My relationship with consumer electronics has changed over the years, where I’m finding that I don’t really need most of the bells and whistles that high-end tech gear offers, especially smartphones. I rarely play mobile games, I don’t fancy myself as a phone photographer, and I’ve been trying to wean myself off doomscrolling by generally reducing my phone use.
It also doesn’t help that flagship phones from Apple, Samsung, Google and more have become more expensive than ever, so much so that anything under AU$1,000 for decent specifications are now considered bargains.
The base models of the iPhone 17 and the Google Pixel 10 start from AU$1,399 and AU$1,349, respectively, while the creme de la creme iPhone 17 Pro Max with 2 TB of storage costs an eye-watering AU$3,799 – or about the same as a small, second-hand car. I am not spending that much money when I wouldn’t really use those flagship features to their maximum potential.
Fortunately, there are already a few noteworthy deals for some very capable phones for under the AU$1,000 mark – and most Black Friday sales haven’t even officially started yet! This price range can still give you great performance, decent cameras and even lots of storage and a 120Hz display. Oh, and if you can believe it, a brand new iPhone is available at this sub-AU$1,000 price point!
These aren’t necessarily the flashiest nor the most powerful phones on the market, but they’re still very capable devices that will be great for most users. You could even consider these as great Christmas gifts for loved ones who could use a nice new phone – and they won’t cost an arm and a leg.
While we’re just a few months away from the rumoured release of the Samsung Galaxy S26 series, Amazon has just put a 30% discount on the base model Samsung Galaxy S25. This is by far the most premium of the three phones in this article, boasting a powerful Exynos chip and a beautiful 120Hz AMOLED display. It even has the largest storage option of 256GB. At just under AU$1,000, these specs are hard to beat.View Deal
Perhaps a bit of a polarising option here, but if you’re on a budget and you absolutely have to have an iPhone, it’s hard to beat the iPhone 16e at this price. Sitting somewhere between the previous iPhone SE and its flagship iPhone 16 sibling, this 2025 release offers the Apple experience with a few less bells and whistles in exchange for a reduced price tag. Its smaller form factor (6.1-inch screen size) may also be appealing to fans of the iPhone minis of yore.View Deal
It’s the cheapest of the three phone deals so far (and also the oldest handset), but the Google Pixel 9a is still a respectable entry level-premium option with a great camera and long-term support. Our reviewer found its camera provides some of the best macro photography capabilities anywhere, and that it still boasts the same Tensor G4 chip found in the more expensive Pixel 9 models. It’s worth noting that while there will likely be a Pixel 10a sometime in the first quarter of 2026, at just under AU$600, I reckon the Pixel 9a is still good value. View Deal
