By
Alex Choros - Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor
Last updated

Best Phone of the Year 2019 - Google Pixel 3a

Best phone of FY18/19 - Google Pixel 3a


Google's Pixel 3a is a game changer. Priced at $649 outright, it's a comparatively affordable smartphone with the kind of amazing camera we've previously only see in the most expensive smartphones. In fact, it's easily one of the best smartphone cameras around, regardless of price.

When coupled with great battery life, solid performance, and an excellent display, the Pixel 3a is the kind of smartphone that genuinely poses the question "why spend more?"

Best Phone of the Year 2019 - Google Pixel 3a

The bottom line


Google Pixel 3a specs
  • 5.6-inch 1080p+ display
  • Snapdragon 670
  • 64GB storage, 4GB RAM
  • 12.2MP rear-facing camera
  • 3,000mAh battery

The Google Pixel 3a doesn't have every high-end feature you can get, but it has most of them, and when all's said and done you get 90% of a flagship smartphone at a fraction of the price.

It's a handset that's easy to recommend to anyone and, in our opinion, is the smartest smartphone buying choice you can make right now and takes its place on top of our podium for smartphone of the year for FY18/19.

Best Phone of the Year 2019 - Google Pixel 3a

For more information about the Google Pixel 3a see our detailed review, or find out the other winners of the WhistleOut Awards 2019.

If you're interested in buying the Google Pixel 3a outright then perhaps pay Amazon a visit and see if any deals are on offer.

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About the Awards

The WhistleOut Awards recognise the telco businesses that have consistently provided Australians with the best plans over the last year. The awards also highlight the best promotions and phone products released during that period.

WhistleOut’s mission is to help Australians find better phones and internet, and make better telco decisions. We know it can be a complicated and confusing industry with so many providers, plans and products that it’s easy to get lost and difficult to know who to trust.

That’s where the WhistleOut Awards come in. They aim to cover the different types of phone and internet use cases that apply to most Australians, and show which providers have most consistently offered the best plans over 12 months (July-June). The awards also acknowledge the best phones that have been brought onto the market over the year, and provide a great starting point for anyone looking to make a smart telco change.


Judging Criteria

The WhistleOut Awards are aimed at finding the best providers for different phone and internet needs on a national level.

We have reviewed the biggest cross section of providers possible, including the top 10 service providers in each category, many smaller providers, and the full range of phone manufacturers in available in Australia. The top ten service providers typically cover 80% or more of Australia’s phone and internet plans in.

The WhistleOut Award categories for phone and internet plans are judged by awarding 3, 2 and 1 points to the providers of the three best plans in each category on a monthly basis, (July 2018 - June 2019). The award winners are the providers with the highest number of points at the end of the 12 month period. In case of a tie, winners are chosen based on the number of 1st positions, then 2nd positions, then 3rd positions they achieved in that category over the course of the year. A provider can receive points for multiple plans in a category if their plans best match the award criteria.

The two exceptions to this judging process are the Best Promotion awards for Mobile and Internet. These awards are given to the single best promotion over the twelve month period as judged by WhistleOut’s in-house panel of experts.

The WhistleOut phone awards are judged by our team of editorial experts who have reviewed the majority of new phones brought out over the last 12 months. Key judging considerations include price, performance, battery, screen, camera, design and the overall user experience.

Alex Choros

Managing Editor + Group Telco Editor | X | Instagram | Threads | LinkedIn

Alex Choros
Alex Choros is the Managing Editor of WhistleOut Australia and an award-winning journalist. He's been writing about consumer technology for over a decade and is an expert on the Australian telco sector, to the point where he knows far too many phone and internet plans by heart. In addition to leading the WhistleOut editorial team, Alex is responsible for ruining the office Sonos with his troubled taste in music.

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