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Today’s flagship phones are more expensive than ever. Fortunately, the best cheap phones available in Australia do a fantastic job at a much more affordable price.
If you wanted to buy the top of the line flagship with the most storage from either Apple or Samsung, you would need to spend over $2,500.
Even if you wanted to get those flagships with the lowest amount of storage, you would be looking at a starting price of about $1,800.
The good news is that there is a pretty good selection of devices available for less than half that price. And when you combine it with one of the best mobile plans in Australia, you’ll be saving even more.
That said, once you start dropping the price, you also start dropping the device’s performance.
While it is entirely possible to get a smartphone for under $200, at that price point you are likely to get a device that struggles with many day-to-day tasks, a below-average camera and a muddy-looking screen.
So what should you buy? It really depends on your needs, but we’ve done the research to help guide you through it.
Of course, everybody has different needs. So if these models aren’t right for you, we have a guide to help you choose the best cheap phone for you at the bottom of this page. You could also consider buying a refurbished phone as a way to save money.
And if your budget isn’t too tight, see our guide for the best phones in Australia. We also recommend the best Android phones, and the best camera phones.
We’ve also rounded up the best brand phones as well:
These are the best cheap phones in Australia right now:
Apple iPhone SE (2022)
70% of review sites recommend
Apple is not a brand known to offer “cheap” or “budget” anything. So it is somewhat of a surprise to see the 2022 iPhone SE at the top of this list.
It’s definitely at the high side of the “cheap” scale. However, given 7 out of the 10 sites we referenced for this guide recommended it, we included it here.
The iPhone SE is a compact smartphone, running the A15 Bionic processor. This is the same as 2021’s iPhone 13.
It has a simple single-lens camera on the back, but comfortably manages the latest version of iOS and Apple’s massive App Store, making it incredibly versatile.
If you want a cheap iPhone, this is your best bet.
Google Pixel 7a
60% of review sites recommend
While 2022’s Pixel 6a also appears on this list, those who prefer a fresher device can consider the Pixel 7a.
Packed with the same processor as 2022’s Pixel 7 smartphone, the 7a is a fantastic balance between affordability and performance.
It does have a slight price premium on the Pixel 6a, though for that price you get a better screen, wireless charging and the improvements to the processor and camera.
Samsung Galaxy A14 5G
50% of review sites recommend
If you really need a great phone on a low budget, the Galaxy A14 5G is definitely worth considering.
With its large 6.6-inch screen boasting a 90Hz refresh rate, a 2,400 x 1,080 resolution and 399ppi pixel density, you get a gorgeous looking phone that belies its bargain price.
The Mediatek processor is capable of handling most of the day to day activities you throw at it, though this isn’t a high-end gaming phone.
A solid camera and battery life round out this high value smartphone.
Google Pixel 6a
Google Pixel 6a 5G (128GB/6GB, 6.1 inches) – Chalk Editor choice
50% of review sites recommend
Google’s Pixel 6a is an impressive smartphone in its own right. But the fact that it is cheap enough to be included in this guide is exceptional.
Google took the Tensor processor of its Pixel 6 smartphone, and then made lots of small cuts to the other features of the phone. There’s a little less RAM, a slightly smaller screen, less storage and a lower-specced camera array.
But all those cuts ended up carving a fair amount off the asking price without making a significant impact on performance. That makes this an enviable budget phone to own.
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G
Samsung Galaxy A54 5G 6.4" 128GB Violet SM-A546ELVBATS Editor choice
40% of review sites recommend
Samsung’s 2023 A series does a fantastic job of delivering a balance between high-performing features and an affordable price.
There’s a nice, bright 120Hz AMOLED screen, a high quality 50MP camera and a huge 5,000mAh battery, so it has everything needed to get you through the day.
You do sacrifice more premium body materials, and there’s no wireless charging. But those sacrifices still give you a great phone at an affordable price.
Motorola Moto G54 5G
Moto g54 5G – Midnight Blue
30% of review sites recommend
Motorola has been around in the smartphone business longer than almost anybody, and the company is still releasing absolute cracker handsets.
The G54 5G is a well-balanced device, with a large, sharp, 6.5-inch screen with a narrower 20:9 aspect ratio, so it sits comfortably in your hand.
Powered by a 2.2GHz MediaTek Dimensity 7020 processor and 8GB RAM, the phone also boasts dual cameras (50MP + 2MP macro) and optical image stabilisation.
Motorola keeps the Interface clean and simple, and the phone’s fingerprint sensor is snappy to respond.
How we chose the best cheap phone in Australia
Review sites – including this one – are subjective by nature. Everybody has a different opinion of what is best.
So to try and counter the fact that every best guide on the internet has a different opinion of what is best, we approached our list by combining the results of some of the top sites recommending cheap phones on the market today.
To determine this list, we followed the same journey most consumers would follow: we went to Google.
We searched for “Best cheap phone” and identified 10 of the top results. It’s important to note that Google results can change often. The full list of sites we referenced is outlined below:
We listed out all of the cheap phones listed on each site, tidying up any slight differences in spelling for consistency.
We calculated how often each product was mentioned across those 10 guides. The more frequently a product is mentioned, the more agreement there is between experts reviewing these products.
We set a minimum of three mentions across all 10 guides to be eligible for inclusion here.
Before we created this page we took some time to remove products that are either unavailable, or difficult to find in Australia.
We also leveraged our own experience with products to ensure that we wouldn’t be recommending any product that doesn’t deliver.
What to look for when choosing the best cheap phone
Whether you’re after one of the models listed above or something completely different, the decision factors you need to consider when buying a new cheap phone is the same.
Price
When you’re shopping for a new cheap phone, price is obviously the biggest factor. The cheapest phones start at around $79, though to be brutally honest at this price the phone isn’t good for anything much beyond making and receiving phone calls.
The more money you are prepared to spend, the better the phone’s performance. If you want a more affordable device that won’t let you down, you could end up paying somewhere between $500-$750.
And if you want an iPhone for under $500 your only option is to buy an older model, potentially one that has been refurbished.
Performance
Buying a cheap phones means sacrificing performance. It’s not a 1:1 relationship, but typically the cheaper the phone the slower it will be at even basic tasks.
Understanding how you plan on using your phone is key here. You don’t want to buy a device that can’t meet your requirements.
Consider benchmarks in reviews as a good way to get an idea of how the phone will perform. Reviews will also help.
Design
Choosing a phone that matches your personal style is something you need to consider. Your options aren’t as varied at lower price points though.
Screen size, shape and colours are all important considerations.
Camera requirements
The camera is almost always one of the elements sacrificed by manufacturers looking to make cheaper phones. But that doesn’t mean that you have to suffer with a terrible snapper.
At the pricier end of the “budget” phone market you can still find cameras with multiple lenses and software to help you take advantage of them.
Be aware that they may not be as quick to fire or save the photo though because of processor and memory limitations.
Battery life
Battery life isn’t just a case of sticking a bigger battery in a phone, although that can have a significant impact.
The processor, software and display can also have big impacts on how quickly a phone’s battery will drain.
When it comes to cheap phones, the lower quality processors that help save money off the price are also less efficient with battery life.
What this means is that your cheap phone’s battery life could vary, regardless of the battery’s capacity.
Display
The screen of your phone is what you’ll end up looking at every day.
Size is important because it will impact the comfort of the phone.
But also look at things like the resolution of the screen and its refresh rate.
Resolution refers to the number of pixels that make up the screen. The more pixels there are, the clearer the picture will be in most cases.
Refresh rate could be important if you plan on using the handset to play games or stream sports. Typically a higher refresh rate the better the phone will be at displaying fast moving objects.
In budget phones, expect both the resolution and the refresh rate to be lower than a flagship device.
FAQ
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Update history
- 14 February 2023 – First Published
- 9 March 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations for products. Lowered the number of mentions required to 4. Added the Oppo A54 5G.
- 5 April 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations for products. Lowered the number of mentions required to 3. Added the Samsung Galaxy A13 5G.
- 2 May 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations for products. Removed the Samsung Galaxy A13 5G.
- 2 June 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations. Added the Samsung Galaxy A54 5G.
- 3 July 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations. Added the Samsung Galaxy A14 5G and the Motorola G62 5G. Removed the Samsung Galaxy A53 5G and the Oppo A54 5G.
- 7 August 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations. Added the Google Pixel 7a.
- 11 September 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations. Removed the Google Pixel 7a.
- 3 October 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations. Added the Google Pixel 7a.
- 6 November 2023 – We reran the research, but there was no change to recommendations.
- 8 December 2023 – Updated the number of recommendations.
- 8 January 2024 – Updated the number of recommendations. Removed the Motorola Moto G62 5G.
- 5 February 2024 – Updated the number of recommendations.
- 8 March 2024 – Updated the number of recommendations. Swapped Finder for Whistleout as a recommendation source due to outdated data. Added the Motorola Moto G54 5G.
- 8 April 2024 – Updated the number of recommendations
