Not everybody loves a big phone, yet it seems that mainstream phone screens get ever bigger. Where once smartphone screens started around four inches across, these days it’s hard to find many below about 6.5” – essentially phablet territory. So what do you do if you prefer something smaller, lighter or more discreet? And where exactly have all the best small phones gone?
In truth, the mass market seems to favour rich media experiences over a small package. Today there are precious few truly small phones, but if you take six inches as a maximum screen size, there are still a handful of great phones to choose from. Best of all, they tend to be cheaper than their full-sized siblings!
Is a small phone less good than a big one?
The short answer is no, not really. The most obvious difference is that small phones tend to have physically smaller screens. This usually means a lower resolution, which may restrict the amount of information that fits on the display – you may need to scroll more to view the full length of a menu or web page, for example. If you’re a gamer, you may notice some on-screen buttons seem bigger, or that you can’t get quite as wide a view of the game world. Screen sharpness, brightness and contrast are usually all comparable to a larger phone.
There’s a less obvious difference, too. Compact phones have smaller batteries, so although their smaller screens use less power, overall they won’t go quite as long as a big phone between charges.
There shouldn’t be any significant difference between a small and large phone when it comes to features or performance. There’s enough room to fit in features like wireless charging and 5G, and no need to compromise over charging speed or waterproofing.
So, if small phones can be just as good as big ones, the choice comes down largely to personal preference. If you fancy downsizing, here’s our guide to the best small phones, and what makes each one great.
Apple iPhone 13 mini
Price £679 (from Apple) – get a cheap iPhone 13 mini on Mozillion
Mozillion rating
Why buy?The best small phone you can buy
Large it with…an iPhone 13
If you want the best small phone you can get, stop reading here. The iPhone 13 mini has all the features you could need, is one of the fastest phones you can buy, and it’s the cheapest of the current iPhone lineup too.
Why is it so good? First up, it’s a genuinely small phone, measuring just 132x64x8mm and weighing only 140 grams. Despite this, there’s room for a reasonable 5.4” screen with a 1,080×2,340 resolution – it’s actually got more pixels per inch than the rest of the range, in theory giving it a sharper picture.
Other than the smaller screen and battery, the iPhone 13 mini is identical to the full-sized iPhone 13. That means it’s powered by the blisteringly quick A15 Bionic processor – it’s faster than anything else except iPhone 13 Pro models. At the back there’s a dual 12 megapixel (MP) camera offering the latest Apple features including Cinematic Mode. Oh, and you can get it with up to 512GB to store all your movies, downloads and games.
If you’re after a small, fast, fully featured phone, it really is hard to argue against the iPhone 13 mini. If you want to go small and you can afford it, it’s the best small phone you can buy – discover more in our iPhone 13 mini review.
Apple iPhone 12 mini
Price £579 (from Apple) – check out Mozillion’s iPhone 12 mini deals
Mozillion rating
Why buy?A brilliant small smartphone
Large it with… an iPhone 12
Before the iPhone 13 mini, the iPhone 12 mini was the undisputed best small phone you could buy. Yes, the 13 moves the game on, but if you can’t quite stretch your budget, the iPhone 12 mini is still a compelling alternative.
Why? Again, the reasons are similar to the iPhone 13. The iPhone 12 mini is essentially an iPhone 12 that’s shrunk in the wash. It’s got a smaller screen and battery, but the same performance and feature set as the regular-sized equivalent. That means Qi wireless charging, 5G, and waterproofing to six metres. Oh, and it’s faster than anything except an iPhone 13.
On the downside, the iPhone 12 mini camera isn’t quite as good as the one on the iPhone 13 mini, but it’s still very capable indeed. The phone’s battery life isn’t fantastic for a modern phone, either – although it’ll go for a full day of typical use, it could loop a movie for only 12 hours in our test. Find the full details in our iPhone 12 mini review.
The iPhone 12 mini is a brilliant, cheaper alternative to the iPhone 13 mini – but before buying, make sure the savings are worth it. For example, Apple only charges £50 more for the 128GB iPhone 13 mini than it does for the iPhone 12 mini equivalent. If paying less is important, shop around for iPhone deals. Find a new or reconditioned iPhone 12 mini at the right price, though, and it’s the perfect budget alternative to the iPhone 13 mini.
Google Pixel 4a
Price £349 (from Google) – buy for less on Mozillion
Mozillion rating
Why buy?Good features, great value
Large it with…a Pixel 6
There aren’t many small Android phones, but Google’s Pixel 4a is probably the best. With a 5.8” OLED screen it’s not quite as small as the iPhone 12 mini, but at 144x69x8mm and 143 grams, it’s still small and light by today’s standards. This lower mid-range phone is more than a year old, and its big downsides are a lack of 5G support or waterproofing. Less significant, but still worth noting, is that it’s so-so processor isn’t great for demanding games.
Other than that, there’s lots to like, particularly if you’re a fan of a comparatively pure Android experience. The Pixel 4a is already running Android 12, and with support guaranteed until August 2023 it should get at least one more Android upgrade, possibly two.
Useful Pixel features include the personal Safety app, and Recorder, which transcribes speech for you. While the Pixel 4a’s single 12MP camera pales against the three, four or even five camera setups on high-end phones, it’s surprisingly accomplished. In all but very dark conditions, it’ll help you get memorable shots.
Going by Google and Apple prices, the Pixel 4a is less than half the cost of the iPhone 13 mini. It’s not as good, particularly when it comes to gaming performance, but it’s still a very solid phone for the money. It might not excel at any one thing, but as a compact, affordable all-rounder, the Pixel 4a is hard to beat.
iPhone SE (2020)
Price £389 (from Apple) – buy for less on Mozillion
Mozillion rating
Why buy?A small iPhone for less
Large it with… a refurbished iPhone 11 Pro
If you haven’t got the budget for the iPhone 12 mini, but you don’t fancy chancing it with Android, the iPhone SE (2020) might be for you. It’s a bit of a Frankenstein creation, being essentially the insides of an iPhone 11, wrapped in the body of an iPhone 8. At 138x67x7mm and 148 grams it’s a little bigger than the iPhone 12 mini, but it’s still pretty compact.
While the iPhone SE (2020)’s A13 Bionic processor is a couple of generations behind, it’s still as fast as the latest high-end Android phones. Other than that, however, this phone is quite compromised. It has no 5G support, and its tiny 4.7” LCD screen has lower resolution, brightness and contrast than the OLED panel you’d find on newer phones. This phone’s battery life is some way behind the curve, too: Apple says it will play video for 13 hours, but we got less than 10.
In truth, although it’s small, this isn’t our favourite phone, and we don’t think it’s worth it at Apple’s prices. If you really can’t stomach Android, shop around for an iPhone SE (2020) deal, or see if you can stretch to a certified refurbished iPhone 12 mini – it’s much better.
Samsung Galaxy S10e
Price Discontinued –buy a Samsung Galaxy S10e on Mozillion
Mozillion rating
Why buy?A compact version of the S10 flagship
Large it with… the full-size Galaxy S10 flagship
What if you’re up for a small Android phone, but you want something with a bit more oomph than the Pixel 4a? That’ll be the Samsung Galaxy S10e. It’s a stripped down version of the Galaxy S10 flagship, but it’s still a highly specced mobile, with a triple camera supporting 4K video, an AMOLED screen, and wireless charging.
The Galaxy S10e is as compact as modern Android phones get. Despite its 5.8” screen, it measures 142x70x8mm and weighs in at 150 grams – roughly the same as the Pixel 4a, but a little bigger than an iPhone 12 mini. At its core, there’s Samsung’s powerful Exynos 9820 processor and 6GB of RAM, so it doesn’t give away too much in performance to newer Android handsets.
The S10e has been discontinued, and although slated for three years of operating system updates, it probably won’t go beyond Android 12. There is a further year of security updates, however, so it should remain patched and secure until March 2023. This gives you some long-term reassurance if you do pick up a refurbished Galaxy S10e on Mozillion. At the right price, it’s a great choice if you want a little more in your pocket.