It’s that time of year where, if you haven’t already started thinking about your Christmas shopping, you might want to start.
While budgets may be a little tighter this year, there’s some good news if you’re considering buying a new smartphone this Christmas. Many of the popular phone manufacturers have released some great quality cheap phones this year, proving that buying a new phone doesn’t have to break the bank. You can even future-proof your tech with 5G phones now available for under $300.
If you’re looking for phones for kids in time for the new school year, or you’re simply looking for an affordable phone to give a friend or family member, we’ve wrapped up some of the best cheap phones in Australia for under $400 (note that prices listed are the RRP and don’t reflect any discounts on offer).
1. Motorola Moto G54 5G — $299
The biggest draw card for the Motorola Moto G54 5G is having access to 5G connectivity without the big price tag. Even if you don’t think you’ll need 5G right now — or if you’re a bit unsure as to whether it’s really needed — it’s always a good idea to future-proof your technology.
The Moto G54 5G also includes a range of other great features, such as a big 5,000mAh battery (with a 20W fast charger included in the box), along with a double rear camera setup with a 50MP main camera and 2MP macro camera, plus a 16MP front-facing camera. You’ll also get one major Android OS update plus three years of bi-monthly security updates.
- $299 AUD RRP
- 5G connectivity
- MediaTek Dimensity 7020 processor
- 6.5-inch Full HD+ LCD display
- Up to 120Hz refresh rate
- Double rear-camera setup (50MP main + 2MP macro)
- 16MP front-facing camera
- 5,000mAh battery with up to 15W fast charge
- 8GB RAM
- 128GB internal storage + up to 1TB expandable Micro SD storage
- Android 13
- Available in Midnight Blue and Indigo Blue colours
| Phone | Features | Storage Size | Price | |
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128GB | $299 |
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2. OPPO A58 — $299
OPPO’s A58 offers a stunning finish, whether you choose the Glowing Black or Dazzling Green colour. OPPO has also packed in a big 5,000mAh battery with up to 33W fast charging (with a fast charger included in the box), along with a large 6.72-inch display.
It’s worth noting that while the OPPO A58 is the same RRP as the Moto G54 5G, the OPPO A58 doesn’t include 5G compatibility.
- $299 AUD RRP
- MediaTek Helio G85 processor
- 6.72-inch FHD+ Sunlight LCD display
- Up to 180Hz touch sampling rate
- Double rear-camera setup (50MP main + 2MP portrait)
- 8MP front-facing camera
- 5,000mAh battery with up to 33W SUPERVOOC fast charge
- 6GB RAM
- 128GB internal storage + up to 1TB expandable Micro SD storage
- ColorOS 13.1
- Available in Glowing Black and Dazzling Green colours
| Phone | Features | Storage Size | Price | |
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128GB | $299 |
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3. Samsung Galaxy A05s — $299
If you’re looking to stick to a phone for around $300 or under and prefer Samsung devices, Samsung’s Galaxy A05s is the same RRP as OPPO’s A58 and the Moto G54 5G. Like the OPPO phone, you won’t get 5G connectivity from Samsung at this price point.
The Samsung Galaxy A05s includes a Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor along with a big 5,000mAh battery and up to 25W fast charging, however you won’t get a fast charger included in the box. The A05s includes a triple rear camera setup with 50MP main, 2MP macro and 2MP depth cameras.
- $299 AUD RRP
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 680 processor
- 6.7-inch Infinity-U FHD+ display
- Up to 90Hz refresh rate
- Triple rear-camera setup (50MP main + 2MP macro + 2MP depth)
- 13MP front-facing camera
- 5,000mAh battery with up to 25W fast charge
- 4GB RAM
- 128GB internal storage + up to 1TB expandable Micro SD storage
- Android 13
- Available in Black
| Phone | Features | Storage Size | Price | |
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128GB | $299 |
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4. OPPO A78 5G — $359
For a bit more money, OPPO’s A78 5G includes 5G capabilities and is available in that signature OPPO glowing finish, with a choice of blue or black. You’ll get an overall great performance for the price point, including a big battery, fast charging and a quality camera setup.
You can read our hands-on review of the OPPO A78 5G to find out whether this phone is right for you.
- $359 AUD RRP
- 5G connectivity
- MediaTek Dimensity 700 octa-core processor
- 6.56-inch HD+ display
- Up to 90Hz refresh rate
- Dual rear-camera setup (50MP main + 2MP portrait)
- 8MP front-facing camera
- 5,000mAh battery with up to 33W fast charge
- 4GB RAM
- 128GB internal storage + up to 1TB expandable Micro SD storage
- ColorOS 13
- Available in Glowing Blue and Glowing Black colours
| Phone | Features | Storage Size | Price | |
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128GB | $359 |
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5. Motorola Moto G84 5G — $399
Jumping up to just under $400, Motorola’s latest entry to the G series, the Moto G84 5G offers a luxe looking slim and stylish phone, along with 5G connectivity. In addition to its big battery and large internal storage size (256GB rather than the 128GB more common with other cheap phones), Motorola has also included its Family Space feature, which allows parents to set up safe apps and time limits to control what their child can do on your phone.
- $399 AUD RRP
- 5G connectivity
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G processor
- 6.5-inch Full HD+ pOLED display
- Up to 120Hz refresh rate
- Dual rear-camera setup (50MP main + 8MP ultra-wide angle)
- 16MP front-facing camera
- 5,000mAh battery with up to 30W fast charge
- 12GB RAM
- 256GB internal storage + up to 1TB expandable Micro SD storage
- Android 13
- Available in Midnight Blue, Marshmallow Blue and Viva Magenta colours
| Phone | Features | Storage Size | Price | |
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256GB | $399 |
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What about other cheap phones?
The above listed phones are only a small selection of cheap, budget-friendly phones currently on the market. Motorola, Samsung and OPPO, along with other providers like Nokia and TCL, all offer a range of cheap phones. Even Apple and Google offer more budget-friendly versions of their popular iPhone and Pixel devices, however these phones still come with much bigger price tags.
If you’re unsure about whether a cheap phone is right for you, keep in mind that while you won’t be getting the top-tier features that premium smartphones include, you’ll still get a great quality device for the price you pay. Brands like Motorola and OPPO tend to pack a lot of value into their cheaper devices, so it’s still possible to get a great quality mobile phone without breaking the bank.
Compare SIM-only plans
As many of the above mentioned devices are only available to buy outright from retailers, you will need to pair your phone with a prepaid or postpaid SIM-only plan. There are plenty of great plans and providers to choose from, including a range of great phone plans for kids and phone plans for seniors.
Here is a selection of postpaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database with a minimum of 20GB of data, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Try using our mobile phone plan comparison tool to see a wide range of plans from other providers. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
Here is a selection of prepaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database with a minimum of 10GB of data each month, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. If you want to compare a larger range of offers from other providers, use our phone plan comparison tool. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
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