The 10 best small phones you can buy (2024)

Price When Reviewed:$499

The Pixel 7a is Google’s smallest smartphone with a 6.1in screen that isn’t strictly tiny, but compared to the rest of the market it is. That’s bolstered by the company’s superb flavour of Android with decent customisation options but a good-looking and welcoming layout for buyers of all ages.

The 7a has the same Tensor G2 chipset as the Pixel 7 and 7 Pro, so it’s also a very good performer for the price. You’ll be able to comfortably enjoy videos and games on the 90Hz screen – it’s the first Pixel A-series phone with a high refresh rate display. Add IP67 dust and water resistance to the mix, and this is a great all-round phone.

Where it excels is with its camera. The is one of the best phone cameras full stop, let alone one that is specifically small. Photos from the 64Mp main sensor are consistently superb.

The phone charges quite slowly and has a plastic back, but apart from that, this is an exceptional smaller phone.

Price When Reviewed:$999

The 6.1in iPhone 15 Pro isn’t the smallest phone Apple makes, but it does offer the best balance between a compact design and premium specs.

Almost everything you’ll find on the much larger iPhone 15 Pro Max is present here, including stellar performance from Apple’s A17 Pro chipset. The cameras are right up there with the very best for photos, and videos are on another level compared to any Android phone.

That 120Hz screen is a joy to use, and the Dynamic Island is genuinely useful now lots of third-party apps use it. Throw in a new Titanium design (that’s both tough and lightweight) and the long-awaited USB-C port, and this is clearly the best compact iPhone you can buy.

However, the combination of average battery life and slow charging is disappointing, and the iPhone 15 Pro doesn’t come cheap. If the latter is a dealbreaker, consider the regular iPhone 15, which also has a 6.1in display.

Price When Reviewed:$699.99

Asus has continued to make smaller phones when the trend has been to supersize, and we are eternally grateful. In 2023, the Zenfone 10 is not only the best Zenfone model ever, it’s also one of our favourite small phones, and the best small Android flagship you can get.

It has the powerful Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, which has also enabled outstanding power efficiency from the necessarily small battery – this phone has very good battery life, lasting well over a day of use.

The punchy OLED display is 5.9in and has a 144Hz high refresh rate screen (for games only, 120Hz max otherwise), and on the other side is a grippy plastic finish – with no glass, you can rock the phone without a case, but there is one in the box if you want.

You might prefer another phone if you want more than two years of Android updates, which is all Asus promises, but if you aren’t bothered (there’s four years of security patches) then this is one of the best phones – small or otherwise – you can buy.

Price When Reviewed:$999.99

Motorola has knocked it out of the park with the Razr 40 Ultra, or Razr+ (2023) if you’re in the US. It’s the best folding phone you can buy, and the flip design also makes it a great small phone.

While the 6.9in main display is on the large side, the 3.6in cover display is still very usable and can run any app. Combined with very respectable battery life and an IP52 water and dust resistance rating (a rarity among flip phones) it’s an excellent all-rounder.

You will have to put up with the older Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset, but performance is still very good. And despite some outer screen bugs, Motorola’s take on Android is among the best.

Cameras are the obvious weakness, and Android 16 is the last major version you’ll get, but the Razr 40 Ultra is still the small foldable to beat.

If you’re looking for something more affordable, go for the regular Razr 40.

Price When Reviewed:$999.99

The Galaxy Z Flip 5 might not be the best flip phone you can buy, but it’s still one of the finest compact phones you can buy.

Its key difference compared to the Razr 40 Ultra is a smaller 3.4in outer display, and Samsung also limits which apps you can run on it. As a result, you’ll need to use the 6.7in main display more often, though both OLED panels look excellent.

Performance is one area where Samsung has the upper hand over Motorola, with the Z Flip 5 powered by a boosted version of the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2. It delivers truly excellent performance, but you’re still only getting around one full day of battery life, and charging remains frustratingly slow.

Samsung’s One UI skin over Android feels very intuitive, with a few useful software tricks specifically designed for the outer screen. You also get an impressive four years of Android updates and five years of security patches.

It’s not quite the best folding phone out there, but it’s not far off.

Price When Reviewed:From $699

The Pixel 8 is a very good compact phone, but a price rise means it doesn’t quite offer the same great value for money as the Pixel 7.

There’s still a lot to like, though. Alongside the larger Pixel 8 Pro, you’re getting the best point-and-shoot camera experience of any smartphone – all three lenses are impressive.

Its 6.2in OLED display is another highlight, and the more secure face unlock (it can now be used for banking apps) is a great alternative to the in-display fingerprint sensor.

Google’s Tensor G3 chipset enables it, plus several useful photo and video editing features. Performance is very impressive, though power efficiency isn’t enough to make battery life a strength.

You’ll get a full day of usage most of the time, but those heavy days will be more of a challenge. And it’s frustrating to only have 27W charging available.

Android on the Pixel 8 is simply superb, especially with seven years of updates. But also plenty of downgrades compared to the 8 Pro, and it’s not a no-brainer in the same way the Pixel 7 was.

Price When Reviewed:Was $599

Apple hasn’t made a ‘Mini’ phone since 2021, but the company’s long software support means the 13 Mini is still a great buy.

Its 5.4in display is smaller than most phones in this list, but holds up well despite the lack of a high refresh rate. Apple’s A15 Bionic chip remains supremely powerful, and the cameras are excellent.

But the lightweight yet premium design is the main reason to buy it over rivals. The 13 Mini is significantly smaller than even the iPhone 15 Pro, but battery life is only other real sacrifice – it’ll only just about last a full day most of the time.

However, with plenty of discounts these days, the 13 Mini is still a great choice in 2023.

Price When Reviewed:Not available in the US

The Sony Xperia 5 V is a beautifully unique phone – it has a narrower and taller display than other phones thanks to its 21:9 aspect ratio. It means you can fit a lot of text on the screen in portrait orientation or watch films and TV shows in full screen when in landscape – 21:9 is used in the film industry.

Its dimensions mean the phone is comfortable to hold and scroll one-handed, though you may need two to reach the top. It’s also very slim, with an attractively angular utilitarian feel that you don’t find on other phones. It’s a phone that feels like a tool, which is reflected in the camera system – Sony has decided to push the manual controls of the phone so it feels as though you’re using one of its Sony Alpha cameras.

It means this is not the best phone for point and shoot photography but if you want to get granular control and use several dedicated camera and video apps you can’t get on other phones, the Xperia 5 V will be the small phone for you. It even has a headphone jack!

Price When Reviewed:From $999

Samsung has made the cover display of the Z Flip 5 significantly bigger, but it’s not necessarily an improvement. If you’re happy with a smaller 1.9in one for more basic functions (including selfies with the main cameras), the Z Flip 4 could be for you.

Its 2022 flagship specs still hold up very well in 2023. That includes great Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 performance, solid battery life and an excellent main rear camera. Samsung’s One UI skin offers some genuinely useful tweaks to Android, and Samsung guarantees OS updates until 2026.

Despite a visible crease, the main 6.7in 120Hz display is also excellent. Clear compromises come in the form of slow 25W charging and and the lack of a telephoto camera.

Long-term durability is also a concern, but that doesn’t stop the Z Flip 4 from being easy to recommend.

Price When Reviewed:$429 (64GB) | $479 (128GB) | $579 (256GB)

The iPhone SE is one of Apple’s smallest iPhones – only the Mini models are more petite – but it’s not our first choice.

That’s mostly because Apple’s has stuck to its old iPhone design here, meaning that while the SE is small, a lot of that space is wasted by a big black bezel and Home Button. That means the display is absolutely tiny and still low resolution – other small phones will feel bigger.

Still, you get the same processor as the iPhone 13 series, along with wireless charging and water-proofing. And while there’s only one rear camera it is pretty good – though not at night.

Buy this if you can’t afford either of the Minis, but otherwise it’s better to stretch your budget if you can.