Technical Glossary (1935 terms)

Standardized hardware and benchmark definitions across smartphones, laptops, CPUs, GPUs, SoCs, and tablets.

reset — Restoring settings or data to their default state. [ SOFTWARE ]
resolution scaling — Rendering content at a higher internal resolution and scaling it to fit the panel. [ DISPLAY ]
response time 1ms — A display specification describing how fast a pixel changes colour, often quoted as a 1 ms grey-to-grey figure. [ DISPLAY ]
response time gaming — How quickly a display's pixels change, affecting motion clarity in games. [ GAMING ]
responsiveness — How quickly a game reacts to your input and controls. [ GAMING ]
restore — Recovering data and settings from a previously made backup. [ SOFTWARE ]
return policy — A return policy states how and when a product can be returned. [ GENERAL ]
reverse 10W — A feature that lets a device wirelessly charge another at up to 10 W. [ BATTERY ]
review — A review is a detailed written assessment of a product. [ GENERAL ]
ring flash — A circular flash that gives even, shadow-free illumination. [ CAMERA ]
roaming — Using a mobile plan on another carrier's network, usually abroad. [ CONNECTIVITY ]
root — Gaining full administrator access on an Android device. [ SOFTWARE ]
rugged phone — A rugged phone is built to survive drops, dust, and water. [ GENERAL ]
run-to-run — Run-to-run variation is the difference between repeated benchmark runs. [ BENCHMARK ]
runner-up — The runner-up is the second-best product in a comparison. [ GENERAL ]
sRGB — The standard color space for the web and most content; 100% sRGB is the baseline for accurate color. [ DISPLAY ]
sample rate — How many times per second audio is sampled, in kHz. [ AUDIO ]
satellite — Satellite communication for emergency SOS and messaging. [ CONNECTIVITY ]
satellite SOS — Emergency messaging sent over satellite when cellular coverage is unavailable. [ CONNECTIVITY ]
satellite positioning — Locating a device using signals from navigation satellites. [ CONNECTIVITY ]
scene detection — Recognising the scene type to tune camera settings automatically. [ CAMERA ]
score — A score is the numeric result a benchmark produces. [ BENCHMARK ]
score comparison — A score comparison lines up benchmark results between devices. [ BENCHMARK ]
scratch resistance — Scratch resistance is a surface's ability to withstand scratching. [ DURABILITY ]
screen — The display of a device — the surface that shows images and responds to touch input. [ DISPLAY ]
screen calibration — Adjusting a display's colour, gamma, and white point to a known standard such as sRGB or DCI-P3. [ DISPLAY ]
screen coating — A surface treatment on a display that affects reflections, fingerprints, or scratch resistance. [ DISPLAY ]
screen film — A thin protective layer applied over a display to guard against scratches. [ DISPLAY ]
screen mirroring — Displaying one device's screen on another device's display. [ SOFTWARE ]
screen mode — A colour preset controlling saturation and white point, such as vivid or natural. [ DISPLAY ]
screen protector — A screen protector is a film or glass guard for the display. [ GENERAL ]
screen recording — Capturing video of everything shown on the screen. [ SOFTWARE ]
screen size — The diagonal measurement of a display, usually given in inches. [ DISPLAY ]
screen tearing — A visual artifact when the GPU and display refresh rates mismatch. [ GAMING ]
screen time — A feature that tracks and limits device usage time. [ SOFTWARE ]
screen zoom — Display scaling that enlarges interface elements and text. [ SOFTWARE ]
screen-on time — Battery endurance while the screen is actively used. [ BATTERY ]
season pass — A bundled purchase covering a game's post-launch content. [ GAMING ]
second space — A Xiaomi feature creating a separate hidden user space. [ SOFTWARE ]
secure element — A secure element is a tamper-resistant chip that stores keys and payment data. [ CHIPS ]
security — Measures that protect a device and data from threats. [ SOFTWARE ]
security chip — A security chip stores secrets and verifies boot integrity. [ CHIPS ]
security update — A periodic patch that fixes known security vulnerabilities. [ SOFTWARE ]
segment — A segment is a market category such as budget or flagship. [ GENERAL ]
sensor brightness — Automatic brightness that adjusts to ambient light using an ambient-light sensor. [ DISPLAY ]
sensor-shift — Stabilization that moves the sensor instead of the lens. [ CAMERA ]
sequential read — Reading large contiguous data, a headline SSD speed. [ STORAGE ]
sequential write — Writing large contiguous data at a drive's peak speed. [ STORAGE ]
settings — The app or menu where device preferences are adjusted. [ SOFTWARE ]
setup — Setup is the process of getting a device ready to use. [ GENERAL ]