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Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we offer and carefully researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission.
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Andreas Lanxon Editor-at-large, Chief Photographer, Europe
Andrew is CNET's point person for product coverage and chief photographer for Europe. When he's not testing the latest phones, you can usually find him with his camera in hand, behind the drums or eating his stash of home-cooked food. Sometimes all at once.
Expertise Smartphones, photography, iOS, Android, gaming, outdoor activities References
- Nominated for British Photography Awards 2022, nominated for Landscape Photographer of the Year 2022
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CNET's expert staff reviews and rates dozens of new products and services every month, drawing on more than a quarter century of expertise.
Our choice
Best overall small phone
Apple iPhone 13 Mini
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The best cheap smaller phone
Apple iPhone SE (2022)
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Best smaller Android phone
Google Pixel 7A
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Best budget smaller Android phone
Pixel6A
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A large phone that folds neatly and small
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
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Smartphones were initially quite small in size, but their average size has increased over the years. It seems smartphone companies believe bigger is always better. Screen onde iPhone 15 Procoming in at 6.1 inches, Pixel 8 Pro at 6.7 inches andSamsung Galaxy S24 Ultratakes it even further to a whopping 6.8 inches. By comparison, Samsung's original Galaxy Note was once considered a Goliath at just 5.3 inches.
Phones with large screens certainly have their advantages. Making a phone bigger allows manufacturers to build in advanced hardware, great cameras, and bigger batteries. Not to forget, there are many benefits to having a larger screen, such as higher productivity and a better experience when watching videos or playing games. That said, we can't ignore the fact that the larger size makes them harder to hold and use for anyone with hands smaller than continents. Not to mention the embarrassing bulge when you try to stuff one into the pocket of your skinny jeans.
While larger phones certainly have an audience, there are many of us who still prefer a smaller phone that's easier to type with one hand and less of a burden on the pocket.
Unfortunately, if you're looking for a small phone, your options are limited and constantly expanding. This is especially the case since Apple chose not to update its iPhone Mini line after the iPhone 13 Mini, which didsince discontinued. But there are still some smaller phones to consider, even if you may have to sacrifice some features like longer battery life, wireless charging, and better camera performance. Everyone's definition of "small" is different, and a comfortable size for you may feel uncomfortably large for someone else. If you're concerned about size, it's worth trying on a phone at your nearest store.
What's the best small phone right now?
The best small phone is undoubtedly Apple's iPhone 13 Mini. While it lacks the powerful processor and great camera skills of the newer iPhone 15 Pro, it offers great all-round performance for everyday use, and the 5.4-inch screen is one of the smallest around.
Best small phones in 2024
Although Apple has put a nail in the coffin for the Mini line, the iPhone 13 Mini is still available for purchase all over the internet. The 5.4-inch screen makes it a lot smaller than anything in the iPhone 15 lineup, and actually qualifies it as the physically smallest phone Apple has made in recent years. Sure, the iPhone SE 2022 has a smaller screen, but it has large bezels on the edges, making the whole phone a bit bigger.
You'll pay extra over the iPhone SE for the more modern design, along with a dual rear camera system that adds an excellent ultra-wide angle to the standard screen. It's a shame that Apple has discontinued the Mini line, because the iPhone 13 Mini is really the best smaller phone you can consider right now.
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Apple's iPhone SE, launched last year, packs a solid single camera, a powerful A15 Bionic chip and 5G support into a body with a screen measuring just 4.7 inches. That's a huge size difference compared to the gigantic size of the iPhone 15 Pro Max. Using an older design, the large bezels mean it's physically slightly larger than the iPhone 13 Mini, despite having a smaller screen.
At $429, this is the cheapest iPhone Apple makes, but you'll have to sacrifice some features, including the more impressive multi-camera arrays found on the more expensive models, as well as things like Face ID. But if you're looking for a solid phone for everyday use that doesn't cost a lot of money, this is the phone to choose.
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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 more expensive sibling. The Pixel 7A's 64-megapixel camera also takes excellent photos that suit casual photographers well.
" dislike = "" edition = "us" imagecredit = "James Martin/CNET" imagegroup = "{"uuid ": 31dfdcf2-1ac3-4320-b40c-4c356300f06e " alt " Google's Pixel 7A Phone " caption:"","credits: 'James Martin/CNET', 'imageData':{'id '31dfdcf2-1ac3-4320-b40c-4c356300f06e', 'filename':google-pixel-7a-phone-14.jpg "path":https://www.cnet.com/a/img/resize/690ad0a97cf8fc98f3cf851e7b149d2ffc5b171e/hub/2023/05/04/31dfdcf2-1ac3-4320-b40c-4c356300f06e/google-pixel-7a-phone -14.jpg?auto=webp&height=500","dateCreated":{"date":2023-05-04 17:51:25.000000", "timezone":UTC", "timezone_type":3}," primeColor":null,"hasWarning":false},"size":","float":", "lightbox":false,"imageUrl":https://www.cnet.com/a/img /resize/690ad0a97cf8fc98f3cf851e7b149d2ffc5b171e/hub/2023/05/04/31dfdcf2-1ac3-4320-b40c-4c356300f06e/google-pixel-7a-phone-14.jpg?auto=webp&height=500 "imageCaption"","imageCredit:James Martin/CNET","imageAltText: Google's Pixel 7A-telefoon","imageFilename:google-pixel-7a-telefoon-14.jpg","imageWidth":3000,"imageHeight ":2000,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated" 04-05-2023", "imageParallax" ", "imageCrop" ", "imageEnlarge ":false}" isbestlistredesign="true" like="" linktext="" linkurl="" ng-block='{"id ': vzpt3oje83oq5l3 '' type 'cross-content-listicle'}' aanbieding ='{"id '16b63752-0f61-44d7-8f46-700129f81ecf', 'label': 'Google - Pixel 7a 5G 128 GB (ontgrendeld) - houtskool', 'slug':google-pixel-7a-5g- 128gb-unlocked-houtskool","edition":["us"],"imageId":","imgUrl":", "imageHeight":0,"imageWidth":0,"typeLabel": Serie" ,"objectType: 'content_product_series', 'icon': "}' overridecaption = "From Pixel 7A
" overridecredit="James Martin/CNET" page-position="" pagelayout="Standard - Article Page" superlative="Best smaller Android phone" tagslugs="hv45,google,sony,samsung-galaxy,apple" techobjectinfo='{ "uuid":16b63752-0f61-44d7-8f46-700129f81ecf", "slug":google-pixel-7a-5g-128gb-unlocked-charcoal", name": Google - Pixel 7a 5G 128 GB (unlocked) - Charcoal" , productType "SERIES", updateType "EZMONEY", "mod":1710176206186}' truncate-on-page-load="true" usepricing="true">Google's budget phone offering took a leap forward last yearPixel 7A, which offers many of the same benefits asPixel 7but at a cheaper price. At 6.1 inches, it's not exactly a small phone, but it's certainly one of 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 image editing and language translation features as its more expensive sibling. The Pixel 7A's 64-megapixel camera also takes excellent photos that are great for casual photographers.
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Even though the Pixel 7A technically replaced the older Pixel 6A, Google continues to sell the 6A, and it's even taking some money off the asking price. The phone is often found for around $350, which is a huge savings over its regular price of $449, so be sure to shop around if you're looking for a bargain. Like the 7A, the screen measures 6.1 inches, which is exactly what we consider small these days.
It includes 5G connectivity, solid all-round performance and a dual camera system that can take great photos both day and night. It doesn't generally perform as well as the top-end Pixel 7 Pro, but it costs less than half as much as the flagship, so it's worth considering if you're shopping on a budget.
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The cover screen is identical to that of the Galaxy Z Flip 3.
","imageCredit: "Patrick Holland/CNET", imageAltText "De Galaxy Z Flip 4 gesloten in iemands hand", imageFilename "p1020213.jpg", "imageWidth":5725,"imageHeight":3816 ,"imageDoNotCrop":false,"imageDoNotResize":false,"imageWatermark":false,"imageDateCreated" 02-09-2022", imageParallax ", "imageCrop" ",imageEnlarge":false }" index="1" isbestlistredesign="true" like="" linktext="Lees onze Galaxy Z Flip 4-recensie" linkurl="https://www.cnet.com/tech/mobile/samsung-galaxy-z- flip-4-review-pure-fun-but-more-of-the-same/" ng-block='{"id '72tsb7wfgvdtq7e', type 'listicle'}' offer = "" overridecaption= "The cover screen is identical to that of the Galaxy Z Flip 3.
" overridecredit="Patrick Holland/CNET" page-position="" pagelayout="Standard - Article page" superlative="A big phone that folds nice and small" tagslugs="hv45,google,sony,samsung-galaxy,apple " techobjectinfo= '{"uuid":fbb3f36c-0cc7-471d-9705-596dbc765d1a", "slug":samsung-galaxy-z-flip-4", "name":Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4", productType: "SERIES", " updateType: "AUTOPID", "mod":1709031456506}' truncate-on-page-load="true" usepricing="true">With a screen size of 6.7 inches, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4's screen is far too large to be on this list. But before you slam your fists into your keyboard over my incompetence, hear me out. As one of Samsung's foldable phones, the Z Flip 4 folds in half, turning its massive screen into a small, square puck that fits quite comfortably in a jacket pocket.
An external screen alerts you to incoming messages, so you only have to fully expand the screen if 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 can give you the best of both worlds: a compact form factor for your pocket, but a big screen for when you need it. you have in your pocket. you want to use it.
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This is how we test phones
Every phone on this list has been rigorously tested by CNET's expert review team. We actually use the phone, test its features, play games and take photos. We evaluate all marketing promises a company makes about its phones. And if we come across something we don't like, whether it's battery life or build quality, we'll tell you all about it.
We examine every aspect of a phone under test:
- Screen
- Design and feel
- Processorprestaties
- Battery life
- Camera quality
- Functions
We test each phone's cameras (both front and rear) in a variety of conditions: from outdoors in sunlight to dim indoor locations and night scenes (for all available night modes). We also compare our results with similarly priced models. We ran a series of real-world battery tests to see how long a phone will last in everyday use.
We take into account additional phone features such as 5G, fingerprint and facial readers, pens, fast charging, foldable screens and other useful extras. And of course we weigh all our experiences and tests against the price, so you know whether a phone offers value for money or not. For more information, see our explanation pagehow we test phones.
