When it comes to smartphones, it seems companies believe bigger is always better. The screen on the new iPhone 15 Pro comes in at 6.1 inches, the Pixel 8 Pro at 6.7 inches and Samsung’s Galaxy S23 Ultra takes it even further to a whopping 6.8 inches. Seriously, it’s hard to believe that Samsung’s original Galaxy Note was once considered a Goliath at only 5.3 inches.
While Apple has put a nail in the coffin of the Mini line, the iPhone 13 Mini is still available for purchase all over the internet. Its 5.4-inch display makes it a fair bit smaller than any in the iPhone 15 range, and actually qualifies it as the physically smallest phone Apple has made in recent years. Sure, the iPhone SE 2022 has a smaller display, but it has large bezels around the edges, which makes the whole phone slightly larger.
You’ll be paying extra money over the iPhone SE for that more modern design, along with a dual rear camera system that adds an excellent ultrawide angle to the standard view. It’s a shame Apple has discontinued the Mini line because the iPhone 13 Mini really is the best smaller phone to consider right now.
Launched last year, Apple’s iPhone SE packs a solid single camera, a potent A15 Bionic chip and 5G support into a body with a display that measures only 4.7 inches. That’s a huge size difference compared with the gargantuan size of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Using an older design, its large bezels actually mean it’s physically slightly larger than the iPhone 13 Mini, despite having a smaller display.
At $429 it’s the cheapest iPhone Apple makes, but you will have to sacrifice some features including the more impressive multi-camera arrays found on the higher-end models as well as things like Face ID. Still, if you’re after a solid everyday small phone that won’t break the bank, it’s the phone to go for.
Google’s budget phone offering took a leap forward in last year with the Pixel 7A, which boasts many of the same benefits as the Pixel 7 but at a cheaper price. At 6.1 inches, it isn’t exactly a tiny phone, but it’s certainly among the smallest Android phones you should consider buying.
Like the Pixel 7, the Pixel 7A runs on Google’s Tensor G2 processor, meaning it has many of the same photo editing and language translation features as its pricier sibling. The Pixel 7A’s 64-megapixel camera also takes excellent photos that will suit casual snappers well.
Though the Pixel 7A has technically replaced the older Pixel 6A, Google is continuing to sell the 6A and it’s even lopping some cash off the asking price. The phone is frequently found for around $350, which is a huge savings over the regular $449 price, so make sure you shop around if you’re looking for a bargain. Like the 7A, its screen measures 6.1 inches, which is just what we have to consider small these days.
It includes 5G connectivity, solid all-round performance and a dual camera system that can take great photos in daylight and at night. It isn’t as generally high performing as the top-end Pixel 7 Pro, but it’s less than half the price of the flagship, so it’s well worth considering if you’re shopping on a budget.
With a 6.7-inch screen size, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4’s screen is way too big to be on this list. But before you slam your fists into your keyboard at my incompetence, hear me out. As one of Samsung’s foldable phones, the Z Flip 4 folds in half, turning that massive screen into a small, square puck that quite comfortably fits into a jacket pocket.
An outer display will alert you to incoming notifications, meaning you only need to unfold it to its full size when you actually want to reply. Sure, it might not be the perfect solution, and with a starting price of $1,000 it’s hardly cheap, but its innovative hinge design might offer you the best of both worlds: a compact form when it’s sitting in your pocket, but a big screen for when you want to use it.
Read our Galaxy Z Flip 4 review.
Article source: https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/best-small-phone/#ftag=CAD4aa2096