WhistleOut Awards
Welcome to the 2025 WhistleOut Awards, where we recognise the service providers and phone companies that presented the best telco plans, products, promotions & service delivery to Australians over the last year.
Best Mobile Providers
Best Phone Manufacturers
Best Internet Providers
WhistleOut Customer Satisfaction Awards
We've asked the public for their views on their mobile and internet providers, revealing the top providers for categories from customer service to network coverage.
2025 Best Mobile Providers
Mobile Provider Of The Year
TPG has done it again, winning WhistleOut's Mobile Provider of the Year award for the third year running. TPG consistently offers Australians great value across its phone plans, particularly in the prepaid area. If you're looking for an affordable mobile plan or one with great international call inclusions, then TPG has got you covered with its range of no-frills options. It's a great place to start your search in today's budget-conscious environment.
Best SIM-Only Provider, Value Plans
SpinTel has toppled Moose Mobile from its four year run, stepping up from runner up last year to win the Best SIM-Only Provider, Value Plans award. The budget MVNO runs on the Optus network and prides itself on low costs.
Runner Up:Moose Mobile
Best SIM-Only Provider, Large Plans
If you're looking for a competitive SIM-Only plan then SpinTel has got you covered. This year the company took out the Best SIM Only Provider awards for both Value Plans and Large Plans, so whatever your data needs, SpinTel has a plan for you.
Runner Up:Dodo
Best Prepaid Provider, Value Plans
TPG has gone back-to-back, winning the Best Prepaid Provider for Value Plans category again, thanks to offering plans with plenty of bang for buck.
Runner Up:felix mobile
Best Prepaid Provider, Large Plans
felix mobile is probably best known for its green credentials, but you also get excellent value to boot when you shop with them. felix mobile offers amongst the best data-per-dollar plans on the market, which is why the Best Prepaid Provider of Large Plans award has gone felix's way.
Runner Up:TPG
Best Provider, iPhone Plans
Offering robust and competitive options for people looking to buy an iPhone on a plan, Vodafone has now taken home WhistleOut's Best Provider, iPhone Plans award for an amazing five years in a row.
Runner Up:Optus
Best Provider, Samsung Plans
Just as it has done with the iPhone category, Vodafone has now won WhistleOut's Best Provider, Samsung Plans for the last five years. If you want to buy a new Samsung phone on a contract plan, then you could do a lot worse than checking out what Vodafone has to offer.
Runner Up:Optus
Best Provider, International Calls
This is the first time TPG has won our Best Provider, International Calls award, and it got there by offering great value for those looking for a strong daily driver plan that also offered stacks of international inclusions.
Runner Up:Lebara Mobile
Best Provider, Plans for Kids
Kogan Mobile has won the gong for Best Provider, Plans for Kids, thanks to its basic but great value prepaid plans.
Runner Up: Catch
Best Phone Plan Promotion
Tangerine takes home the gong for Best Phone Plan Promotion for its Black Friday deal, when it offered 50% off for six months and double data for three months on all its 5G mobile plans.
Sustainable Mobile Provider of the Year
felix mobile has now won WhistleOut's Sustainable Mobile Provider of the Year award four times in a row. Sustainability is at the heart of the felix mobile business, running on 100% renewable power, using eSIMs and planting trees for every customer. Guided by its principles of being simple, digital and sustainable, felix mobile encourages people to think more about the environmental impact of their telco choices.
2025 Best Mobile Manufacturers
Phone Of The Year
Competition heated up when it comes to more affordable devices over the last 12 months, but the Google Pixel 9a still easily claims the crown for the best phone under $1,000. You get flagship-level features, stunning cameras, and a battery that won't quit.
The Pixel 9a never feels like an afterthought or just a cheaper version of the Pixel 9 or Pixel 9 Pro. It goes toe-to-toe with its more expensive siblings and many other flagship devices. The Pixel 9a is one of the best value phones around and makes a compelling argument against spending more on a handset.
Read the review
Best Camera Phone
When you spend over $1,000 on a phone, you're not going to get a bad camera. The photo quality is often the point for top-tier devices.
While there's no shortage of good and even great camera phones, the iPhone 16 Pro stands out thanks to its reliability. Apple continues to excel at making mobile cameras that shoot quickly, making them less likely to miss a moment.
The iPhone 16 Pro also benefits from a new ultra-wide lens, which takes stunning macro shots, and a surprisingly fast 5x telephoto lens, which was previously exclusive to the top-dollar Pro Max. With its cameras combined, the iPhone 16 Pro is the phone to beat for photographic prowess.
(Note that the iPhone 16 Pro Max has the same cameras as the iPhone 16 Pro if you want the bigger device.)
Highly Commended:Google Pixel 9 Pro
Best Phone Design
Samsung's Galaxy S25 Edge is a stunning piece of industrial design, but it also makes fewer compromises than you'd expect given its sleek form factor. While Samsung had to make some trade-offs with a smaller battery and fewer cameras, none of these actively harm the overall experience and the Galaxy S25 Edge has surprising longevity for such a thin phone.
Thinner and lighter might not seem like groundbreaking changes, but it's nice when the tech you use gets out of your way. The Galaxy S25 Edge is less noticeable in your pocket and much lighter in your hand. Sure, there's a degree of bravado here, but the Galaxy S25 Edge design is more practical than one might think.
Highly Commended:Google Pixel 9 Pro Fold
Best Value Phone
The CMF Phone 2 Pro from Nothing nails the basics in a way you wouldn't expect from a $449 device. It over-delivers on essentials like performance and camera quality, besting what you'd normally get at this price point. While you miss out on some nice-to-have features like a higher water-resistance rating, the CMF Phone 2 Pro's core value proposition is hard to beat.
Highly Commended:Motorola Moto G75
Best High Performance Phone
OPPO's Find X8 Pro is a beast of a phone that also outclasses its closest competitors in value. The phone itself ticks all the boxes. You get a lovely display, the best battery life we've seen on an Android flagship, excellent cameras, and top-notch performance. It's the whole kit and caboodle.
These facts alone would make the Find X8 Pro easy to recommend, but it's also cheaper than the competition. When you factor in the 512GB of storage out of the box, opting for OPPO's top-end device represents a saving of at least $400 compared to equivalent models.
Not only is the Find X8 Pro a truly premium phone, it's one that feels like a good deal.
Highly Commended:iPhone 16 Pro Max
Phone Manufacturer of the Year
OPPO has launched many great devices in the last 12 months, but what's especially commendable is how committed the manufacturer has been to bringing new features to its entire phone portfolio.
Over the last year, there's been consistency across OPPO's devices: batteries have gotten larger, durability has improved, and software support has gotten longer.
Importantly, these trends haven't just been relegated to its high-end devices like the Find X8 Pro. Within months, OPPO brought features like extra-large capacity batteries and IP69 water resistance down to its mid-tier phones like the Reno 13 family, and then quickly to cheaper devices like the $399 A5 Pro.
It's especially great to see longer software support on more affordable devices, with OPPO promising five years of operating system upgrades and six years of security updates. Many devices in this price bracket typically only get a maximum of three years of operating system upgrades.
Of course, none of this matters if OPPO wasn't making good phones. The Find X8 is our High Performance Phone of the Year, and the brand has also launched strong options across all price brackets over the last 12 months.
It's for these reasons and more we've named OPPO our phone manufacturer of the year.
Highly Commended:Nothing
2025 Best Internet Providers
Internet Provider Of The Year
Dodo has won WhistleOut internet awards in the past, but hasn't taken out the top gong until this year. Not only did Dodo top our lists for some NBN categories, it also offered the best internet promotion of the year, highlighting its commitment to offering customers great value. All in all, Dodo is the deserved winner of the 2025 Internet Provider of the Year award.
Best Everyday NBN Provider
It's been a few years since anyone beat Tangerine to this award, but Dodo has managed it this year, taking out the Best Everyday NBN Provider award for its simple and affordable plans.
Runner Up:Exetel
Best Fast NBN Provider
SpinTel has taken the top spot for Fast NBN Provider by offering NBN 100 plans with reliable fast evening speeds at affordable prices.
Runner Up:Dodo
Best Superfast NBN Provider
Dodo has won the inaugural Superfast NBN Provider award. 250Mbps plans are now widely available, offering consumers lots of choice to find the speed right for their situation. Dodo has consistently brought some of the best value Superfast NBN packages to the table over the last 12 months, securing it the win.
Runner Up:SpinTel
Best Fixed Wireless NBN Provider
This is the first time Dodo has won the Best Fixed Wireless NBN award, and along with its other internet award wins this year, demonstrates that when it comes to affordable internet plans, Dodo has to be at the top of your list.
Runner Up:Tangerine
Best Satellite NBN Provider
Activ8me has finally broken the stranglehold SkyMesh has had on this category, having taken out the Best Satellite NBN Provider award after being the runner-up many times. Activ8me is a regional and remote Australian internet specialist. They are focused on connecting the more hard-to-reach areas of Australia with reliable internet services that don't cost the earth.
Runner Up:IPSTAR
Best Mobile Broadband Provider, High Use
It's back-to-back wins for Tangerine as it takes the crown of Best Mobile Broadband Provider, High Use for another year.
Runner Up:Belong
Best Mobile Broadband Provider, Everyday Use
Vodafone goes back-to-back winning the Best Mobile Broadband Provider, Everyday Use award once again. Vodafone has consistently offered compelling mobile broadband plans for all data appetites and is a great choice for people needing to get online while on the go.
Runner Up:Lebara Mobile
Best 4G Home Internet Provider
TPG has retained its crown for the 4G Home Wireless Broadband category. With consistently strong speeds at competitive prices, TPG is a great option for people looking for an NBN alternative.
Runner Up:Vodafone
Best Capped 5G Home Internet Provider
The last 12 months have really seen 5G Home Internet become a strong and widely available competitor to NBN services. The Capped 5G Home Internet category provides a mobile network equivalent to the Fast NBN (100 Mbps) category. Offering strong speeds at competitive prices throughout the 12 months, TPG was the clear winner of this award.
Runner Up:Vodafone
Best Uncapped 5G Home Internet Provider
The true speed benefits of widespread 5G availability are now being realised, with enormous speeds made available through uncapped 5G plans. This is the first year the Uncapped 5G Home Wireless Broadband category has been available, and Optus has taken out the award. Optus should definitely be in your consideration set if looking for the fastest 5G services.
Runner Up:Telstra
Best Internet Promotion
Dodo won this year's Best Internet Promotion award for its great October 2024 promo, which offered consumers $20 off for 12 months on its NBN 25 and faster plans.
2025 Customer Satisfaction for Mobile
Most Satisfied Customers - Mobile
ALDI Mobile is the winner of WhistleOut's inaugural Most Satisfied Customers - Mobile award. There were strong scores across the board for all the mobile providers surveyed, which should be reassuring to anyone considering switching providers, but ALDI Mobile topped the rankings for every category, making it the clear winner. Much like the shopping giant itself, ALDI Mobile plans offer no-frills plans at lower prices. With no contracts and generous data inclusions for the price, you can give its plans a try and then switch without drama if you're not satisfied.
Mobile Customer Satisfaction - Network Coverage
This was the most closely contested of the customer satisfaction awards, with strong competition from both Telstra and Everyday Mobile (all on the Telstra network). However, ALDI Mobile took out the Mobile Customer Satisfaction - Network Coverage award by a slim margin.
Mobile Customer Satisfaction - Customer Service
ALDI Mobile won the Mobile Customer Satisfaction - Customer Service award by a margin, scoring 4.5 out of 5. Closest behind was Belong with a score of 4.1.
Mobile Customer Satisfaction - Price
ALDI Mobile's score for this category was the highest recorded for any mobile provider in any category. With a winning score of 4.6 out of 5, ALDI Mobile takes out the Mobile Customer Satisfaction - Price award.
2025 Customer Satisfaction for Internet
Most Satisfied Customers - Internet
Superloop wins WhistleOut's inaugural Most Satisfied Customers - Internet award. Much like with the mobile categories, there were strong scores across the board for all the internet providers surveyed, and Superloop came out on top in the majority of categories. Superloop is one of Australia's increasingly popular smaller NBN providers. It's independently owned, every plan has unlimited data, and it's amongst the fastest NBN providers for typical evening speeds.
Internet Customer Satisfaction - Internet Speed
Superloop's score for this category was the highest recorded for any internet provider in any category and reinforces Superloop's reputation for providing fast NBN. With a winning score of 4.3 out of 5, Superloop wins the Internet Customer Satisfaction - Internet Speed award.
Internet Customer Satisfaction - Reliability
Superloop ranked highest in what is clearly an important category, winning the Internet Customer Satisfaction - Reliability award with a score of 4.3 out of 5.
Internet Customer Satisfaction - Customer Service
Aussie Broadband wins the Internet Customer Satisfaction - Customer Service award, preventing a Superloop whitewash. Aussie Broadband has built a strong reputation for customer service, which has been reinforced with this win, scoring 4.1 out of 5.
Internet Customer Satisfaction - Price
Superloop wins the Internet Customer Satisfaction - Price award with a score of 3.9 out of 5. While this was the lowest scoring category of all, it's perhaps not surprising given our research shows the vast majority of people consider changing plans due to their cost, and kudos to Superloop for a pricing structure that the majority of its customers are satisfied with.
About the Awards
The WhistleOut Awards recognise the telco businesses that have consistently provided Australians with the best plans over the last year.
The awards also highlight the best promotions and phone products released during that period. New for FY2025, we have introduced a range of Customer Satisfaction awards, which shine a light on how satisfied people are with their telco service provider.
WhistleOut is dedicated to making the comparison experience easy, for everyone. We know it can be a complicated and confusing industry - there are so many different providers, plans, products, and changing technologies to choose from that it's easy to get lost and difficult to know who to trust.
That's where the WhistleOut Awards come in. They aim to cover the different types of phone and internet use cases that apply to most Australians, and show which providers have most consistently offered the best plans over 12 months (July-June) and have delivered their customers the highest levels of satisfaction. The awards also acknowledge the best phones that have been brought onto the market over the year, and provide a great starting point for anyone looking to make a smart telco change.
Judging Criteria
The WhistleOut Awards are aimed at finding the best providers for different phone and internet needs on a national level.
We have reviewed the biggest cross-section of providers possible, including the top 10 service providers in each category, many smaller providers, and the full range of phone manufacturers available in Australia. The top ten service providers typically cover 80% or more of Australia's phone and internet plans.
The WhistleOut Award categories for phone and internet plans are judged by awarding 3, 2 and 1 points to the providers of the three best plans in each category on a monthly basis, (July 2024 - June 2025). The award winners are the providers with the highest number of points at the end of the 12-month period. In case of a tie, winners are chosen based on the number of 1st positions, then 2nd positions, then 3rd positions they achieved in that category over the course of the year. A provider can receive points for multiple plans in a category if their plans best match the award criteria.
The exceptions to this judging process are the Best Promotion awards and the Sustainability award. The Best Promotion awards are given to the single best promotion over the 12-month period as judged by WhistleOut's in-house panel of experts. The Sustainability award was judged by a panel, based on submissions from telco providers.
The new Customer Satisfaction awards are judged based on consumer surveys that asked over a thousand Australians about their telco experiences. As with the telco plan categories, we have surveyed the biggest cross-section of providers possible, including the top 10 service providers in each category. For a provider to be considered for a Customer Satisfaction award, 50 survey responses were needed from respondents who had been customers for at least six months.
The mobile categories included Network Coverage, Customer Service, and Price. The internet categories included Internet Speed, Reliability, Customer Service, and Price. Respondents rated their satisfaction on a scale of 1 to 5, where 1 was extremely dissatisfied and 5 was extremely satisfied. The overall most satisfied awards were measured by averaging each provider's category scores within mobile and internet, with each category given equal weighting, and the award going to the provider with the highest overall rating.
The WhistleOut phone awards are judged by our team of editorial experts who have reviewed the majority of new phones brought out over the last 12 months. Key judging considerations include price, performance, battery, screen, camera, design and the overall user experience.
