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The last few months have been very busy for phone manufacturers with plenty of new handset launches, ranging from flagships like the Samsung Galaxy S26 series to budget mobiles like the Apple iPhone 17e.
While the flagship Galaxy S26 Ultra is a shoo-in for our list of the best phones in Australia thanks to its premium hardware and zippy performance, the other new releases are mid-range handsets that are strong candidates for this list of lower-cost devices.
Budget phones often offer excellent value for money while nailing the basics, with some shining in specific areas that make them competitive with their flagship counterparts — or even when compared to other brands’ top models.
We've been reviewing mobile phones here at TechRadar since 2005 — over 1,000, in fact — and we're using that collective experience to recommend the best cheap phones you can buy in Australia in 2026.
The best cheap phones in Australia 2026
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Below you’ll find overviews of each of the best budget phones in Australia, along with links to full reviews written by TechRadar’s team of smartphone experts.
The best overall cheap phone
✅ You’re looking for a phone that stands out from the crowd
It’s got an instantly recognisable aesthetic, with a see-through outer shell and attention-grabbing red details that hit all of the right notes.
✅ You want a budget phone that doesn’t sacrifice on quality
Don’t be fooled by the AU$649 price — this model doesn’t skimp on quality. It performs really steadily, offers plenty of battery life, and delivers a bloat-free software experience.
❌ You want primo camera quality
The camera quality is slightly disappointing — photos will look relatively clear, but they won’t be particularly detailed or amazingly colour accurate.
❌ You’re looking for peak performance
Although it performs nicely for a budget device, the Nothing Phone (4a) won’t offer the peak performance that some users may crave. More demanding games may not run at high framerates unless you lower graphical fidelity.
A phone under AU$650 can sometimes feel like a watered-down version of the device you actually want. The Nothing Phone 4(a), however, is in a class of its own with a stylish chassis design and a unique Android skin.
What makes the Nothing Phone 4(a) stand out is its design, which some have considered as one of the best-looking budget phones on the market (including myself and our reviewer), thanks to its unique see-through shell, an array of appealing colour options, and a new and improved Glyph Bar.
But looks aren't the only thing the Nothing Phone 4(a) has to offer — it’s powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7s Gen 4 chipset that can easily handle multitasking, video streaming, and most gaming activity. The handset is also available in Australia with up to 12GB of RAM for an extra performance boost.
The new NothingOS built on Android 16 continues to provide a visually appealing design and bloatware-free experience. Instead of loud, colourful icons, NothingOS features a clean, monochromatic aesthetic and matching widgets that calm the entire experience.
Battery life is excellent, with the 5,080mAh capacity rated for 17 hours. It also has 50W fast charging, which is better than even some flagship phones, with our reviewer finding the phone’s battery can go from 1% to 50% in 22 minutes.
All these offerings, paired with the comparatively low starting price of AU$649, make the Nothing Phone 4(a) our best cheap phone overall.
Read our full Nothing Phone 4(a) review
The best cheap iPhone
✅ You want the cheapest iPhone
The iPhone 17e now starts at 256GB and has added more features over the iPhone 16e, while also retaining the same AU$999 price.
✅ You're upgrading from an older iPhone
The larger OLED display, A19 chip, and improved battery life make this an easy upgrade from an iPhone that’s a few generations old, like an SE or anything older than an iPhone 11.
❌ You want a flexible camera setup
The iPhone 17e only has a single 48MP rear camera, so you may have to look elsewhere for an ultrawide or telephoto lens, like the iPhone 17 series.
❌ You need a smoother display
No ProMotion display with the iPhone 17e, so you’ll be stuck with a 60Hz refresh rate — all the other phones in this list have at least a 120Hz refresh rate.
We called the iPhone 16e a whole new class of affordable iPhone, which moved away from the iPhone 5c or previous SE models that sat adjacent to the main series of iPhones, to be closer to the main line iPhones.
The iPhone 17e continues that trend while also adding some new features, including the A19 processor from the iPhone 17, MagSafe, Ceramic Shield 2 front glass, and more.
The main complaint we had about the iPhone 16e was its AU$999 price tag, but the starting storage option has now been bumped to 256GB, and the upgrades mentioned above make the iPhone 17e much more reasonably priced in comparison.
The iPhone 17e also retains a lot of the 16e’s characteristics, like the notch, the chassis design, the same 48MP rear and 12MP front cameras, and more. It also still rocks a bright and vibrant display that's almost as good as what you’d see on the 17 family, with only the notch and slightly larger bezels separating it from its flagship siblings.
The main 48MP Fusion camera gets a boost from the A19 processor, but the main upgrade is Portrait Mode, where the camera automatically detects depth and lets you add the bokeh effect afterwards, similar to how it works on the iPhone Air.
Another feature taken from the iPhone Air is the C1X modem, which Apple says is up to twice as fast as the previous-generation C1 found in the 16e.
A new Soft Pink colourway is also a welcome addition to the 17e, with the predecessor only having black and white options.
Read our full iPhone 17e review
The best cheap Google Pixel
✅ You want long battery life
The 5,100mAh battery lasts for up to 15 hours in our testing, which is 2 hours longer than the Pixel 9a, plus 30W fast charging will get you from flat to 60% in 30 minutes.
✅ You want a completely flat phone
In an era of camera bumps and bars, the Google Pixel 10a has a completely flat back with a flush camera array.
❌ You want PixelSnap
No support for any magnetic accessories you might have, but the Google Pixel 10a still supports 7.5W wireless charging.
❌ You’re upgrading from a Pixel 9a
While the Pixel 10a has some notable changes over its predecessor, the spec sheet is virtually unchanged from the Pixel 9a
In the budget phone space, Google’s Pixel 'a" series has been known for having great cameras for its price range and oftentimes the same processor with slightly lower specs from the base main line Pixel phone, for a lower price.
The Google Pixel 10a is no different, offering a bright display, versatile camera array and helpful Google AI features packed into a premium-feeling chassis that comes in several colours. It has also made its back completely flat in an era of camera bumps and bars.
The biggest downside is its overall spec sheet, which makes the 10a virtually identical to its predecessor (which used to occupy this spot). The Pixel 10a retains the Tensor G4 chipset of the 9a, which was already comparatively slower than chips from Apple and Qualcomm.
Our reviewer did find that the processor still made the Pixel 10a run well for most everyday tasks and even some light gaming.
This, and other holdover specs, may make it tough to sway everyone to the Pixel 10a, especially Pixel 9a and 8a owners, but the handset still represents a major upgrade over older A-series phones, or even some older main line Pixel models.
In the grand scheme of things, however, the Pixel 10a is hard to beat — especially compared to other cheap phones.
The Pixel 10a continues to deliver a clean version of Android, complete with lots of useful software features like Camera Coach to help take better photos, as well as improved call screening.
The 6.3-inch Actua display now has a maximum peak brightness of 3,000 nits, up from the Pixel 9a’s 2,700, and the 5,100mAh battery lasts up to 15 hours in our tests, which is a 2-hour improvement over the Pixel 9a despite having the same capacity.
The camera array hasn’t changed from the Pixel 9a, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing, given that it was the handset’s best feature. There’s still no telephoto lens, but this budget Pixel remains a macro photography champion.
Read our full Google Pixel 10a review
The best cheap Samsung phone
✅ You need something lightweight
The A57 is one of the lightest and thinnest phones I've ever seen, and it'll be svelte even if you clad it in a case.
✅ You don't want to pay for annoying features that you'll ignore
Samsung has stripped out the S-series' AI guff to deliver a clean, easy-to-use interface.
❌ You need a great camera phone
There are some useful modes, but the optimisation just isn't there for good-looking pictures.
❌ You need lots of performance power
If you need a phone that'll blast through PUBG or CoD: Mobile with ease, this isn't the one for you.
Samsung's Galaxy A-series smartphones have consistently been among the South Korean company’s best in its wide-ranging lineup — delivering well-rounded and great-looking handsets that offer excellent value. The Samsung Galaxy A57 is no exception.
Thinner, lighter and more powerful than its predecessor, the Galaxy A57 is a premium-looking and feeling phone but without the premium price.
While the A57 offers great value in other regions despite the price hike, it remains more competitive for Australians. It costs AU$749 (and often gets discounts too), whereas the Pixel 10a and the iPhone 17e are more expensive at AU$849 and AU$999, respectively. In the US, the A57 starts at US$549 for the 128GB variant, while in the UK, it starts at £529.99 (but with 256GB as its starting model).
The A57’s glass-and-metal design gives it a premium build and even an IP68 rating (an upgrade from the A56’s IP67). The handset also features a bright 6.7-inch AMOLED display and a long-lasting 5,000mAh battery.
It does not have the best camera around, with the likes of Nothing's Phone (4a) and the Motorola Edge 70 Fusion offering more versatility in a similar price range. Nevertheless, it still bears a 50MP main camera, 12MP ultrawide lens and 5MP macro camera. That's one more camera lens than the Pixel 10a and two more than the iPhone 17e.
The Exynos 1680 chipset in the Galaxy A57 does bring some improvements over the A56’s Exynos 1580 processor, with Geekbench 6 multi-core benchmark tests returning scores in the 4,400s (up from around 3,900).
This boost means the A57 will continue to easily handle regular activities like streaming, scrolling and texting, but our reviewer found it still struggles with graphically demanding mobile games.
Read our full Samsung Galaxy A57 review
The best alternative cheap phone
✅ You want fab design and performance for your buck
Not only does the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro look and feel great in your hand, but it’s capable of surprisingly potent performance. Neither demanding mobile games nor multitasking seems able to knock it off its stride.
✅ You just want to have fun
Fundamentally, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro is just a joy to use. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, and it stays out of your way for the most part.
❌ You want more camera than phone
The (4a) Pro’s camera system is not bad by any means. But given its slightly washed-out colors and occasionally wobbly exposure, it can’t compete with more camera-first phones.
❌ You prefer Nothing’s more brutalist designs
This is the most restrained a Nothing handset has looked to date. So, if you want more of that bold, industrial design on show, go for the transparent-backed (4a) instead.
The Nothing Phone (4a) Pro trades in the bold see-through design of the Nothing Phone (4a) and the (3a) Pro for a comparatively more understated design, featuring an aluminium unibody and the return of the Glyph Matrix.
The Phone (4a) Pro is only available in one configuration in Australia with 256GB of storage and 12GB RAM, which has an RRP of AU$949. This price point places it closer to the iPhone 17e, with the Nothing Phone (4a) at #1 on this list available in more configurations to compete with other phones in this list.
Like its predecessor, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro continues to punch above its weight class with a large 6.83-inch AMOLED display, featuring a max brightness of 5,000 nits and a 144Hz refresh rate.Nothing also swapped the (3a) Pro’s Snapdragon 7s with the next tier up, the Snapdragon 7 with a faster GPU. Our testing found that it performed well in gaming and that there was no noticeable lag or hanging when multitasking. The handset also remained reasonably cool despite being under that much strain.
The three-lens rear camera array gives the Phone (4a) Pro a versatile setup, which includes a 50MP 3.5x periscopic telephoto lens that is rare in this price range. Admittedly, more megapixels don’t necessarily translate to great photos, with our tests finding some shots being overexposed and having inconsistent colours.
NothingOS is still as clean and unique as ever, offering plenty of customisability with app icons, widgets, wallpapers, and more, while remaining bloat-free.
Durability is also improved with an IP65 rating to keep dust at bay, compared to the (3a) Pro’s IP64 rating (splash resistant).
Overall, the Nothing Phone (4a) Pro offers great value with its new metal (and still unique) design, a versatile camera setup, great battery life and generous RAM and storage for the price.
Read our full Nothing Phone (4a) Pro review
The best cheap thin and light phone
✅ You must have a thin phone
If you're looking at the iPhone Air or Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge with envy, then the Moto Edge 70 is your way to get a thin phone without breaking the bank.
✅ You want great battery life
Moto's Edge phones have a little extra pizzazz thanks to Pantone's decorations; they're a nice splash of colour in a monochromatic market.
❌ You want a clean version of Android
Pre-installed apps like Amazon Music, TikTok and Booking.com make the phone feel like a pocket billboard.
❌ You're not an AI fan
Moto's been very gung-ho about its own AI tools, but the Edge 70's bloatware includes lots more, like Copilot and Perplexity. If you're on the righteous anti-AI train, this isn't the right phone for you.
Motorola is doubling down on its quest to become a fashion-forward smartphone brand by following the lead of Apple and Samsung by making its own ultrathin phone, the Motorola Edge 70.
While its 6mm depth is still thicker than the iPhone Air and the Galaxy S25 Edge (5.6mm and 5.8mm, respectively) the Motorola Edge 70 is a whopping 2.2mm thinner than its closest predecessor in Australia, the Motorola Edge 60 Pro. The Edge 70 however is lighter than both the iPhone Air and S25 Edge (165g and 163g, respectively) at 159g.
Motorola is selling the 256GB Edge 70 in Australia for AU$899, positioning it closer in price to the other phones in this list, unlike the Edge 60 Pro that originally launched at AU$1,199 last year. Our review is based on the UK version, which is more expensive at £699.98 or around AU$1,400, so the lower price of the phone here in Australia makes the Edge 70 more in line with the other phones in this list.
The Swarovski edition is more expensive at AU$1,099, but it also has 512GB of storage and 12GB of RAM (but also slightly thicker at 6.33mm). The Edge 70 swaps out the MediaTek Dimensity 8350 Extreme chipset for a Snapdragon 7 Gen 4 processor, while the 6,000mAh battery was replaced with a smaller 4,800mAh one to fit the thinner chassis. The screen size remains at 6.7 inches and with the same 120Hz pOLED panel from the Edge 60 Pro.
Aside from the thin and light chassis, Motorola continues to lean into the Pantone partnership by offering colours like Bronze Green, Lily Pad, Gadget Grey, while the Swarovski edition comes in white.
One notable downgrade from the Edge 60 Pro is the cameras, with Motorola removing the telephoto camera in the Edge 70 — but it at least has more cameras than the iPhone Air.
If you like a thin and light phone and you don’t mind having mid-range specs, the Motorola Edge 70 is a much cheaper alternative than the iPhone Air and the Galaxy S25 Edge, and it also comes in more interesting colours.
Read our full Motorola Edge 70 review
FAQ
How to choose the best cheap phone for you
It's no secret that the best cheap phones don't have it all, as their low price means there are almost always compromises to be made. The first step in choosing a phone is deciding which feature is the most important to you, and what you can live without.
Do you need excellent battery life? A bright and vivid screen? Or a well-performing camera? A high refresh rate even?
Another consideration, which isn't specifically price related, is the screen size – a smaller screen makes it easier to use with one hand, and easier to fit in small pockets, while a bigger screen can make apps, games and videos more pleasant to watch and interact with.
Whatever the case, once you've decided what you do and don't need, you can read through the entries above to find a phone that fits. Whatever balance you ultimately decide on, there's likely to be an ideal option above, and we've tested all of these phones extensively, so you can be sure they're good.
What is the best 5G phone under AU$400?
The CMF Phone 2 Pro fits right into that price bracket at AU$449, but there are also a few more choices, like the Oppo A5, Samsung Galaxy A17 and Motorola moto G57. You can also go for an older, refurbished device like the 2022 model iPhone SE or iPhone 12.
On the other hand, if you're happy to wait for discounts, something with an RRP closer to AU$600-AU$800 can get down to this price range, with many more attractive choices. The Motorola Edge 60 Fusion is regularly available for less than AU$500, while its premium sibling – the Motorola Edge 60 Pro – can be snagged for just over AU$600. More 5G-enabled handsets to look for when discounted are the Samsung Galaxy A56, Samsung Galaxy A36 and the Google Pixel 9a.
What are the cheapest phone plans?
You can have a look at our guides for the best phone plans and best SIM-only plans to find an option to pair with your new phone. It’s worth noting, however, that the major telcos – Optus, Telstra and Vodafone – are rarely going to be offering competitively affordable plans, and certainly won't be offering the cheapest. If you really want the best deals, you'll want to stick with MVNOs like iiNet, TPG, Spintel and Yomojo.
What is the best budget phone?
The best cheap smartphone regularly changes and is somewhat subjective, but our pick for the best cheap option is whatever's currently the best overall option in the list above. At the time of publishing, we’ve decided the AU$649 Nothing Phone (4a) brings the best value for money with its features, aesthetics, and low price, just edging over the likes of the Samsung Galaxy A57, Google Pixel 10a, and Apple iPhone 17e.
What is the cheapest new iPhone?
While we've gotten used to iPhone SE models accounting for iPhone fans with tighter budgets — and before that the iPhone 5c — the newest affordable iPhone is the iPhone 17e. While it's not exactly cheap — coming in at AU$999 and just AU$300 less than the iPhone 17 (but the same price as the iPhone 16e) — the iPhone 17e cuts costs in small ways like opting for the notch rather than the Dynamic Island, a single Fusion camera in the rear, slightly lower-quality display and no Camera Control button.
What is the world's cheapest phone?
The cheapest phone that we have used is the Mara X1, however it's not available in Australia. If all you need is calls and texts, you can get a feature phone from Telstra and Optus for as low as AU$59. If you need a smartphone that is still recommendable and super cheap, there are various options under AU$200 like the Motorola Moto G05 and Samsung Galaxy A07.
How we tested
We only include a handset on this best cheap phones list once we've fully reviewed it, so you can be assured that every entry has been tested in full.
Our testing process involves using the phone as our main handset for days or even weeks, and testing all the key factors, from the power to the battery life, the cameras, the screen, and beyond.
That means we know exactly how each of these performs in reality, not just on paper, and we use that knowledge to rank them, while factoring in the all important price and value.
