At WhistleOut, we test a lot of phones every year, and we totally understand if you don't have the time to wade through every single review on the website. There are an awful lot of them.
To save you some time and help you find what you're looking for a little faster, we've picked out a few favorites.
Our shortlist of the best smartphones you can buy in Australia is based on the annual WhistleOut Awards, which highlight our picks for the best overall phone, best camera phone, best design phone, best cheap phone and best performance phone (as well as a few alternatives) over the last 12 months (July 2025 to June 2026).
Whether you're looking for a device with all the latest new high-tech features or just a handset that's great value for money, you'll find a phone to suit you here.
Best phone: Apple iPhone 17e

RRP $999
The iPhone 17e represents a fantastic baseline device for anyone who's taken a few years off in between upgrades.
- Display: 6.1-inch Super Retina Display
- Processor: A19
- Front camera: 12MP selfie camera
- Rear cameras: 48MP primary camera
- Storage: 256GB/512GB
- Battery: 4,005mAh
- Features: 5G connectivity, eSIM, IP68, wireless charging
View on Amazon
At a time when consumers are looking to save money – the iPhone 17e delivers more for less in a way that’s becoming increasingly and genuinely out-of-character for Apple. These days, most phones are either getting more expensive or year-on-year updates have become so gradual you may as well buy the previous device.
The iPhone 17e bucks that trend. It launches at the same price as its predecessor and packs in both meaningful upgrades and additional storage.
While more expensive (and as such, flashier) iPhones will no doubt be more appealing to more tech-minded consumers, most will come away plenty happy with what the iPhone 17e has to offer when it comes to both features and value for money.
Check out the cheapest Apple iPhone 17e plans below:
Best camera phone: Apple iPhone 17 Pro

RRP $1,999
The Apple iPhone 17 Pro delivers extra value in ways you can feel, with a bigger battery, additional baseline storage and a more powerful triple-lens camera.
- Display: 6.3-inch Super Retina Display
- Processor: A19 Pro
- Front camera: 18MP selfie camera
- Rear cameras: 48MP wide, 48MP telephoto, 48MP ultra-wide camera
- Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB
- Battery: 3,998mAh
- Features: 5G connectivity, eSIM, IP68, wireless charging, Dynamic Island
View on Amazon
If you’re spending more than a grand on your next smartphone, chances are you’re doing it for the camera. At the higher end of the market, photo quality is one of the biggest differentiators and Apple’s iPhone 17 Pro stands out thanks to its consistency.
Apple continues to excel at making mobile cameras that are built to be faster and more reliable than the competition. Compared to its predecessors, the iPhone 17 Pro also has the advantage of a new telephoto lens that allows for high-quality photos at up to 8x zoom, which opens the potential for more interesting or unconventional shots.
The iPhone 17 Pro is the phone to beat for photographic prowess; just remember that the iPhone 17 Pro Max has the same cameras if you want a bigger screen to work with.
Check out the cheapest Apple iPhone 17 Pro plans below:
Runner up: Xiaomi 17 Ultra

RRP $1,799
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has some of the best cameras we've tested in a phone. When you add in an asking price that undercuts the closest competition, you get a very compelling alternative to the usual suspects.
- Display: 6.9-inch OLED
- Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- Front camera: 50MP selfie camera
- Rear cameras: 200MP wide, 50MP telephoto, 50MP ultra-wide camera
- Storage: 512GB/1TB
- Battery: 6,000mAh
- Features: 5G connectivity, eSIM, IP68/IP69, fingerprint scanner (in-display), wireless charging
If the iOS ecosystem doesn’t have what you’re looking for in a smartphone camera, chances are you’ll be pretty impressed with what the Xiaomi 17 Ultra has to offer.
Xiaomi recently made a triumphant return to the Australian market, and the Xiaomi 17 Ultra represents the apex of its current roster. The device features a formidable triple-lens rear camera setup that consists of a 50MP ultra-wide lens, a 200MP wide lens and a 50MP telephoto lens.
Writ large, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra doesn’t throw any red flags. However, courtesy of the hardware mentioned above, photography enthusiasts will probably get the most out of it.
Check out the cheapest mobile phone plans in our database to pair with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra below:
Best design phone: OPPO Find N6

RRP $3,299
OPPO’s Find N6 sets a new benchmark for foldable smartphones.
- Display: 8.12-inch OLED internal screen + 6.62-inch OLED cover screen
- Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- Front camera: 20MP selfie camera
- Rear cameras: 200MP primary, 50MP ultra-wide camera, 50MP telephoto camera
- Storage: 512GB
- Battery: 6,000mAh
- Features: 5G connectivity, eSIM, IP58/IP59, fingerprint scanner (side-mounted), wireless charging, stylus support
View on Amazon
With a creaseless display, the OPPO Find N6 is a trailblazer when it comes to the usual tradeoffs that come with a foldable form-factor. That’s far from its only achievement, however. It also offers gains in the areas where it usually falls short – such as battery life and camera performance.
The OPPO Find N6 isn’t cheap, but it’s the first foldable smartphone where it feels like a bendy screen doesn’t bring with it any major compromise in ambition.
Check out the cheapest OPPO Find N6 plans below:
Runner up: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra

RRP $2,199
The Galaxy S26 Ultra might be one of the most expensive devices on the market, but it is Samsung’s most accomplished take on its trademark formula.
- Display: 6.9-inch Dynamic AMOLED 2X
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- Front camera: 12MP selfie camera
- Rear cameras: 200MP primary, 50MP telephoto, 50MP ultra-wide camera
- Storage: 256GB/512GB/1TB
- Battery: 5,000mAh
- Features: 5G connectivity, eSIM, IP68, fingerprint scanner (in-display), wireless charging, S-Pen
View on Amazon
Samsung’s latest top-of-the-line phablet doesn’t make any major missteps. It’s got an impressive camera, premium design, and solid battery life. What more could you ask for? The answer arrives in the form of a new Privacy Display. When this feature is enabled, the wider pixels on the Galaxy S26 Ultra's screen get turned off. This reduces the overall brightness, but more importantly, it reduces the viewing angle such that only someone staring dead-on at the display can actually see what’s happening on it.
It’s a genuinely great inclusion that’s exclusive to this device, though it likely won’t be too long before other manufacturers attempt to make their own spin on it.
Check out the cheapest Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra plans below:
Best value phone: Nothing Phone 4a

RRP $649
Nothing’s latest budget-buy is something special, with snappy performance and striking design that easily eclipses its rivals.
- Display: 6.78-inch AMOLED
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4
- Front camera: 32MP selfie camera
- Rear cameras: 50MP primary, 50MP telephoto, 8MP ultra-wide
- Storage: 128GB/256GB
- Battery: 5,080mAh
- Features: 5G connectivity, eSIM, IP64, fingerprint scanner (in-display), Glyph
View on Amazon
The Nothing Phone 4a exudes bang-for-buck. While the unique design is eye-catching and easy to like, this particular phone overindexes on features that make it different but also those that make a difference when it comes to everyday performance.
The Nothing Phone 4a is super snappy, has a reliable battery, and is the only phone in its price bracket to have a properly good telephoto lens.
Check out the cheapest mobile phone plans in our database to pair with the Nothing Phone 4a below:
Runner up: Samsung Galaxy A57

RRP $749
The Galaxy A57 is a very solid mid-tier phone that does what you'd expect and that little bit extra.
- Display: 6.7-inch AMOLED
- Processor: Exynos 1680
- Front camera: 16MP selfie camera
- Rear cameras: 50MP primary, 12MP ultra-wide, 5MP macro camera
- Storage: 128GB/256GB
- Battery: 5,000mAh
- Features: 5G connectivity, eSIM, IP68, fingerprint scanner (under display)
View on Amazon
The Samsung Galaxy A57 isn’t quite the best cheap phone you can find right now, but it’s pretty darn close. The hardware here is just that little bit more premium than you’d expect given the price, and the same goes for the everyday performance. You’re looking at solid battery life, surprisingly good software support and a zippy processor.
Check out the cheapest Samsung Galaxy A57 plans below:
Best performance phone: Xiaomi 17 Ultra

RRP $1,799
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra pairs up the high-end specifications with an incredible camera and especially aggressive pricing.
- Display: 6.9-inch OLED
- Processor: Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5
- Front camera: 50MP selfie camera
- Rear cameras: 200MP primary, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP telephoto
- Storage: 512GB/1TB
- Battery: 6,000mAh
- Features: 5G connectivity, eSIM, IP68/IP69, fingerprint scanner (in-display), wireless charging
View on Amazon
At a time where every flagship device keeps getting more expensive, the Xiaomi 17 Ultra stands out as an option that goes toe-to-toe with the best smartphones out there. What’s more, it pairs up that high-end performance with a price tag that’s more competitive than you’d expect.
The Xiaomi 17 Ultra has got a gorgeous display, superb cameras, lightning-fast performance and even faster charging. Throw in some of the best camera hardware we’ve seen on an Android flagship, and you’re set for success. It isn’t that hard nowadays to find a performance-oriented device like this one, but you can’t say the same for tracking down one that feels like it's good value as well.
Check out the cheapest mobile phone plans in our database to pair with the Xiaomi 17 Ultra below:
Runner up: OPPO Find X9 Pro

RRP $2,299
The OPPO Find X9 Pro is a substantial year-on-year upgrade with shockingly impressive battery life and a powerful new zoom lens.
- Display: 6.78-inch OLED
- Processor: MediaTek Dimensity 9500
- Front camera: 50MP selfie camera
- Rear cameras: 200MP primary wide, 50MP ultra-wide, 50MP telephoto
- Storage: 512GB
- Battery: 7,500mAh
- Features: 5G connectivity, eSIM, IP68, fingerprint scanner (in-display), wireless charging
View on Amazon
The Find X9 Pro eschews the AI hype train in favour of more tangible and straightforward improvements. OPPO’s latest premium handset comes with a bigger battery plus upgraded primary, zoom, and selfie cameras. It’s also rocking a sleeker design, better protection on the display, and a faster chipset.
If you're underwhelmed with what Samsung and Google's flagships have to offer but still want to stick with Android, then the Find X9 Pro is gonna be a great fit.
Check out the cheapest mobile phone plans in our database to pair with the OPPO Find X9 Pro below:
Fergus Halliday
Digital Content Editor
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