WhistleOut Awards 2026: Phone of the Year
Announcing the phone WhistleOut's reviewers judged the standout release of the past 12 months.
Winner: Apple iPhone 17e
The last 12 months have been a turbulent time for the phone market, with phones either getting more expensive or year on year updates becoming gradual. The iPhone 17e bucked that trend, launching at the same price as its predecessor with several meaningful updates and more storage, a genuinely dependable baseline device for anyone taking a few years off between upgrades.
An award-winning journalist, Alex has been writing about consumer technology for over a decade.
Fergus Halliday is a journalist and digital content editor at WhistleOut Australia. He’s written about technology, telecommunications, gaming and more for over a decade.
How we judge this award
WhistleOut's editorial review team judges nearly every phone launched in Australia over the past 12 months to decide this award. Judging considers price, performance, battery life, screen quality, camera, design and overall user experience together. This particular award looks at phones as a complete package rather than any particular strenght, but through a value-focused lens.
The Judges
Alex Choros
Fergus Halliday
Digital Content Editor
Past winners
| Year | Winner | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Google Pixel 9a | - |
| 2024 | Google Pixel 8a | - |
| 2023 | Google Pixel 7a | - |
| 2022 | iPhone 13 | - |
| 2021 | iPhone 12 | - |
| 2020 | iPhone SE | - |
| 2019 | Google Pixel 3a | - |
Related awards
Best Camera Phone Best Value Phone Phone Manufacturer of the Year See all WhistleOut awards
FAQs
Who won Phone Of The Year in 2026?
Apple's iPhone 17e was named the 2026 winner of the Phone Of The Year award.
Has Apple won this award before?
Apple has won the phone of the year award three times previously: for the 2020 iPhone SE, the iPhone 12, and the iPhone 13.
Does WhistleOut get paid by award winners?
No. Award placements are editorially independent of any commercial relationship with providers. See our How We Work page for details on how WhistleOut earns money.
