INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:

UPDATE: We have a new leader in the best cheap smartphones in Australia 2018 race with the Motorola Moto G6

stealing headlines around the world, there's a lot of intriguing (and cheap) stuff going on in the world of budget phones.Sadly smartphone

There is however such a thing as a good cheap smartphone, and ever so gently all those amazing features from the flagship devices are slowly

trickling down to the budget phones.That's why we have sorted through hundreds of inexpensive smartphones in order to rank the best options

that you can buy unlocked without monthly fees and, importantly, without a two-year contract.No, these aren't the best smartphones available

in Australia, so you won't find the new Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus among them

Likewise, the new 4-inch iPhone SE is $599, so it misses the mark by about $150, as lovely as it is.Here's a selection of our favourite

budget and mid-range smartphones

If you're looking to pick up a decent handset for not much cash, these are the top cheap phones your money can buy - even on a budget.1

Motorola Moto G6A special edition that rests on its laurelsWeight: 167g | Dimensions: 153.8 x 72.3 x 8.3mm | OS: Android 8.0 | Screen size:

12MP + 5MP | Front camera: 8MPLow pricePremium designSlow cameraNot waterproofLast year brought us a $300 Moto G5, and then eventually a

With its well-established name, the G6 has bumped up its price but brought with it some premium features.Some of the most immediate of these

include the new 18:9 aspect ratio across the G6 series, allowing for more vertical space when reading articles and a wider playing field

size courtesy of a considerable thinning of the top and bottom bezels, resulting in a display-to-body ratio that brings the range

a purely aesthetic (and heavily smudge-laden) addition

Despite sharing the same amount of RAM as its Play counterpart (3GB), the slight bump in its processor and graphics chip gives it a

the Play to the G6

performance in an arguably trendier package

G6See the best Moto G6 outright deals here2

Huawei Y7Simple, focused and deceptively premiumWeight: 165g | Dimensions: 154 x 76 x 8mm | CPU: Snapdragon 435 1.4GHz | RAM: 2GB | Storage:

16GB (microSD) | Battery: 4,000mAh | Rear camera: 12MP | Front camera: 8MPTerrific performanceHuge batteryOnly 2GB of RAM720p

displayOutperforming every phone we tested in processing power, graphics grunt and battery life benchmarks, the Y7 is a sleek and capable

unit that pays close attention to the important details

small margin most of the time)

best Huawei Y7 outright deals here3

Oppo A57A great phone for selfies at this priceWeight: 147g | Dimensions: 149.1 x 72.9 x 7.7 mm | OS: Android 6 | Screen size: 5.2-inch |

16MPFingerprint sensorFantastic selfie cameraOnly shoots at 1080p 30fpsColorOS not to everyone's tasteWith a beautiful design and feel that

all Oppo phones, the A57 has a magnificent camera that works well in low-light situations

It also has the benefit of carrying over Oppo's Beauty Mode for seriously flattering selfies (you know a smartphone is serious about selfies

when the front-facing camera has a higher megapixel sensor than the rear).Add to this a front-facing fingerprint sensor, expandable storage

via microSD, a terrific build that remains slim and stylish, and what you have is a mid-range phone that's easy to recommend at

$328.Admittedly, we'd have liked a 1080p screen rather than the 720p one that the A57 sports, and ColorOS may be a little too close to iOS

for many Android users' tastes, but it's still hard to overlook a phone of this quality at the price listed above.See the best Oppo A57

outright deals here4

Nokia 6.1A phone that feels much nicer than its price would suggestWeight: 172g | Dimensions: 148.8 x 75.8 x 8.2mm | OS: Android 8.1 |

| Front camera: 8MPTerrific build qualitySnappy Android One OSUSB Type-C port includedLarge bezels are outdatedWeak low-light camera

performanceMore storage would be niceOnce again offering a flagship feel at a fraction of the usual cost, this year's updated Nokia 6 (or

the Nokia 6.1 as it's officially known) sports a terrifically sturdy build quality, also offering a pure Android One experience for those

heft that makes it feel tough in comparison to most modern smartphones

Its matte finish feels smooth in the hand, with some metallic detailing around the phone's edges, buttons and camera offering a bit of added

charging

data alone takes up over 12GB out of a 32GB total of onboard storage, leaving you with less than 20GB before you've even downloaded or saved

a single thing

taking adequate photos that probably won't blown anyone away

flagship-quality snapshots (though the Oppo A57 and Sony Xperia XA1 come quite close), and in terms of design and overall performance, the

Apple iPhone 5SApple's iPhone makes the cut if you jump through hoops Weight: 112g | Dimensions: 123.8 x 58.6 x 7.6mm | OS: iOS 10 | Screen

camera: 1.2MPTouch ID is easy and secureGreat camera on a budgetBattery could be betterIt's really, really difficult to fit an Apple phone

on a best cheap phones list, but there has to be at least one that's inexpensive enough for iOS fans who refuse to try Android.The cheapest

is the iPhone 5S

The best deal we've been able to find through a carrier is Telstra, which has the 16GB version available for $369 on an pre-paid plan

are entry-level iPhone SE owners

It comes in space gray or silver, has Touch ID and a still-impressive 8MP camera and runs iOS 10.Read the full review: iPhone 5SSee the best

iPhone 5S outright deals here6

Sony Xperia XA1Low price, ultra-high megapixel countWeight: 137g | Dimensions: 143.6 x 66.8 x 7.9 mm | OS: Android 6.0.1 | Screen size:

respects

It looks and feels slick, with metal used in the right places

backlight and outdoors visibility is excellent

In Geekbench 4, the Sony Xperia XA1 scored a solid 3,628 points, around 200 less than the 3,824 score the Moto G5 Plus achieved in our tests

Xperia XA1See the best Sony Xperia XA outright deals7

LG Q6Flagship style at a fraction of the costWeight: 149g | Dimensions: 143 x 69 x 8mm | OS: Android 7.1.1 | Screen size: 5.5-inch |

Front camera: 5MPGorgeous designFlagship-style 18:9 displayNo fingerprint scannerPerformance is just OKOften unofficially referred to as the

affordable price point would suggest

to photography, with its 13MP rear camera producing some exceptional snaps under the right conditions

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Best cheap smartphones in Australia for 2018