- Best high-end rural phone: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
- Best budget rural phone: Google Pixel 10a
- Telstra Blue Tick Phones 2026
- How does Telstra's regional coverage compare?
- How does Telstra test its Blue Tick phones?
If you're after a phone that will work well outside the crowded metro areas in Australia, you should look ator Telstra's "Blue Tick" range. The Telstra Blue Tick is a badge that signifies a phone has been tested and gets superior voice coverage in regional and rural areas.
Telstra has tested these phones extensively to make sure you'll find mobile coverage in places where other phones struggle to get a signal. These aren't bulky satellite-handsets either, many of today's most popular smartphones are passing the Telstra test.
Best high-end rural phone: Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra
Samsung's Galaxy S26 Ultra is a safe bet for rural Australians looking for a premium smartphone with 5G connectivity that's been verified for use out in the bush. Although the inevitable Galaxy S27 Ultra will surely replace it before long, the Galaxy S26 Ultra still has plenty to offer, including premium performance, long battery life, and a stacked quad-lens camera setup.
If you're sold, here are the cheapest Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra plans:
Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB Plans
|
#1
|
Optus
$60 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$105.60/mth
Min. cost $2,237.88
|
|
#2
|
Telstra
$74 Basic Upfront Mobile Plan
$165.62/mth
Min. cost $2,272.88
Link not supplied
|
Best budget rural phone: Google Pixel 10a
The Google Pixel 10a is the most recent smartphone to get Telstra's tick of approval when it comes to rural and regional coverage. Although it's not quite as much a slam dunk when it comes to value as its predecessors, Google's latest budget phone is still a pretty thrifty buy at $849.
That sum gets you snappy day-to-day performance, a camera that swings above its weight and delivers reliable results, and seven years of security updates and seven major operating system updates so you won't need to replace it for a few years.
Here are the cheapest Google Pixel 10a plans:
Google Pixel 10a 128GB Plans
|
#1
|
Optus
$60 Optus Choice Plus Plan
$61.86/mth
Min. cost $887.88
|
|
#2
|
Telstra
$74 Basic Upfront Mobile Plan
$109.37/mth
Min. cost $922.88
Link not supplied
|
Telstra Blue Tick Phones 2026
Telstra awards Blue Ticks to phones that pass tests for superior antenna strength. Even small advantages in connectivity can lead to an expanded coverage range over kilometres.
Here is the current range of Telstra Blue Tick phones, starting with Samsung:
Galaxy S26 Ultra 256GB
- 6.9 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 200MP, 10MP, 50MP, 50MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S26 FE 128GB
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 8MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S26 FE 256GB
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 8MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S26 512GB
- 6.3 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 10MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S26+ 512GB
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 10MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S26 Ultra 512GB
- 6.9 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 200MP, 10MP, 50MP, 50MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S26+ 256GB
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 10MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S26 256GB
- 6.3 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 10MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S26 Ultra 1TB
- 6.9 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 200MP, 10MP, 50MP, 50MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S25 Edge 512GB
- 6.7 inch display
- Android 15, One UI 7
- 5G Capable
Galaxy S25 Ultra 256GB
- 6.9 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 200MP, 10MP, 50MP, 50MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S25 Ultra 512GB
- 6.9 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 200MP, 10MP, 50MP, 50MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S25 FE 5G 128GB
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 8MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S25 512GB
- 6.2 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 10MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S25 Edge 256GB
- 6.7 inch display
- Android 15, One UI 7
- 5G Capable
Galaxy S25 FE 5G 256GB
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 8MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S25 Ultra 1TB
- 6.9 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 200MP, 10MP, 50MP, 50MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S24 FE 5G 128GB
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 8MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 10MP
Galaxy S24 FE 5G 256GB
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 8MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 10MP
Galaxy S24 Ultra 256GB
- 6.8 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 200MP, 50MP, 10MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S24 Ultra 512GB
- 6.8 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 200MP, 50MP, 10MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S24+ 256GB
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 10MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S24+ 512GB
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 10MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S23 256GB
- 6.1 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 10MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S23 Ultra 256GB
- 6.8 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 200MP, 10MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S23 FE 5G 128GB
- 6.4 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 8MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 10MP
Galaxy S23 128GB
- 6.1 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 10MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S23 FE 5G 256GB
- 6.4 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 8MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 10MP
Galaxy S23 Ultra 512GB
- 6.8 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 200MP, 10MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S23+ 256GB
- 6.6 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 10MP, 12MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy S23+ 512GB
- 6.6 inch display
- Android 13, One UI 4.3
- 5G Capable
Galaxy A56 5G
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 12MP, 5MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy A37 5G
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 8MP, 5MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy A57 5G 128GB
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 8MP, 5MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy A17 5G
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 5MP, 2MP
- Front Camera: 13MP
Galaxy A33 5G
- 6.4 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 48MP, 8MP, 5MP, 2MP
- Front Camera: 13MP
Galaxy A36 5G
- 6.7 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 8MP, 5MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
Galaxy A55 5G
- 6.6 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 12MP, 5MP
- Front Camera: 32MP
Although the vast majority of Blue Tick phones are Samsung devices, Telstra has expanded the program to include selected iPhones and Google Pixel devices in recent times.
Pixel 10a 128GB
- 6.3 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 48MP, 13MP
- Front Camera: 13MP
Pixel 10 Pro XL 256GB
- 6.8 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 50MP, 48MP, 48MP
- Front Camera: 42MP
Pixel 10 128GB
- 6.3 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 48MP, 13MP, 10.8MP
- Front Camera: 10.5MP
Pixel 10a 256GB
- 6.3 inch display
- Rear Cameras: 48MP, 13MP
- Front Camera: 13MP
iPhone 16e 128GB
- 6.1 inch display
- Rear Camera: 48MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
iPhone 16e 512GB
- 6.1 inch display
- Rear Camera: 48MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
iPhone 16e 256GB
- 6.1 inch display
- Rear Camera: 48MP
- Front Camera: 12MP
215
- 2.4 inch display
- 128MB int. memory (useable capacity will be less)
- Released in October 2020
How does Telstra's regional coverage compare?
Although it is true that Telstra's network is still the largest in Australia, new standards introduced around the coverage claims that mobile providers can make have led the company to shift away from releasing the kind of population-based coverage figures and maps that it used to (and that its biggest rivals still rely on).
Having said that, with a total footprint of 2.14 million square kilometres, it is no question that Telstra's network covers more ground than Optus or Vodafone do when it comes to rural and regional coverage. While Vodafone expanded their regional footprints significantly in the last few years courtesy of a network-sharing agreement with Optus, it's still the case that neither matches Telstra, which means that the latter might be your only choice in some parts of Australia.
To get a sense of what that difference is like, you can compare these networks using the coverage maps below.
The darkest purple area in these maps shows 5G, and lighter areas represent 4G coverage.
You could consider a smaller provider powered by the Telstra network, but be aware that other than Boost Mobile, they're all powered by the Telstra wholesale network rather than the full Telstra network. By the numbers, this limited slice of the larger Telstra network is only 1.4 million square kilometres in size. If you're based in a metropolitan area, chances are that you won't run into too much of an issue, but those further afield may run into a dead zone sooner rather than later.
How does Telstra test its Blue Tick phones?
Telstra's Blue Tick program was established almost 20 years ago, with the goal of assessing which devices offer superior voice coverage in regional and rural Australia. Since its inception, this goal and the methodology for the program itself have largely remained the same.
While Blue Tick testing originally focused on Telstra's 3G network, certification is now based on voice call performance over Telstra's 4G network rather than data.
Testing for the Telstra Blue Tick program is conducted in purpose-built facilities that simulate how a phone performs if it was being held at the edge of a coverage area. Telstra uses a specialised anechoic chamber – a room that will completely absorb reflections of sound and electromagnetic waves – to test the signal strength of devices when giving out Blue Ticks. Because there's no signal bouncing around, technicians are able to get a more accurate read of how an antenna is performing.
The tester inside the chamber will hold the phone in five different grips to gauge the receive and transmit strength of its antennas. Based on its internal methodology, Telstra is ostensibly looking for devices that offer a couple of extra dBm of signal strength over its pass / fail threshold.
Telstra says that even an extra 3 dBm of signal strength can result in as much as 8km of additional coverage when you're on the borderline of connectivity. After lab tests, Telstra will still take the phone into rural areas to replicate the test results.
Frequently asked questions about phones for regional and rural Australia
What happened to Optus' Top Pick for Regional Coverage?
Optus used to operate a similar program to Telstra to verify device performance in regional areas. Devices that passed its testing regimen would receive a "Top Pick for Regional Coverage label. This initiative has since been discontinued, but there's nothing stopping you from pairing up a device with a Telstra Blue Tick and using it with a provider that relies on the Optus network. However, the differences in networks mean that you might not get equivalent performance from doing so.
Does Vodafone test phones for rural and regional Australia?
Vodafone does not have an equivalent to Telstra's Blue Tick program. As with Optus, you can always pair a device that Telstra has given the tick of approval to with a mobile plan on another network. You just might not be able to achieve the same level of performance when it comes to regional coverage due to the difference in the size of the mobile networks involved.
These are the most popular NBN 50 plans with WhistleOut users this week:
|
#1
|
Dodo
All Fixed Line nbn®
Editor's Pick
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
$57.99/mth
Min. cost $57.99
|
|
#2
|
amaysim
All Fixed Line nbn®
NBN50
$75/mth
Min. cost $75
|
|
#3
|
Belong
All Fixed Line nbn®
NBN Standard Plus – Unlimited
$55/mth
Min. cost $55
|
|
#4
|
Tangerine Telecom
All Fixed Line nbn®
Value Plus NBN 50/20
$64.90/mth
Min. cost $64.90
|
|
#5
|
Superloop
All Fixed Line nbn®
Extra-value nbn50/20
$69/mth
Min. cost $69
|
|
#6
|
TPG
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn50 Unlimited Plan
$69.99/mth
Min. cost $69.99
Link not supplied
|
|
#7
|
iiNet
All Fixed Line nbn®
nbn50 Liimitless
$69.99/mth
+ $10 Upfront
Min. cost $79.99
Link not supplied
|
|
#8
|
Kogan Internet
All Fixed Line nbn®
Silver Unlimited
$69.90/mth
Min. cost $69.90
|
|
#9
|
Flip
All Fixed Line nbn®
Unlimited Family nbn50
$68/mth
Min. cost $68
|
|
#10
|
Vodafone
All Fixed Line nbn®
Essential+ nbn®
$94/mth
Min. cost $94
Link not supplied
|
Dylan Crismale
Digital Content Editor
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