5G technology has set a new benchmark for mobile phone use in Australia, delivering significantly faster speeds and greater reliability than 4G.
Whether you're streaming, gaming or working on the go, a 5G phone makes a big difference, provided you are in a supported area.
According to the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA), more than 85% of the Australian population now has access to 5G networks, making this the perfect time to upgrade to a 5G handset.
Our in-house experts have tested scores of 5G handsets dating back to 2019. Here are our picks for the best 5G phones in Australia with an option to suit every budget.
The phone that's best for you might not be the best phone for everyone, so it's always wise to consider your specific needs and budget.
Read about our methodology below.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is the best 5G phone that money can buy… and boy, does it require a lot of it.
With an asking price north of $2,500 for the 1TB model, it's one of the priciest phones on the Australian market, bested only by the iPhone 16 Pro Max and Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.
(This is especially galling to anyone who is old enough to remember Google's Nexus range which typically sold for under $500.)
With that said, you will definitely know where that money went with top-class specs including a 50MP main camera, a 6.8-inch OLED display, 5,060mAh battery and the latest in AI technology.
It also benefits from Google's generous software support, with 7 years of guaranteed security and operating system updates.
If you can stomach the steep pricing, this is the phone to get.
The Samsung Galaxy A16 5G is our top choice for budget-conscious shoppers looking to experience the speed benefits of 5G without breaking the bank.
It offers a minimalist design with a sturdy plastic build that doesn't feel cheap. While it doesn't boast high-end features, the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G delivers reliable performance for everyday tasks including video streaming, gaming and photography.
This is thanks to some very solid specs for the asking price, including a 6.7-inch FHD+ Super AMOLED display, 3 rear-facing cameras and a surprisingly powerful 2.4GHz processor.
Originally launching at $349, we've seen it online for under $250 making this one of the best-value 5G phones on the market.
If you're willing to spend a bit more, go with the Samsung Galaxy A56 5G instead of the Samsung Galaxy A16 5G. With its ultra-bright 6.7-inch Super AMOLED display, triple rear camera system and a 5,000mAh battery that lasts well into a second day, it redefines what a mid-tier smartphone can offer.
It's a significant step up from the A16 5G, boasting a more powerful 2.9GHz Exynos 1580 processor, a better camera, 4K video recording, a faster 120 Hz refresh rate, twice as much RAM (4GB vs 8GB) and a much brighter display.
It also comes with an IP67 dust/water resistance rating and a protective layer of Corning Gorilla Glass Victus+, making this a good choice if you frequently break your phone. In addition, you get six years of baked-in software updates for extra peace of mind.
The iPhone 16 Pro is currently the top dog in Apple's phone line-up which makes it the best choice for 5G on iOS. Equipped with a blisteringly fast A18 Pro chip powered by Apple Intelligence, it offers unmatched performance that will easily go toe-to-toe against the best Android flagships on the market.
Its camera system is equally impressive, boasting a 48MP Ultra Wide camera lens, 5x Optical Zoom, a physical Camera Control Button similar to a DSLR shutter and 4K 120 fps Dolby Vision for stunning video capture.
Apple has also improved the thermal design and power efficiency of the iPhone 16 Pro's battery, resulting in around 5 hours of extra battery life compared to the iPhone 15 Pro. As an added bonus, Apple MagSafe now supports 25W which results in much faster wireless charging.
If you're into photography, video creation, or just want a future-proof iPhone with AI chops, the 16 Pro is the model to get.
If you want a pure Android experience without third-party interfaces getting in the way, the Google Pixel 9 Pro is the obvious choice.
Unlike many other Android phones that come with manufacturer-specific overlays, the Pixel 9 Pro runs pure Android, meaning no duplicate apps, no unnecessary bloatware and a streamlined interface designed by Google itself.
The Pixel 9 Pro packs in Google's latest artificial intelligence tools, including real-time language translation which is crucial for anyone who frequently travels overseas. The AI smarts extend to image processing which allows the camera to punch well above its weight in poor lighting conditions.
With Google's commitment to long-term software support, users can expect timely updates and new features for years to come.
Note: This is essentially the same phone as the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL - just slightly smaller. If you prefer big screens, go with the XL version instead.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is our pick for best 5G flip phone. Powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 chipset, it ensures smooth performance in both form factors, and its upgraded 50MP primary camera captures impressive shots.
The new model features an Armor Aluminum frame, making it more resistant to scratches and external shocks along with a stronger hinge designed to handle over 200,000 folds. (That works out to around 78 folds per day over the 7 years of supported software updates - so don't overdo it.)
The 4,000mAh battery provides all-day usage, which is a welcome upgrade from the previous model's capacity. In a boon to travellers, Samsung has introduced Call Assist to the Flip 6, which enables real-time translation during phone calls. The phone's cover screen can also act as an instant interpreter when you're trying to communicate with people who speak another language.
The Asus ROG Phone 9 Pro is the best 5G phone for gamers, hands down. Just take a look at those specs: a Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 185Hz refresh rate, a Qualcomm Adreno 830 GPU, GameCool 9 thermal cooling, a massive 5,800mAh battery, 512GB of inbuilt storage and 16GB of LPDDR5X RAM.
The phone also comes with gamer-optimised controls, including pressure-sensitive "AirTriggers" which are designed to offer console-like precision via onscreen touch zones. Its 6.78-inch AMOLED display, meanwhile, is one of the biggest and brightest on the market: a must for gaming.
While clearly geared towards hardcore gamers, the phone is no slouch when it comes to photography, either. Asus has packed in a 50MP wide camera designed by Sony, a 13MP wide-angle camera and a 32MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom, plus a 32MP selfie cam in the front. The aforementioned AirTrigger tech also doubles as a shutter button.
The big and bulky design won't be to everyone's tastes, but for gamers it's exactly what you want in a 5G smartphone.
The Google Pixel 9 Pro XL stands out as the best 5G camera phone thanks to a blend of high-end sensors and software smarts.
Like most flagship smartphones, the Pixel 9 Pro XL comes with a triple-camera system on the rear, comprising a 50MP main sensor, a 48MP periscope telephoto lens with 5x optical zoom and a 48MP ultrawide lens.
But what really makes the phone stand out is its advanced imaging software, something Google has been heavily investing in for years. This has allowed it to leapfrog over competing handsets with bigger sensors.
Its performance at night is particularly impressive, producing brighter, less noisy images compared to the majority of its competitors.
Google's AI-powered image processing takes things up a notch further. Tools like Ultra-HDR, Pixel Shift, and Best Take (which selects the best shot from a series of captures) are not gimmicks - they vastly improve your photography output without you having to think about it.
Additionally, 8K video recording at 30fps, combined with gyro-EIS and OIS stabilization, makes it a powerhouse for videographers.
The Google Pixel 9a is our pick for battery life. While there are longer-lasting 5G phones out there, we think the Pixel 9a strikes the best balance between features, battery and price.
The 9a's 5,100mAh battery is the largest on a Pixel phone to date - and that includes Google's more expensive flagships. It will provide up to 30 hours of use on a single charge which should see you through around 2 days of general usage.
The Tensor G4 chipset plays a crucial role in prolonging the battery, reducing idle drain and improving overall energy efficiency. With 30W wired fast charging and Qi 1.3 wireless charging support it also won't take long to charge it.
As with Google's other phones, the Pixel 9a comes with seven years' worth of software updates. This should help to keep the battery optimised to keep up with future apps.
Today's phone market is all about size mattering - anything smaller than six inches is extremely hard to find.
If you prefer a compact, good quality handset, you're essentially limited to either a flip phone (see above) or the iPhone SE range which was recently replaced by the larger iPhone 16e.
Fortunately, it's still possible to buy the 2022 model from a range of Australian retailers, including JB Hi-Fi, Kogan, Big W and Amazon.
Measuring just 138x67x7mm with an ultra-compact 4.7-inch screen, the iPhone SE is a cinch to use one-handed, even if your fingers are smaller than average. It will easily fit inside nearly any jean pocket and is especially well suited to running armbands.
The phone is powered by Apple's A15 Bionic chip which remains one of the best CPUs on the market despite its age. Other highlights include IP67 water and dust resistance, Qi wireless charging, 4K video editing and physical Home and Touch ID buttons.
You can expect to receive iOS updates for at least 4 more years, despite Apple's decision to discontinue the line. This effectively future proofs your phone through to 2029-2030.
On the downside, the design is starting to look a bit dated with large bezels taking up a bunch of screen real estate. The camera and battery life have also been outclassed by later iPhone models.
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10We use a range of benchmarks and real-world tests to evaluate how a phone's performance compares to other available phones. Benchmarks can give us a comparative picture of where a phone might sit relative to other devices.
However, it's only in using a phone to its full capacity, including any device-specific software and evaluating how well it works for everyday tasks like web browsing or social media, that we can get a fully rounded performance picture.
For this guide, we also placed more weight on network features, including call quality and support for 5G network standards, when making our evaluations.
We test and weigh up all aspects of phone camera performance, including how well any special camera features work and how they each compare to similarly priced phones in terms of capturing harder subjects such as fast-moving objects and shots in low light. Both front and rear cameras are carefully considered.
Manufacturer battery life claims don't always reflect real-life results. That's why for each phone, we run full-screen YouTube videos in order to get a comparative feel of how each phone handles battery stress as well as using it over multiple days to see how it stands up to regular usage.
As part of our battery testing, we also consider charging options, including charging rates for those phones that can take a larger wattage.
With every other consideration tested and ranked, we also look at the price of the phone relative to other similar devices available at the time of testing. The best phones in the market aren't going to be the cheapest. But with a trend towards ever more expensive handsets, it's never been more vital to ensure that you're getting value for money, which is why we factor in the cost of a phone only after we've considered every other performance aspect.
We have consciously included several non-flagship models so there is an option for most budgets.
We value our editorial independence, basing our comparison results, content and reviews on objective analysis without bias. But Finder may receive compensation when you click links on our site. Learn more about how we make money from our partners.
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