Whether you're on the hunt for a budget, mid-range or premium handset, we've selected a smartphone for you.
Reviews in this Group Test
It's always hard to know when to jump on the technology treadmill, and harder still with smartphones. They’re upgraded every year, and assuming you go with the standard two-year contract lifespan, you're likely to spend at least half of that time looking enviously on at the latest phones and wondering why your pride-and-joy from 12 months ago isn't as magical as it seemed then.
The upside is when you’re ready for your next upgrade – when your contract is expiring or if you’re outright buyer – then there’s always a great choice available.
But which one to choose? To help you buy your next handset, we’ve selected the best premium, mid-range and budget smartphones currently available, complete with links to full reviews and a buyer’s guide on what the specifications mean and what to look for.
First, here’s a comparison table with pricing and key specs. We’ve also include the key performance and battery life results from our testing and, where available, the widely recognised DxOMark score of the rear camera.
Best smartphones at a glance
| Pricing (outright; best price 2GB+ plan) | Screen | Storage | Geekbench 4 multi-core benchmark score | Video-rundown battery life test | DxOMark score | Operating system | |
| Samsung Galaxy S8 | $999; $64 per month (Virgin) | 5.8in 2560 x 1440 pixels | 64GB, microSD | 6629 | 16hrs 45mins | 88 | Android 7.0 |
| Samsung Galaxy S8+ | $1,149; $70 per month (Virgin) | 6.2in 2560 x 1440 | 64GB, microSD | 6598 | 20hrs 33mins | - | Android 7.0 |
| Samsung Galaxy Note 8 | $1,399; $80 per month (Virgin) | 6.3in 2960 x 1440 | 64GB, microSD | 6,614 | 13hrs 38mins | 94 | Android 7.1 |
| Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge | $700; $59 per month (Virgin) | 5.5in 2560 x 1440 | 32GB, microSD | 5295 | 18hrs 42mins | 88 | Android 7.0 |
| Apple iPhone X | From $1,579; $92 per month (Virgin) | 5.8in 2436 x 1125 | 64GB or 256GB, no microSD | 10,390 | 9hrs 22mins | 97 | iOS 11 |
| Apple iPhone 8 Plus | From $1,229; $75 per month (Virgin) | 5.5in 1920 x 1080 | 64GB or 256GB, no microSD | 10,517 | 13hrs 54mins | 94 | iOS 11 |
| Apple iPhone 8 | From $1,079; $69 per month (Virgin) | 4.7in 1334 x 750 | 64GB or 256GB, no microSD | 10,118 | - | 92 | iOS 11 |
| Apple iPhone 7 | From $849; $64 per month (Virgin) | 4.7in 1334 x 750 | 32GB or 128GB, no microSD | 5652 | 13hrs 2mins | 85 | iOS 10 |
| Google Pixel 2 | From $1,079; $79 per month (Telstra) | 5.0in 1920 x 1080 | 64GB or 128GB, no microSD | 6,303 | 14hrs 17mins | 98 | Android 8.0 |
| Google Pixel 2 XL | From $1,399; $101 per month (Telstra) | 6.0in 2880 x 1440 | 64GB or 128GB, no microSD | 6,263 | 16hrs 23mins | - | Android 8.0 |
| HTC U11 | $999; $65 per month (Optus) | 5.5in 2560 x 1440 | 64GB, microSD | 6481 | 13hrs 18mins | 90 | Android 7.0 |
| Apple iPhone SE | From $549; $40 per month (Virgin) | 4in 640 x 1,136 | 32GB or 128GB, no microSD | 4444 | 16hrs 46mins | - | iOS 10 |
| Nokia 8 | $899; $59.47 per month (Vodafone) | 5.3in 2560 x 1440 | 64GB, microSD | 6540 | 18hrs 46mins | 68 | Android 7.0 |
| Sony Xperia XZ | $700; $80 per month (Telstra) | 5.2in 1920 × 1080 | 32GB, microSD | 3326 | 14hrs 32mins | n/a | Android 7.0 |
| Motorola Moto Z2 Play | $699 | 5.5in 1920 x 1080 | 64GB, microSD | 4620 | 19hrs 33mins | - | Android 7.0 |
| Samsung A5 | $599; $40 per month (Virgin) | 5.2in 1920 x 1080 | 32GB; microSD | 4054 | 22hrs 5mins | - | Android 6.0.1 |
| Motorola G5S Plus | $429 | 5.5in 1920 x 1080 | 32GB; microSD | 4265 | 14hrs 51mins | - | Android 7.1 |
| Motorola G5S | $349 | 5.2in 1920 x 1080 | 32GB; microSD | 2303 | 12hrs 12mins | - | Android 7.1 |
Higher is better with all the scores.
Next: Best flagship smartphones
