Mintt is a recent addition to the Australian smartphone market, having launched in mid-2019.
Budget smartphones are Mintt's bread and butter, with its phones ranging in price from $180 up to $400.
Though Mintt is an Australian company, its phones are manufactured overseas by its Chinese manufacturing partners.
What to consider when choosing a Mintt phone
Mintt is an Australian technology company specialising in phones, headphones and speakers. Its products are made in China which helps to keep the price down, although all phones remain fully compliant with RCM and ACMA requirements. (This means they are safe to use in Australia.)
Here's what you need to consider when choosing a Mintt phone:
Mintt phones offer a range of capacities depending on the model, with 32GB, 64GB and 128GB options available. Whichever size you plump for, most Mintt phones offer - expandable storage via a MicroSD card slot. In other words, storage space should not be an issue even if you buy a 32GB model.
Like most current smartphone manufacturers, Mintt prefers larger displays on its handsets. Sizes range from 5.7 inches to a colossal 6.5 inches. Its flagship models come with decent features for the asking price, including Corning Gorilla Glass and HD+ IPS displays. In our tests, we have found the displays on Mintt phones to be pleasantly sharp. While colours can sometimes appear oversaturated, the overall performance tends to exceed the average phone in its respective price range.
Minnt's pricing won't dent your wallet with most models coming in at between $179 and $349. Currently, Minnt has only targeted the direct sales market, with no carriers offering its phones on contract terms. In terms of bang for buck, they are among the best on the market - it's not uncommon to find premium features like facial recognition, dual rear cameras and fingerprint sensors in sub-$200 models.
Most Mintt phones come with a standard headphone jack, which is to be expected from a budget phone range. If you lament the death of the 3.5mm headphone jack on premium smartphones from Apple and Samsung, Mintt is a good choice (for now.)
Most Mintt phones offer a rear-mounted fingerprint sensor for added security, as well as facial recognition using the front-facing camera on some models. Otherwise, security tends to be limited to the usual inbuilt Android options with no additional software included.
The camera performance of a Mintt phone depends on how much you want to pay. Models under $200 obviously aren't going to wow you, especially when using the zoom or under poor lighting. On the other hand, sub-$400 models are capable of producing Facebook-worthy images thanks to the inclusion of triple lens camera arrays and AI-driven low-light shooting modes.
It's worth noting that phone cameras in the budget and mid-range sector have improved across the board. Mintt is therefore nothing special in this regard. Its phones will capture acceptable images in most situations - just like the competition.
Mintt is sticking to 4G networks for now, with no 5G models available at the time of writing. If you live in a 5G-ready area and are keen to take advantage of faster mobile speeds you will unfortunately need to look elsewhere.
Mintt's latest phone line-up supports Qi wireless charging out of the box. Unfortunately, we found this to be a bit hit and miss in our testing. For example, the UltraMintt Y3 occasionally dropped out when connected to a third-party charger. Nevertheless, wireless charging isn't a given in this price range so we will take what we can get.
Mintt phones tend to have good batteries for the asking price, with higher-than-average capacities for their price range. Depending on what you use your phone for, you can expect to receive up to two days of usage in-between charges.
IP-rated water resistance remains rare in sub-$400 phones and the Mintt range isn't looking to buck this trend any time soon. While you should be able to take them out in the rain without any issues, submerging them in water is definitely best avoided.
The majority of Mintt phones have been powered by lower-end Mediatek CPUs. RAM also tends to be on the small side, with some models making do with 3GB. With that said, when you're paying $180-$399 for a smartphone these shortcoming are to be expected. Regardless of which model you buy, it will handle the majority of phone applications with minimal slowdown.
Looking for a Mintt phone on a plan?
As mentioned above, Mintt phones are currently sold on an outright basis rather than on a contract with a telco. It's therefore worth considering your overall phone spend and the amount you intend to pay for data before considering a Mintt handset.
Check out the table below to compare postpaid SIM-only plans which you can pair with a Mintt phone:
At an affordable RRP of $399, it packs a large 6.3-inch screen with a full HD resolution of 2,340 x 1,080 – something few phones in this price range offer.
Shutterbugs benefit from a triple-lens 20MP + 16MP + 5MP rear camera plus a 24MP selfie camera. While you'll have to contend with a few compromises in low-light conditions and when taking long-range photos, both cameras are capable of taking quality photos and offer plenty of additional features including AI optimisations and a beauty mode.
The 4,050mAh battery is also worth mentioning, as it delivers excellent longevity. It supports wireless Qi charging, another handy feature few comparably priced smartphones offer.
Chris Jager is the lead shopping editor at Finder, specialising in consumer technology and hunting down the best deals. With over 15 years of experience as a full-time journalist, Chris has provided expertise to many leading technology publications, including PC World, Australian Gamepro, Good Gear Guide, ARN, IT News, PC Authority, CRN, GameSpy, Gizmodo, Business Insider, MSN, Kotaku, Lifehacker Australia, Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.
Before joining Finder, Chris was the editor of Lifehacker Australia for five years. He has a Bachelor of Communications in Journalism from the University of Western Sydney. Outside of Finder, you'll find him playing with retro 80s computers while juggling 3 TikTok-obsessed daughters.
The Mintt UltraMintt Y3 provides an excellent range of features for its price, and while it's not the fastest or best smartphone, it's hard to argue it's not good value for money.
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