Let me not disappoint my many journalism mentors by burying the lede: If you'd like to write mobile reviews for Tom's Hardware, go here and answer a few sharp-shooter questions.
Now the preamble.
You may have noticed we're chugging our way through some of the latest smartphones and tablets. (Some of you might think "chugging" is a bit too kind. Yes, we read your comments on our recent Nexus 6 review.)Â We hired a full-time mobile editor (Matt Humrick) late last year, and he's been playing catch up ever since. We wanted to create a body of work from which to compare newer devices as they shipped, and we've also been laying some groundwork by revamping our testing methodology to provide even better results.
Consequently, we're still a few months behind (Galaxy Note 4 anyone? It’s coming. S6? Coming. HTC One M9? Coming. And so on.)
Mobile coverage is more timely category than others. Unlike PSUs or motherboards, which tend to have a longer shelf life (we recently reviewed motherboards that are almost a year old), the rapid development and release schedule for mobile products ensures no single device stays on top for long.
As we strive to catch up on some of the mobile products we've missed out on so that we can eventually be more timely, cover tablets better, and review products in other price ranges (not just "flagship" phones and tablets), we also recognize that we need some help. Not just to catch up, but to keep up long term. So many devices, so little time.
Do you think you have what it takes? Judging from some of the comments on our mobile reviews, I'm betting so. But it takes more than interest and an opinion. You are a demanding crowd, so our reviews are thorough, requiring expertise as well as a willingness to learn.
Thus, if you want us to consider you as a mobile writer for Tom's Hardware, you'll have to traverse a bit of a gauntlet. Let's call it a pop quiz. I'm sure there will be some folks who just want the challenge of taking this little test, but we'd ask for serious wanna-be reviewers only. Make sure you answer all of the questions, especially the contact information we request on the final page.
And while we certainly will be looking for those with serious chops, don't be too intimidated here. We don't require a correct answer to every question, or that you're an expert in every teeny tiny subsystem, but instead we are using this to identify strengths and weaknesses. This comes down to a decent amount of mobile knowledge, a readable writing style (we can fix the grammar, spelling, and punctuation . . . and what we don't catch, readers are sure to).
If your skills match our needs, Matt will be in touch. Depending on how many responses we get, it could take some time.
Best of luck, and thanks, in advance, for taking the time. Once again, here's the link to our mobile reviewers pop quiz.
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