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Choosing the right smartphone can be mind-boggling. You need to consider a range of factors such as operating system, size, features, functions and price – and that's before you even get started navigating the complexities of a mobile phone plan.
We test and review more than 59 smartphones, including the iPhone X, ranging in price from $149 to $1849, to help you choose the best phone for:
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List of brands we tested in this review.
Recommended retail at time of purchase.
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 149 and 1829
We recommend smartphones with an overall score of 75% and above.
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(Operating system) There was a time when you had various choices but today its basically an Apple iPhone (Apple iOS) or an Android (Google Android) smartphone as far as operating systems go. You may find some mobiles with the Windows OS but Microsoft has moved focus away from smartphones to tablet and notebook devices.
Internal memory is the storage on the phone itself which will be used to contain both the Operating System (OS) as well as any other stuff you want to keep on your phone such as photos, video, apps etc.
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 8 and 256
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 8 and 23
Screen size in inches (measured diagonally).
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 4 and 6.3
A memory card is a good expandable memory option to store photos, video and music. Check to see exactly which type of card you'll need, as all the models we tested that support removable memory use microSD cards.
The size of the display as well as quality of the image with regard to sharpness and colour clarity.
enter value/s in increments of 1 between 0 and 0
We measure a number of acoustic criteria, such as frequency response, for both incoming and outgoing calls. In addition, a user panel subjectively rates the sound quality of calls.
We assess the phone's digital camera capabilities to produce an image in different lighting situations. Photo images are printed and rated for resolution, colour reproduction and noise. We also look at how easy it is to use the phone in picture-taking mode.
We simulate falls from a table or out of a shirt pocket up to 25 times; store the phones in hot, damp conditions; and carry out a rain test.
How easy it is to start the browser, navigate to sites, enter addresses and use favourites and bookmarks. We also do a practical test on content downloads and award extra points for Wi-Fi connectivity.
A Similar model is identical in most aspects except for a few. This means that a majority of its test results are identical so you can reasonably expect to get the same results from the model we tested, but for those aspects which aren't identical, we'll note these as "Not Tested" in the Compare tables.
A Tested model refers to a model that is still current and available in the Australian market. You should be able to order this model through your local retailer, or find it online.
These models can't be found in retailers or online or are no longer manufactured. You may still find these models on second hand websites, or in second hand dealers. Test methods may change over time, so criteria which can't be directly compared will contain an N/A.
An Identical model is exactly that. Performance characteristics will be identical and the only difference will be something trivial such as colour, which won't have an impact on performance.
These are models we haven't yet tested but that are available.
