Phones keep getting bigger and bigger, but just because they’re bigger doesn’t mean they’re better. For example, the first iPhone had a 3.5-inch screen, now the iPhone XS Max has a 6.5-inch display. Not everyone wants those extra 3 inches.
There are still a plethora of decent smartphones on the market with a small screen, under 6 inches and even under 5 inches. In this guide, we introduce you to the best small smartphones that are pocket-sized and can be used easily with one hand.
Why buy a small phone?
Simply, large phones can be too big. The bezels inside the phones’ screens have shrunk significantly in recent years, but surely not everyone likes to carry around a Galaxy Note 10, which has a 6.3-inch screen! Not only is it a huge phone, it is also very expensive.
People with smaller hands will constantly find themselves having to use a large phone with both hands, which is no small inconvenience! Small smartphones, on the other hand, can be used with one hand, fit in your pocket much more comfortably, and are just as fast as larger phones.
When it comes to smartphones, “bigger” doesn’t necessarily mean “better”, so in this comparison, you will find the best small smartphones currently on the market.
1. APPLE IPHONE SE
The best compact smartphone for most people
Weight- 148g | Dimensions- 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm | Operating system- iOS | Screen Size- 4.7 inch (IPS LCD) | Resolution- 1334 × 750 pixels | CPU- Apple A13 Bionic | RAM- 3 GB | Internal Memory- 64GB, 128GB or 256GB | Expandable Memory: No | Battery- 1821mAh | Rear Camera- 12MP | Front camera- 7MP
Why buy it: It has a good battery, has a slim, sleek, and lightweight design with flat, easy-to-grip sides, and has a pretty sturdy aluminum back panel.
The iPhone SE 2020 has the smallest screen on this list – just 4 inches. But don’t be fooled by the small screen- the iPhone SE is a small but powerful iPhone, has far from poor performance, and can hold its own even with the latest iPhone models. Obviously, being a mid-range phone, the iPhone SE has some downsides- the screen technology could be better and the headphone jack is missing (but wired headphones can still be plugged into the Lightning port); but for what it costs, this is one of the best iPhones Apple has ever made.
3D Touch is also missing on this iPhone, despite making its debut on the iPhone 6S. And even the battery may not last until the end of the day (unless you carry a power bank with you). It is available in 64GB, 128GB and 256GB memory sizes.
2. SAMSUNG GALAXY S10E
The small phone with the best value for money
Weight- 150g | Dimensions- 142.2 x 69.9 x 7.9 mm | Operating system- Android | Screen size- 5.8 inch | Resolution- 2280 x 1080 pixels | CPU- Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9820 | RAM- 6 GB | Internal Memory- 128 / 256GB | Expandable memory: Yes, with microSD | Battery- 3100mAh | Rear camera- 12MP with wide angle + 16MP with telephoto (2x optical zoom) | Front camera- 10MP
Why buy it: It’s a full-fledged top of the line, so it has high power and performance, a good camera, and a borderless design
With a 5.8-inch screen, the Samsung Galaxy S10e may not seem like a super compact phone to you, but remember that it has very small bezels around the screen- the total size of the phone, in fact, indicates that this is still one of the best smartphones. small on the market.
In addition to its small size, it also has the best spec and performance that Samsung can offer. Under the shell is the Snapdragon 855 or Exynos 9820 processor, depending on the country, associated with 8 GB of RAM and up to 256 GB of storage (which can also be expanded).
If you add to this the wide range of colors the Samsung Galaxy S10e is available in, you understand that this is a great smartphone for people who want a smaller phone. It’s not quite cheap, but it’s cheaper than the other models in the Galaxy S10 series.
True, the S10e is no longer a very recent phone, but its successors, the Galaxy S20 FE and the Galaxy S21 are both noticeably larger than the S10e and therefore cannot be included in this list.
3. APPLE IPHONE 12 MINI
The best premium compact phone
Weight- 135g | Dimensions- 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.4mm | Operating system- iOS | Screen Size- 5.4 inch (OLED) | Resolution- 1080 x 2340 pixels (476 ppi) | CPU- Apple A14 Bionic | RAM- 4 GB | Internal memory- 64/128/256 GB | Expandable Memory: No | Battery- 2227 mAh | Rear camera- 12 MP with wide angle + 12 MP with ultra wide angle | Front camera- 12MP with wide angle
Why buy it: It’s the best 5-inch smartphone, it’s blazing fast, and has a great camera.
If you’re on a budget above the cost of the iPhone SE, then the iPhone 12 Mini might be the best compact phone for you. It has a 5.4-inch screen, but thanks to the presence of the notch and the absence of bezels, it is actually smaller in size than the iPhone SE.
With the iPhone 12 mini, you’ll also get 5G and Apple’s fastest mobile processor on the market (the A14 Bionic), plus a 12MP + 12MP dual-lens rear camera instead of the iPhone SE’s single camera and its face unlocking “Face ID”. Both the 12 Mini and the SE have the latest version of iOS, so there is virtually no difference in software and apps.
There’s also faster wireless charging on the iPhone 12 mini than the iPhone SE, and the screen has a higher resolution and is OLED rather than LCD. The iPhone 12 mini costs more, but gives you a lot more, and it’s also smaller than the SE model.
4. GOOGLE PIXEL 4A
The best small budget smartphone
Weight- 143g | Dimensions- 144 x 69.4 x 8.2 mm | Operating system- Android | Screen size- 5.81 inches (OLED) | Resolution- 1080 x 2340 pixels (443 ppi) | CPU- Snapdragon 730G | RAM- 6 GB | Internal Memory- 128GB | Expandable Memory: No | Battery- 3140mAh | Rear Camera- 12.2MP Wide Angle | Front camera- 8 MP wide angle
Why buy it: One of the best camera phones around, fast and stable Android updates, and a sleek, compact body/
Obviously, iOS and iPhones aren’t for everyone, and if you’re looking for the best compact phone with Android, then Google’s Pixel 4a might be the one for you- it’s fast, it has an excellent camera, it has a “clean” version. of Android and is also very competitively priced.
There are several models belonging to the Pixel range, but the Pixel 4a is the cheapest of the current generation, without giving up too much in terms of camera performance or quality. In the phone, we find a very powerful Snapdragon 730G processor, a generous 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage for files and photos.
What matters for the purposes of this guide is the size of the phone, and the Pixel 4a comes with a 5.81-inch OLED display. Thanks to the very thin bezels and the small notch, it’s a phone that you can slip into your pocket and hold in your hand without too much trouble.
5. APPLE IPHONE XS
A compact size phone that delivers the premium iPhone experience
Weight- 177g | Dimensions- 143.6 x 70.9 x 7.7mm | Operating system- iOS | Screen size- 5.8 inch | Resolution- 1125 x 2436 pixels | CPU- Apple A12 Bionic | RAM- 4GB | Internal memory- 64/256 / 512GB | Expandable Memory: No | Battery- 2658mAh | Rear Camera- 12MP + 12MP | Front camera- 7MP
Why buy it: It is very powerful like all other smartphones from Apple and will be supported for years and years.
The 5.8-inch iPhone XS is the smallest iPhone at the moment after the iPhone SE.
Although the screen is substantially larger than the 4.7-inch iPhone 8, this phone has no bezels around the display, just a notch, and therefore is roughly the same size as the iPhone SE. You may not always be able to use it with one hand, but it is still very compact.
It is a small and powerful smartphone- it integrates the latest Apple A12 Bionic processor, a dual-lens camera on the back, all the useful features of iOS 12, and much more.
6. SAMSUNG GALAXY A41
The best mid-range compact phone
Weight- 152g | Dimensions- 149.9 x 69.8 x 7.9 mm | Operating system- Android | Screen Size- 6.1 inch (OLED) | Resolution- 1080 x 2400 pixels (431 ppi) | CPU- Mediatek Helio P65 | RAM- 4 GB | Internal memory- 64 GB | Expandable memory: Yes, with microSD | Battery- 3500mAh | Rear camera- 48 MP wide angle + 8 MP ultra wide angle + 5 MP depth | Front camera- 25MP wide angle
Why buy it: It has classic Samsung’s great build quality and has a bright, sharp screen.
Samsung makes more phones than you imagine- In addition to flagship phones like the Galaxy S21 Ultra, there is the Galaxy A41 which, with a 6.1-inch display, is actually one of the smallest phones in Samsung’s current range. as well as being one of the cheapest.
The budget nature of the phone is given by the Mediatek Helio P65 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of internal storage (which you can expand with a memory card), but the phone will still be able to do everything you have. need. The 48MP + 8MP + 5MP triple-lens rear camera is also very good quality for the price this phone costs.
True, you’ll have to forgo some extra features like wireless charging, waterproofing, and 5G, but for what it costs, it works well and is one of the best compact phones you can buy right now.
7. XIAOMI MI 9 SE
The best compact Chinese smartphone
Weight- 155g | Dimensions- 147.5 x 70.5 x 7.45 mm | Operating system- Android | Screen Size- 5.97 inches (AMOLED) | Resolution- 2340 x 1080 pixels | CPU- Snapdragon 712 | RAM- 6 GB | Internal Memory- 64GB or 128GB | Expandable Memory: No | Battery- 3070mAh | Rear Camera- 48 Mp + 13 Mp + 8 Mp | Front camera- 20MP
Why buy it: Nice display, compact size, and triple camera.
The Mi 9 SE is one of the best budget Android phones around, and it’s the most compact version of the Mi 9. It’s one of the best Chinese budget compact smartphones. Being more compact, it is more comfortable to hold. It integrates a fingerprint sensor under the display, a 48-megapixel triple-lens camera, and a beautiful glass body.
The screen, produced by Samsung, is AMOLED and occupies practically the entire surface of the phone- there are no frames, if not a small “drop” on the top for the front camera. The resolution is Full-HD +, with 2340 × 1080 pixels. While some phones have Quad-HD + resolution, we find Full-HD + to be a good compromise between clarity and efficiency, and it’s still crisp with a pixel density of 432 PPI.
It is a fast phone because it features the Snapdragon 712 as a processor. It lacks the slot to insert a microSD card, but it has a double slot to insert two SIM cards (it is dual SIM). Furthermore, it is available in two internal memory sizes- 64GB and 128GB, which will suffice for most users.
As for the battery, the Xiaomi Mi 9 SE has a capacity of 3070 mAh, enough to reach the end of the day with still 15% of the remaining autonomy. On top of that, thanks to the 18W fast charging, you can charge your phone from 0 to 100% in less than an hour and a half.
8. MOTOROLA RAZR
The best small foldable smartphone
Weight- 192g | Dimensions- 169.2 x 72.6 x 7.9 mm (open) | Operating system- Android | Screen Size- 6.2 inch (OLED) | Resolution- 876 x 2142 pixels (373 ppi) | CPU- Qualcomm Snapdragon 765G | RAM- 8 GB | Internal Memory- 256GB | Expandable Memory: No | Battery- 2800mAh | Rear Camera- 48MP Wide Angle | Front camera- 20MP wide angle
Why buy it: It folds in half like old flip phones and has a handy secondary screen on the front.
Although the Motorola Razr has a 6.2-inch screen, which is relatively large, it also folds in half, which means it’s very easy to slip into your pocket or purse when needed (and ignore incoming calls and messages when you don’t want to be disturbed).
Aside from the wow factor of having a foldable phone and being able to close it when you’re done talking to someone, let’s move on to the technical features- on board is a Snapdragon 765G processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of internal storage and 5G connectivity. The main camera only has a single 48MP lens, but it’s still more than enough for photos to post on social networks.
Plus, there’s a smaller 2.7-inch display that you can use to monitor incoming notifications and other information without having to open your phone, so you’ll most likely keep your phone folded for most of the day.
9. SONY XPERIA XZ2 COMPACT
A concentrate of power in a small Android smartphone
Weight- 168g | Dimensions- 135 x 65 x 12.1mm | Operating system- Android | Screen size- 5 inches | Resolution- 1080 x 2160 pixels | CPU- Kryo 385 Silver | RAM- 4GB | Internal Memory- 64GB | Expandable memory: Yes, with microSD | Battery- 2870mAh | Rear Camera- 19MP | Front camera – 5MP
Why buy it: It’s fast, and Sony’s camera is as impressive as ever.
Maybe Sony doesn’t release as many phones on the market as Apple or Samsung, but they do make one of the best small phones, the Xperia XZ2 Compact. It has top-notch hardware specifications and a screen size of just 5 inches diagonally.
Of course, the design is not one of the most innovative and thin on the market, but if you are looking for a fast phone that fits in your pocket and does not have the notch (the “notch” at the top of the display so hated by some), give it a look (the Snapdragon 845 high-end CPU runs everything fine).
Being a Sony, the 19-megapixel rear camera works well, and the phone also has some useful additional features, such as IP68 rating for water and dust protection. Plus, it comes in four pretty eye-catching colors.
10. NOKIA 5.1
A cheap but quality mobile phone? This is the best small phone for those on a budget
Weight- 150g | Dimensions- 151.1 x 70.7 x 8.2mm | Operating system- Android | Screen size- 5.5 inches | Resolution- 1080 x 2160 pixels | CPU- Cortex A53 | RAM- 2 / 3GB | Internal memory- 16 / 32GB | Expandable memory: Yes, with microSD | Battery- 2970mAh | Rear Camera- 16MP | Front camera- 8MP
Why buy it: It has a premium finish for a budget phone, and it doesn’t cost much.
Under the leadership of HMD Global, Nokia has once again established itself in the smartphone market, this time with a series of powerful yet simple phones that occupy the low end of the market and perform well, as well as providing a clean and fast version of Android.
The Nokia 5.1 joins this slow and steady rebirth, which with a screen size of 5.5 inches becomes part of this particular comparison. It’s not the fastest or most beautiful phone you’ll find, but it’s great value for money and it’s easy to use with one hand.
You’ll probably want to invest in a microSD card for more usable space, but other than that it’s a cheap Nokia phone. It’s been a few years since it came out, so if you can’t find it, check out the other models in the Nokia range.
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