For some time, it appeared like smartphones had been simply going to get greater and greater till we had been all principally strolling round with tablets, however now there are fairly a couple of nice choices in case you’re available in the market for a small telephone. Should you’ve acquired petite palms like me and like smaller telephones, you will discover the entire greatest compact smartphones under.
We have personally examined each one in all these telephones ourselves and might provide the good (and dangerous) components of every gadget on this record. Finally, I selected the Samsung Galaxy S24 as the most effective small telephone for most individuals. It is because the S24 has one of many quickest processors you may get with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, fabulous cameras, and a very good replace coverage that can preserve your telephone up-to-date for years to return.
Namerah Saud Fatmi
Namerah enjoys geeking out over equipment, devices, and all types of sensible tech. She spends her time guzzling espresso, writing, informal gaming, and cuddling together with her furry greatest associates.
At a look
Finest general
The Galaxy S24 is a reasonably compact telephone at simply 2.78 inches large, however nonetheless manages to pack in a 6.2-inch show with a barely bigger battery than the earlier technology.
Finest worth
Retailing for underneath $500, the Pixel 8a boasts some excellent digital camera tech, the identical processor discovered within the Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Professional, and a glossy and compact design.
3. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6
Finest foldable
Due to a considerate, foldable building, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 enables you to take pleasure in the advantages of a 6.7-inch show with the pocketable kind issue of a small telephone.
Finest for lovers
Due to a shocking but tiny 5.92-inch 144Hz show, wonderful battery life, and a 3.5mm headphone jack with a high-quality DAC, the Asus Zenfone 10 can be almost good if it labored on Verizon.
Finest AI options
The Pixel 9 has a bigger show than the Pixel 8a, however its bodily dimensions are roughly the identical, making it a wonderful premium different. It additionally comes with cutting-edge AI options that you just will not discover in different Pixels.
Finest general
Whereas the bigger Galaxy S24 Extremely steals a lot of the highlight for Samsung’s newest S24 technology of telephones, the bottom Galaxy S24 remains to be one of many greatest Android telephones with many of the greater telephone’s greatest options. The Galaxy S24 appears to be like an terrible lot just like the outgoing S23, however in the case of being a small telephone, it is made a couple of good upgrades. First, the display is barely bigger at 6.2 inches with not more than a millimeter in further width. Actually, the telephone is ever so barely shorter than the earlier mannequin.
One other improve comes with the battery which will get a shot within the arm to take it from 3,900mAh to 4,000mAh with assist for 25W wired charging and 15W wi-fi charging. The digital camera system is led by the tried and true 50MP sensor with a 10MP telephoto and 12MP ultrawide digital camera serving to out. Watch out shopping for a world mannequin as some are fitted with the Exynos 2400 SoC which is a strong chip, however not as succesful because the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 fitted to the US mannequin.
With regards to provider assist, nearly each provider will activate the S24 with out situation. Help for 5G on the main carriers together with Verizon and AT&T’s mid-band 5G is current with mmWave on the US mannequin. Lastly, Samsung is providing a powerful seven years of software program updates for the S24 telephones so your telephone can be up-to-date for years to return. I’m sure that there is no different small telephone at present that’s this highly effective and glossy.
| Attribute | Fast look | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Improved PWM dimming with implausible visuals and brightness ranges | ★★★★★ |
| Design | Curved edges meet a glossy, compact kind issue | ★★★★☆ |
| Value | Customary base-level flagship pricing | ★★★★☆ |
| Digicam | Similar respectable ones from final yr however not spectacular sufficient | ★★★☆☆ |
| Efficiency | Performs just like the powerhouse it’s | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | Lasts you all day lengthy after which some | ★★★★☆ |
| Updates | Seven years is simply too good of a promise | ★★★★★ |
Finest worth
Google’s Pixel A-series has lengthy been a price chief because the collection was launched. Whereas most A-series telephones have been on the smaller facet, they usually pair the diminutive measurement and value with equally diminutive specs. Just like the 7a, nevertheless, the Pixel 8a could be thought of a “worth flagship” telephone that additionally doubles as the most effective small telephone you should buy.
Each time I choose the telephone up and use it, I marvel at how this telephone solely prices $500 and but feels so darn premium in each approach. The processor inside is identical one within the dearer Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Professional, providing the identical superior digital camera options as these Pixel telephones. It is also extraordinarily comfy to carry, with Google rounding the sides and tweaking the general design with the 8 vary. I had a troublesome time of it, selecting between the 8 and the 8a, however the 8a simply provides a lot extra worth for cash.
Along with the Pixel 8a internet hosting the joint greatest digital camera {hardware} on any A-series mannequin up to now alongside the earlier mannequin, the Tensor G3 processor additionally ensures that the photographs you seize are crystal clear each time. Google has lengthy been a grasp at this with options like Face Unblur expertise, mechanically capturing crisp faces even when there’s motion.
| Attribute | Fast look | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Nice for everybody however PWM-sensitive people | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | Daring colours, stunning and comfy design | ★★★★★ |
| Value | Impossibly good value level | ★★★★★ |
| Digicam | Signature best-in-class Pixel cameras | ★★★★☆ |
| Efficiency | AI options are superior however it might probably’t deal with gaming | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | Sluggish charging and middling battery | ★★☆☆☆ |
| Updates | Business-leading seven years of updates | ★★★★★ |
Finest foldable
If there’s anyone particular purpose to get a foldable telephone, it is to suit a much bigger show in an precise pocketable kind issue. That is exactly why the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 is the most effective foldable telephone for followers of smaller telephones. Living proof, it might need an enormous 6.7-inch show on the within — which is something however “small” or pocketable — however the Flip 6 folds in half once you’re performed with it, supplying you with the comfort of a small telephone measurement and a giant display once you want it. I do not find out about you, however I am a nineties child so the nostalgia issue of flip telephones can also be a giant draw for me.
With the Galaxy Z Flip 6, Samsung additionally boosted the dimensions of the battery, so you may count on longer battery life per cost in comparison with the Flip 5. The Z Flip 6 is a hair thinner when folded, however in any other case is roughly the identical measurement because the earlier mannequin. The brand new Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 processor makes every little thing in regards to the telephone higher, together with the digital camera expertise.
Samsung has lastly given the Flip 6 an official safety towards strong particles, because of the IP48 ranking. As soon as once more, Samsung has continued to decide on refinement over dramatic transformation; select this telephone and you will be getting some of the gratifying and distinctive small telephone experiences round.
| Attribute | Fast look | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Inner show is nicer than the exterior one | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | Traditional foldable kind issue modelled after flip telephones | ★★★★★ |
| Value | Fairly darn costly as it is a foldable | ★★★☆☆ |
| Digicam | Strong cameras with improved main sensor | ★★★★☆ |
| Efficiency | Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy is an absolute beast | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | Good uptime however gradual charging pace | ★★★★☆ |
| Updates | Samsung’s top-notch seven-year promise | ★★★★★ |
Finest for lovers
Most small Android telephones cannot be known as small by the identical definition we had simply 5 years in the past, however the ASUS Zenfone 10 eschews that thought and delivers a real one-handed expertise. This tiny telephone is so good that the succeeding Zenfone 11 Extremely pales compared — to not point out it’s miles too massive. I will not lie, I used to be a sucker for the Zenfone 9. A part of me remains to be mad at ASUS for revamping the Zenfone 11. Do not repair what is not damaged!
Thus, I proceed to advocate the spunky little Zenfone 11 for small telephone lovers. Even the side-mounted fingerprint sensor can be utilized to scroll content material on the display, enabling new methods of one-handed use that are not usually seen.
Along with that, ASUS packed a giant, big battery inside in addition to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, which remains to be extremely highly effective by at present’s requirements. Which means you are going to get virtually the most effective efficiency from an Android telephone and battery life that’ll make you surprise what kind of voodoo magic ASUS labored on the telephone. Two-day battery life is regular with the Zenfone 10, and that is virtually exhausting to imagine when a telephone is that this quick.
ASUS additionally packed in some really excellent cameras, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack onboard, making us surprise why different OEMs cannot get their act collectively and embrace one. The Zenfone 10 is on the market within the U.S. and works on each the AT&T and T-Cell networks with assist for 5G, although rural protection could also be weaker than Samsung and Google telephones as a result of supporting fewer bands.
| Attribute | Fast look | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Chic and snappy AMOLED bolstered by Gorilla Glass Victus | ★★★★★ |
| Design | Beautiful matte design with simply the correct width | ★★★★★ |
| Value | Wonderful mid-range value now that it is older | ★★★★★ |
| Digicam | Dependable sensors however zoom lens is lacking | ★★★★☆ |
| Efficiency | Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 delivers top-dollar efficiency | ★★★★★ |
| Battery life | A complete day’s value of battery simply | ★★★★☆ |
| Updates | Two years’ updates, ending with Android 15 | ★★★☆☆ |
Finest AI options
The Google Pixel 9 won’t appear notably spectacular over a Pixel 8 at first look, however the adjustments to the design, the bigger battery, and its new AI options form of make up for the rise in value. The Pixel 9 is slimmer than the Pixel 8 and has comparable dimensions because the 8a, however it’s a bit heavier now at 198g. The truth that the Pixel 9 now will get a 6.3-inch show in a similarly-sized physique because the 8a is a large bonus.
Software program is as soon as once more the spotlight of the Pixel 9, because of novel and helpful AI instruments. The brand new Tensor G4 chipset permits the telephone to run Gemini Nano with Multimodality for understanding textual content, pictures, and audio, and course of outcomes on-device. New GenAI instruments mean you can add objects and visible components to reinforce present pictures. The Pixel 9 can also be assured to get seven years of OS and safety updates too, making it future-proof.
The ultrawide digital camera on the Pixel 9 lastly acquired a lift in decision, with a brand new 48MP sensor. One other space of enchancment is the battery capability, which has gone as much as 4,700mAh. The Pixel 9 begins at $799, which is $100 greater than what the Pixel 8 launched at.
Personally, I might splurge on the Pixel 9 Professional over the Pixel 9 purely for the extra telephoto lens, extra RAM, and higher display brightness, however that actually would not justify the $200 value hole between the 2. Not everybody can (or ought to) spend that form of cash on menial upgrades. So, if you would like the most effective AI options on a small Android telephone and a shocking design, I like to recommend the Google Pixel 9 for most individuals.
| Attribute | Fast look | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Show | Gorgeous and vibrant with crip image high quality | ★★★★☆ |
| Design | Enticing new design with splashy colours | ★★★★★ |
| Value | Similar start line as Galaxy S24 | ★★★★☆ |
| Digicam | State-of-the-art pictures and AI options | ★★★★★ |
| Efficiency | Tensor 3 brings helpful AI options | ★★★★☆ |
| Battery life | A few day’s value or a bit much less, gradual charging | ★★★☆☆ |
| Updates | Stellar seven-year assure | ★★★★★ |
How to decide on
The marketplace for small Android telephones is not as expansive because it was, however there are nonetheless loads of selections on the market if the place to look. With regards to our efficiency, the Galaxy S24 is a straightforward selection with the newest Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC powering it, and wonderful software program assist from Samsung promising seven years of Android updates. In comparison with the Samsung Galaxy S23, the S24 has elevated its display measurement and battery measurement with out making the telephone noticeably wider.
The Google Pixel 8a is probably not what everybody considers “small” but it surely has superb specs throughout the board, is available in at a value that is greater than cheap, and might nonetheless be thought of small by trendy telephone requirements. Utilizing the Pixel 8a is fairly darn nice it doesn’t matter what you are doing, usually punching above what you’d count on from a telephone this low cost. If you need a extra premium expertise in the same kind issue, the Pixel 9 checks all of the packing containers. It is higher than the 8a in just about each approach, however comes at a giant bump in value.
Should you want a telephone that is really designed for one-handed use, then look no additional than the Zenfone 10. ASUS one way or the other managed to ship high-end {hardware}, nice cameras, and a big battery into this small telephone, and it’s a really standout bundle that may’t even be overwhelmed by its personal newer iteration. It might be a bit increased on the record with higher assist for U.S. carriers like Verizon, and extra retailer availability.
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Testing telephones at Android Central includes way more than merely booting up a tool to make sure it really works. We will use telephones with a client mindset as a result of we are customers, along with Android lovers and product testers. In contrast to some websites that rely solely on benchmark applications and lab exams to confirm efficiency, we use smartphones in real-life eventualities to higher perceive how a tool will carry out throughout regular, day-to-day use.
This includes personally hitting the streets to see how a telephone’s digital camera holds up throughout the day and night time, and evaluating photos from two units facet by facet to see how they differ. Our testing includes working a number of performance-heavy apps concurrently to see if a telephone will overheat or swiftly lose battery life. It includes booting up graphics-intensive video games on the highest settings to see if the pictures will lag or stutter, and it means draining the battery of a telephone to zero to check the pace at which it would recharge.
This barely scratches the floor of each testing metric we apply to every new gadget, so try our information to how Android Central exams and opinions telephones to be taught extra.