Android Central Editorial Standards

How we choose stories

Android Central is the authority on all things Android, covering a wide variety of topics within the mobile space. Our articles are not just for those who are knowledgeable about mobile technology and Android; we aim to make our content as accessible as possible by breaking down hard-to-understand concepts so that everyone can benefit from our content.

But it's not just Android phones and software—our coverage extends to computing devices like Chromebooks, accessories you can use with your phone, such as audio devices (headphones, earbuds, speakers, etc.), gaming hardware, streaming devices and services, and more. We also cover products and services from companies like Garmin, Amazon, Apple, and Meta. Android Central has extensive coverage of virtual reality products, thanks to our VR leads and other hardware like Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices.

The Android Central team meets regularly to discuss the latest news, updates, and launches related to Android or other topics within our scope and then determine how they fit into the scope of our coverage. Each writer pitches stories, which are then vetted by the overall team, go through a pass through the Managing Editor, and get a final stamp of approval from the Editor-in-Chief.

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For example, when covering rumors, we ensure we are doing our due diligence by reaching out to companies for official statements and updating our coverage to reflect any new information. Rumors and leaks are also always clearly stated as such so that our audience knows to take any speculation or leak they read with a grain of salt until the company in question gives an official statement.

But beyond news, Android Central produces other types of content, such as editorial/opinion pieces, reviews, features, deals, buying guides, how-tos, and comparisons (versus). This way, if we receive news or a new product is launched, we can provide our audience with as much supplementary information as possible to keep them well informed.

Our writers have longstanding knowledge or past experiences covering similar topics on our site, and as such, we tend to allow them to focus on content that interests them. For instance, a runner and frequent marathoner will often cover Garmin stories, as they are the most experienced with the products, which are popular among runners.

For our editorial/opinion pieces, our skilled writers will often write from personal experience and knowledge, but some of our content also includes more informed pieces that require outside expertise. In these cases, we reach out to companies or even industry experts such as analysts to back up or even challenge our thought processes, giving our readers a fair, unbiased view on a topic.

Editing process

Our editing process is extensive, and we strive to publish articles in a timely manner.

We do want to cover news quickly, but getting it right is more important than getting something out fast. So, every story is looked at by an editor before it is taken live, and every story is fact-checked for spelling, institutional affiliations, and clarity before publication. Articles are looked over by multiple editors on the team.

Interviews and sourcing

As stated, Android Central will often interview industry experts to supplement our pieces with outside expertise. This allows our readers to get background information, relevant context, and an unbiased view of a topic based on expert analysis. Normally, these stories will include input from more than one analyst, which will either back up and/or challenge the author.

We have a strict no-tolerance policy for plagiarism.

Android Central does not accept cash or bribes as a way to sway our content. We also do not let companies provide input for or preview our content ahead of publication.

Android Central does not change or "clean up" quotes. For phone or in-person interviews, we choose punctuation that makes the most sense. For email interviews, we will leave the punctuation and spelling as-is or use brackets to include a seemingly missing word or to clearly show we have modified the wording of a quote to make the original intent clearer, but we generally try to avoid this, if possible.

Harassment, discrimination, and bullying

Android Central is a diverse team of exceptional writers with varying opinions. However, we do not tolerate bullying, harassment, or discrimination within our own team and will conduct ourselves accordingly when communicating with others in a professional setting. In addition, we don't want to cite experts who have been found, to the best of our knowledge and through either an official school process or a legal proceeding, to have engaged in harassment, bullying, or discrimination.

Language and style guidelines

Android Central aims to remain as consistent as possible in its writing. As such, we rely on Associated Press style guidelines, although there are some exceptions to this that have been made in order to better fit our site and its content.