So many phones to choose from, so little time. Let us take the guesswork out of choosing your next mobile device with our picks for the best phones in Australia based on our extensive testing throughout the year.
We’re well beyond the point of needing a phone to simply make calls. That’s the bare minimum you should expect from a modern smartphone. These days, phones need to tackle web browsing, social media apps, photography, gaming, and countless other daily tasks.
Not everyone needs every feature under the sun. But it certainly helps to get the best possible phone based on your needs. Even cheaper phones can be pretty versatile if you know what to look for.
We’ve reviewed many phones from the biggest brands in Australia, including Apple, Samsung, and Motorola, testing them in various scenarios to find the best of the best. Keep scrolling to check out the best phones you can buy in Australia now, along with some tips on how to choose the right mobile for you. For the best value, make sure to pair your phone with one of the cheapest SIM plans.
Best phones in Australia
- Best overall phone
- Best Android phone
- Best camera phone
- Best value phone
- Best foldable phone
- Best budget phone
- How to choose the best phone
Best overall phone: iPhone 16 Pro
Apple gets the chocolates when it comes to the iPhone 16 Pro, the best mobile phone in Australia. It doesn’t matter whether it’s the iPhone 16 Pro or the larger iPhone 16 Pro Max – you get the same high-end phone experience with either. Due to its size, the Pro Max enjoys a longer battery life but the core experience remains consistent between models.
One of the most powerful handsets in Australia, Apple’s high-end phones truly are an all-encompassing pocket computer. They run smoothly, play the latest and greatest games, and take crisp photos.
Speaking of photos, this year’s range fixed one of my frustrations stemming from older Pro phones. When Apple launched the iPhone 16 range, it closed the gap between its Pro and Pro Max handsets. Previously, only the larger Pro Max included the 5x optical zoom lens, relegating the smaller Pro device to 3x optical zoom. With the iPhone 16 Pro series, both phones get the full 5x optical zoom telephoto lens, meaning you don’t miss out by choosing the more compact option.
If you like Apple’s ecosystem, this is an easy choice to make.
Best Android phone: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
Read the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra review
If you want the best that Android has to offer in Australia, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra is the phone for you. To list its best qualities would rehash many of the same talking points from previous Ultra handsets – it has a great screen, a high-quality set of cameras, and it’s an absolute workhorse.
This year, it was the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s subtle improvements that stood out. Samsung refined the phone’s shape so that it retains the generously sized 6.8-inch display, while being less prone to accidental screen touches around the edge.
It’s a great phone for note-takers too. Samsung’s seamless integration with the S-Pen stylus makes the S24 Ultra ideal for jotting down notes for you to reference later. This, combined with the phone’s all-around smarts, makes it suited to high-end productivity users.
Best camera phone: Google Pixel 9 Pro
Read the Google Pixel 9 Pro review
Australia’s best camera phone is a tight race between the Google Pixel 9 Pro, Apple’s iPhone 16 Pro, and Samsung’s Galaxy S24 Ultra. All three phones sport excellent camera arrays and sharp telephoto zoom, letting you punch in from a distance.
Because each phone takes such crisp and colourful photos, it really is a matter of preference. The Google Pixel 9 Pro wins out ever so slightly thanks to two factors. Its cameras capture beautifully vibrant colours, more so than most other brands. Plus, the Pixel’s telephoto zoom is extremely impressive. Even the 30x digital zoom produces remarkable image quality.
If you want a second opinion, DXOMARK, the gold standard for phone camera benchmarking, considers the Google Pixel 9 Pro one of the best. That’s not all the high-end Pixel has going for it, mind you. It boasts a bright great-looking display and a long-lasting battery.
Raw power and processing speed are the only major criticism Google’s phone cops. Compared to the similarly priced iPhone 16 Pro and Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra handsets, the Pixel isn’t as beefy. It’s still plenty powerful but you’ll find better gaming performance elsewhere.
An honourable mention goes to the Oppo Reno 11 F 5G for its impressive camera quality at a mid-range $599 price point. It may not have telephoto zoom but its low-light performance outpaces most phones under $1,000.
Best value phone: Samsung Galaxy S24 FE
Read the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE review
Value is highly subjective – it means something different to everyone. For us, the Samsung Galaxy S24 FE is the best value phone in Australia because it really is the complete package.
Combining the essentials of a flagship phone, the Galaxy S24 FE is just a tick over $1,000. From its slick design to the gorgeous AMOLED screen, this phone is proof that most people don’t need to spend more than a grand to get the best features.
All-day battery? Check. A processor almost as powerful as a phone double its cost? Check. And a good-quality camera array replete with telephoto zoom? Also check.
Samsung champions the Galaxy S24 FE as one of the cheapest entry points for the brand’s Galaxy AI features. While the S24 FE does indeed support the full gamut of mobile AI tools, it’s not necessarily a standout point of difference.
Circle to Search, which is also available on Google’s Pixel phones, is the best and most consistent AI-powered feature so far. On-device language translation services hold great potential but still have a ways to go.
What does provide excellent value, however, is Samsung’s seven-year promise of ongoing operating system and security updates. That’s right up there with the brand’s flagship phones, matching Google’s similar seven-year commitment. If you’re spending good cash on a device, it’s only fair that you get longevity with it.
Best flip or foldable phone: Motorola Razr 50 Ultra
Read the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra review
While foldable and flip phones are relatively new to Australia, there are some decent options to choose from. In terms of the best, it’s almost a dead heat between the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra and the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6. Samsung’s phone has the more powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chip, while Motorola has a bigger external display and a telephoto camera.
Both are great evolutions of the flip phone format; they last longer than previous iterations and are more durable. For the same amount of money, you can get a beefier conventional phone, but the portable form factor of a flip phone is alluring.
Foldable phones, like the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold, are absolute powerhouses with huge screens. They’re perfect for chronic multitaskers who need to have multiple apps open at all times. But they are substantially pricier, hovering around the $2,500 mark in Australia.
So, for portability and price, a flip phone has more mass-market appeal. With either the Motorola or Samsung variant, you can’t go too far wrong.
Best budget phone under $300: Moto G34 5G
When Motorola revealed the Moto G34 5G, it set the new standard for what features you should expect in a budget phone. Depending on where you bought one, you could get the G34 for as little as $229, making its long list of specs all the more impressive.
For well under $300, you get an all-day phone with a smooth 120Hz screen, NFC technology for contactless payments, and eSIM compatibility. That last one in particular prompted a double take – there are far more expensive phones that don’t come with eSIM!
Motorola’s slightly cheaper G04 and G24 models are also decent budget phones; the G34 is the budget phone with the lot, however.
At this price, don’t expect blazing-fast performance – that’s what the big-budget phones are for. Still, this phone lasts a long time with its 5,000mAh battery, and it takes a nice picture in well-lit situations.
How to choose the best phone
What if, after seeing all of these recommendations, you don’t know which phone to choose? Fortunately for you, we have a bunch of helpful tips to guide you through the decision-making process.
Price is naturally a big factor, so let’s explore what your money actually gets you. Some phones include many different features at various price points; not all of them are equally as valuable, however.
This advice should help make your life easier when comparing a row of similar-looking phones at your local retailer.
Operating system
In Australia, you generally have two choices of operating systems in the current phone landscape: Apple or Android. Apple tends to have a more closed ecosystem where everything is funnelled through the tightly controlled App Store. Meanwhile, Android gives you more flexibility about what you can install on your phone and from where.
For the most part, the core features available between operating systems are fairly consistent. As we’ve seen recently, some of the more prominent generative AI features have come to Android first followed by Apple at a later date (see Galaxy AI versus Apple Intelligence).
When choosing between operating systems, consider your existing devices. Do you already have some Apple devices? Hardware like MacBooks, HomePods and AirPods function best when connected to an iPhone, giving you more seamless connectivity. It’s easier to connect devices from different brands than it used to be, but there’s still a little bit of friction if you choose to go cross-platform.
Again, Android is widely considered the more open ecosystem with plenty of devices that support wireless connectivity and connected features. It’s not just your computers that you need to consider. Devices like TVs, cars and wireless speakers are also common connection points for modern phones.
If your home contains plenty of Chromecast and Android Auto-enabled devices, it probably makes more sense to get an Android phone. Conversely, there is fairly wide support for Apple AirPlay, letting you quickly and easily transfer information from an iPhone to another device.
As boring as this may be, there is no definitively correct choice to make here. It really is a matter of personal preference and individual practicality.
Performance
Another important decision to make is what you want your phone to do. Just want a phone that handles web browsing and scrolling social media? Then there’s no reason to spend hundreds or upwards of $1,000 on an excessively powerful phone.
As a general rule of thumb, phones that cost a few hundred dollars tend to be a little bit slower when swapping between apps or multitasking. You may notice that there’s a slight lag or slight delay when swiping between menus or performing basic tasks. That’s totally fine as long as the phone does what you want it to.
Other than price, a decent indication of the phone’s performance is found in its spec sheet. Look for how much memory a phone has and what processor it uses. Cheaper handsets can have between 4 to 8 GB of memory and use the more cost-effective Unisoc and Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets. These hardware configurations are good for power efficiency, so you’ll likely get decent battery life out of them. The trade-off is that they certainly won’t be blazing through your apps at lightning speed or playing the latest graphically intensive mobile games.
On the other hand, if you want a phone that does absolutely everything from gaming to video editing and copious amounts of on-device processing, prepare to pay a premium. Premium phones from the likes of Apple and Samsung are basically mini computers. Rivalling some laptops in performance, they’re expensive but very capable phones.
Display
A lot of phones these days are big. They’re still relatively lightweight but screens keep getting bigger and bigger. A lot of handsets come with displays in excess of 6.5 inches. Most of these screens look great but can be tricky to comfortably hold in one hand or squeeze into a pocket.
Aside from screen size, there are two big differentiating factors when assessing a phone’s screen. One is the display resolution which refers to the number of pixels the screen shows. Basically, the higher the resolution, the sharper the end result is, meaning less fuzziness when you examine details closely.
Another screen factor to look out for is the refresh rate. Measured in hertz (Hz), the refresh rate refers to how many times the display refreshes each second. It’s particularly noticeable when scrolling and playing games. A higher refresh rate equates to smoother motion on the screen.
A recent trend in affordable phones is to employ a higher refresh rate like 120 Hz combined with a 720p resolution. This makes for a smooth scrolling experience but the screen clarity is slightly blurry compared to a Full HD 1080p resolution.
You generally have to spend at least $300 to get a phone that combines a high resolution with a smooth refresh rate. Oddly, Apple persists with its tradition of limiting its base iPhones to 60 Hz while only using 120 Hz in its more expensive Pro range.
Then there are different display panel technologies. LCD screens are cheaper to produce, albeit at the expense of colour depth, contrast, and viewing angle. Increasingly more phones use variations of OLED technology, which makes all kinds of content look great.
Battery life
At a minimum, you want a phone to last a day before needing to recharge. So, how can you tell without trying before buying? You can check the battery capacity on the device spec sheet for starters; 5,000mAh is the gold standard among phones, generally guaranteeing you’ll get close to two days of moderate phone use on a single charge.
That’s not the only detail to seek out, however. Processor efficiency also dictates battery life, which is why not all phones with 5,000mAh battery capacities last the same length of time. One of the best phone batteries we tested belonged to the Moto G85, which still had 99% battery life remaining after an hour of YouTube playback.
Charging speed is also important to consider. We all forget to charge our phones from time to time; we’re only human, after all. In the event you need to quickly charge your mobile before heading out, higher charging speeds help.
Pretty much all current phones in Australia support some variant of USB-C charging. Each phone supports a different maximum charging speed, which is also impacted by the speed of the charger you use. Entry-level phones support wired charging speeds of around 15-20W, while other models can charge at speeds in excess of 30W. As the numbers suggest, a higher wattage equals faster charging speeds.
More phones also support wireless charging, a convenient set-and-forget method requiring fewer cables. This tends to be a mid-range feature, so you need to pay a bit more for the luxury. Look for phones that list “Qi” as a charging technology, which means they officially support the industry standard. The newer Qi2 standard is rolling out, using magnets to align phones in place, like Apple’s MagSafe technology, supporting faster speeds.
Camera quality
One of the most common purchasing decision factors we hear is that camera quality is one of the most important points of difference. People love taking a good snap on a phone. And why wouldn’t you? As the classic photography adage goes, the best camera is the one you have on you.
Here’s where things get a bit technical. Many phones take nice photos, especially during daylight hours. When the light fades, that’s when your mobile might start taking blurry, pixelated images that look nothing like what your eyes see.
With phone cameras, you get what you pay for, for the most part. Brands love mentioning megapixels (MP) when talking up their phone cameras. This is worth paying attention to, for sure, but it doesn’t capture the full picture (if you can excuse the pun).
More megapixels are helpful for zooming into pictures you’ve taken and cropping images without introducing too much distortion. But you need to look closer at the sensors each camera uses. A larger image sensor with more pixels helps improve light sensitivity and overall photo quality in more lighting conditions. DXOMARK has a good explainer about what to look for.
Software updates
Ideally, when you buy a phone, you want it to work for as long as possible. Not only is it better for your wallet, but it’s also more sustainable not having to frequently buy new technology. This is where post-launch software updates come into play.
After you get a new phone, the first thing you should do is connect it to the internet to download the latest software. It’s a good practice to get into, not just for access to new features but also for device security. New vulnerabilities and security loopholes are discovered all the time, so these updates help close any glaring privacy issues.
Cheaper phones tend to support only one or two years of operating system and security updates. While cost-effective in the short run, you eventually run the risk of missing out on new features and security fixes.
Samsung and Google offer seven years of updates for their premium handsets, so you’re paying for more than just the hardware. Apple doesn’t advertise its post-launch support in years, per se, but most of its phones get around six years of operating system upgrades.
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