of shows on offer and ultimately recommended 16 (!) of the best streaming services. With Netflix set to launch a game studio, other streaming services will no doubt follow suit.
Of course, with online games proving to be so popular, it is no surprise to see that there are sites dedicated to offering advice to gamers about the best video games to play!
The wide variety on offer to consumers in the entertainment industry has led to a boom in the number of expert review sites to help with decision making and this is likely to continue to meet demand in an increasingly crowded entertainment world.
