If you have one of these phones, you made the right decision

The winners for the 2021 WhistleOut Awards have been announced, and in addition to judging the best mobile and NBN providers, we've also picked out the best phones. The awards cover devices released between July 2020 and June 2021. Without further ado, here are our top picks. 

Phone of the Year: iPhone 12

If you're looking for a new handset, the iPhone 12 is the best choice for most.

The iPhone 12 may be one of the cheaper devices in the iPhone 12 family, but it elevates the baseline iPhone experience to the point where it doesn't feel like a downgrade when compared to the "Pro" models.

You get the same display as the iPhone 12 Pro, almost the same design, the same primary and ultra-wide camera, the same 5G connectivity, and the same drop-resistance. You're really not missing out on much. It makes very few compromises for its $1,349 price point.

While that's still on the pricier side for a phone, we'd say the extensive support Apple providers for its smartphones helps balance this out. The iPhone 6s (released in 2015) will still be upgraded to iOS 15 this year, which suggests we can expect around seven years of major operating system upgrades for the iPhone 12. Most Android flagship phones tend to max out at three years.

Even if you're not keeping your iPhone 12 for that long, the longer support schedule should help keep its resale value down the line.

It's for these reasons and more we've named the iPhone 12 our phone of the year for FY20/21. It's an excellent all-round device that's easy to recommend.

Phone manufacturer of the year: OPPO

OPPO has gone from strength to strength and once again delivered a year worth of strong devices across multiple price points.

At the high-end it's had phones like the Find X3 Pro with unique innovations like the microscope lens. In more affordable categories, we've seen OPPO continue to offer bang-for-buck handsets while also pushing the price of 5G to its lowest yet. And in the budget field, OPPO's delivered with reliable entry-level devices like the A53.

The future also looks promising for manufacturer. While it's not a device anyone can buy, OPPO's rollable concept phone is an engineering marvel.

It's for these reasons and more we've crowded OPPO as the best smartphone manufacturer of the year for FY20/21.

Best budget: Google Pixel 4a

The Google Pixel 4a is all about value. It boils the essentials down into a simple package that does more with less. You get a top-tier camera, smooth performance, and a reliable battery in a slick little piece of kit that will only set you back $599.

While it doesn't have all the trimmings of a more premium phone, you get 90% of the way there for under half the cost. It's for these reasons and more we've named the Pixel 4a our budget smartphone of the year for FY20/21. 

It's quite simply one of the most sensible smartphones you can buy.

Runner up: Motorola Moto G 5G Plus

While the name might be a tongue twister, the Motorola Moto G 5G Plus is the best budget 5G phone you can buy right now. 

Despite a $499 price point, it features a zippy processor you’d normally find in more expensive phones, and a high refresh rate display, and a battery that can last up to two days. 

The camera isn't quite as strong as the Pixel 4a, but hey, you can't win them all.

The Moto G 5G Plus isn't just good for a cheap 5G phone, it's a solid all-around device.

Best camera phone: iPhone 12 Pro Max

Most of the iPhone 12 family has an identical camera configuration, but the iPhone 12 Pro Max stands out thanks to a longer range zoom and a better primary sensor with improved stabilisation. The improvements won't always be noticeable, but the exceptional primary lens makes the iPhone 12 Pro Max the best smartphone camera around right now.

Where the iPhone 12 Pro Max really shines when compared to other devices is in lowlight. Photos shoot faster, are sharper, a little brighter, and exhibit less noise. For example, if you're using night mode to take a lowlight image, the iPhone 12 Pro Max may only need a one-second exposure to take the photo, where the iPhone 12 Pro may need three. Since you don't need to steady your hands for as long a time, you're also going to get a sharper image.

Low light snaps are also less noisy in general. Camera noise is the grainy look you can get when you're shooting images at night that can mask details.

If you're just looking at your pics on your phone, you might not notice the benefits of the iPhone 12 Pro Max's better primary camera. But as soon as you zoom or crop in, the difference is clear.

It's for these reasons are more we've named the iPhone 12 Pro Max our camera phone of the year for FY20/21.

iPhone 12 Pro Max Camera Gallery

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Check out these camera samples taken on the iPhone 12 Pro Max. Click or tap on any photo to see a larger version. 

Runner up: OPPO Find X3 Pro

The OPPO Find X3 Pro is the Android smartphone to beat when it comes to photography right now, thanks to a primary lens and ultra-wide lens backed by the same flagship sensor. On most other phones, ultra-wide cameras exhibit a noticeable drop-off in quality when compared to the main lens. This isn't the case with the Find X3 Pro; you'll get excellent photos on both lenses, no matter what condition.

The primary lens in particular does an impressive job of handling dynamic range, which means it can capture both shadows and highlights without compromising either.

These lenses are joined by a 2x zoom lens and a microscope lens. The 2x zoom lens is fairly conventional, and unfortunately a step back from the 5x zoom we saw in last year's Find X2 Pro. The microscope lens, on the other hand, is a feature you won’t find on any other phone. It magnifies a subject next to the phone by either 30x or 60x, capturing rather unique images.

While it can be a touch gimmicky, the microscope lens is also a very fun addition to your photographic tool kit and a one-of-a-kind way to look at the world.

OPPO Find X3 Pro Camera Gallery

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Check out these camera samples taken on the OPPO Find X3 Pro. Click or tap on any photo to see a larger version. 

Best Design: Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2

We liked Samsung's original foldable for what it represented, but its second attempt improves on it in every single way. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 not only builds on the fundamentals of the first-gen Fold, it addresses almost every pain point.

Both displays are larger, the phone feels more durable, and the design is more refined. These are all important changes, because no matter how ambitious the original Fold was, no matter what a technical marvel, it was almost impossible to recommend.

This time around, the Galaxy Z Fold 2 still isn't the best phone for most, but it's a big step toward foldable devices becoming mainstream and carriers far fewer caveats than the first.

It's for these reasons and more the Galaxy Z Fold 2 has taken phone this year's award for best phone design in FY20/21. It's everything a sequel should be.

Runner up: iPhone 12 mini

The iPhone 12 mini may still look like any other iPhone, but it's the size that really matters.

Big phones can be unwieldy and obtrusive. You need two hands to use them properly. They can be heavy. On the other hand, the iPhone 12 mini is tiny by comparison with a diminutive 5.4-inch display. It's more pocketable than most phones and the perfect size for one-handed use. It's a phone that doesn't get in the way of itself.

While many of us still long for larger screens, the iPhone 12 mini is a welcome alternative for those that prefer something a little smaller. And most importantly, Apple hasn't cut corners to keep its size down. It's just as much of an iPhone as the iPhone 12.

We'd love to see other manufacturers follow Apple's lead and bring smaller devices to market. Not everyone wants a behemoth of a handset, and it's great to see options.

Best high performance phone: iPhone 12 Pro Max

If you're after a phone that doesn't make any compromises, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is as close as you'll get.

The last two years have seen 5G included in most high-end phones, but this has typically come at the expense of battery life. The vast majority of 5G devices struggle to last a full day unless you start turning features off.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max is a key exception to this. Even with 5G on, most should still comfortably get around a day-and-a-half per charge. This makes it one of the most reliable flagship phones around when it comes to battery life.

When coupled with the best primary camera of any smartphone, the fastest mobile processor, a gorgeous OLED display, and the strength of the iOS ecosystem, the iPhone 12 Pro Max is hard to beat. It's for these reasons and more we've named it our high-end phone of the year for FY20/21. It's as complete as phones get.

Runner up: Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

If you're after a high-end Android phone, the Galaxy S21 Ultra is our top choice. 

While the battery life isn't quite as good as the iPhone 12 Pro Max, it's the Android flagship that makes the least compromises this year. After all, you don't want to make trade-offs when you're looking at a top tier device. 

In addition, you get the best zoom on a smartphone right now, a great primary camera, a stunning display, and a lovely high-end build. 

If you're after a premium Android phone, the Galaxy S21 Ultra won't disappoint. 

Alex Choros

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

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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