Where did all the cute little smartphones go? Remember "big" 5-inch phones when they first came out? People thought they were huge! The screen size started to crawl up slowly but surely, and nowadays we have these 7-inch monstrosities we still call phones (they used to be called phablets back in the day). Then what is a compact phone in 2024?
Well, let's take the iPhone 13 mini as a prime example, mainly because it was the last phone to have "mini" in its name (remember the Galaxy S mini phones and the Xperia compact?). The main property of the 13 Mini is its size. It features a 5.4-inch screen and, hence, a pretty compact chassis.
So, on the other end of the compact spectrum, we find phones such as the Zenfone 10 and the Xperia 5 series. These are 5.9 and 6.1-inchers, respectively, and if we add the regular S24, we're pushing the 6.2-inch display size. So, a compact phone in 2024 is mainly defined by the screen size—anything between 5.4 and 6.2 inches passes as compact.
If you're on the hunt for a smaller phone, you're in luck! We've rounded up the best ones you can snag right now. So, what are the best compact smartphones in 2024? Let's find out!
This device scores 1.4% worse than the average for this price class, which includes devices like the Google Pixel 9, OnePlus 12 and Apple iPhone 15 Plus
The Galaxy S24 isn't the most compact in this article, especially given the fact that its screen had grown to 6.2 inches, but this model still offers a compact Android experience. The size has remained pretty much the same as the S23, the bezels have been shrunk, and the sides are flatter now.
You're also getting the latest processor, a super-bright screen, and the new trend in smartphone tech - AI. The S24 comes equipped with Samsung's Galaxy AI, and for sure this system will learn new tricks with time.
When it comes to cameras, they are mostly the same from a hardware point of view but smartphone photography is computational these days, so there are improvements to the algorithms. The Galaxy S24 is just a tad larger than the Asus Zenfone 10, and if you want to keep your Android phone for seven long years, it's the best choice for a compact phone.
This device scores 2.9% better than the average for this price class, which includes devices like the Motorola razr (2024), Google Pixel 9 and OnePlus 12
Asus decided to turn things around back in 2021 and launched two separate flagship devices in the Zenfone 8 lineup. The large Zenfone 8 Flip carried out the heritage of the flip camera but the vanilla model, the Zenfone 8, went down the compact route. Apparently, Asus saw a demand and a potential niche in the smartphone market, and the Zenfone 8 was born.
Now, two generations later, little has changed in the way Asus approaches this compact idea. The Zenfone 9 received amazingly positive review throughout the internet, and the successor, the Zenfone 10, adds some needed feature to round off the package.
The latest and greatest Qualcomm chipset - the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 - is the beating heart of this little beast along with a gorgeous 5.9-inch 144Hz AMOLED panel made by Samsung. Asus somehow found a way to keep the 3.5mm jack, and there's also a pretty hefty battery inside. There's now wireless charging onboard, a new selfie camera, faster RAM and storage, and an upgraded 6-axis gimbal stabilization system. This little guy is one of the best compact Android phones on the market right now.
Poor utilization of USB-C: same charging and transfer speeds
60Hz display refresh rate, come on!
No dedicated telephoto camera
6.9
PhoneArena Rating
7
Price Class Average
Battery Life
5.7
7.4
Photo Quality
7.4
6.9
Video Quality
6.4
6.1
Charging
4.8
6.3
Performance Peak
5.9
5.3
Performance Daily
5.7
6.2
Display Quality
8
7.9
Design
7
7.5
Wireless Charging
7.8
7.1
Biometrics
8
7.4
Audio
8
7
Software
10
7.9
Why the score?
This device scores 1.4% worse than the average for this price class, which includes devices like the Motorola razr (2024), Google Pixel 9 and OnePlus 12
The iPhone 15 is the smallest modern iPhone if we don't count the iPhone 13 mini and the iPhone SE (2022). The latter are now quite old, and we don't expect Apple to return to the Mini game anytime soon. However, there might be a new SE model coming our way, but until then, and until the iPhone 16 series lands, the iPhone 15 is the best compact phone if you want to run iOS.
The 6.1-inch screen and the size of the iPhone 15 puts it very close to the Galaxy S24. The weight is almost the same as well. The iPhone 15 comes with just two camera on its back, though, and there are other compromises, such as the smaller battery and slower charging speeds. The screen is also just 60Hz, which is almost inexcusable in 2024, when even midrange phones rock 120Hz panels.
On the other hand, the new 48MP main camera is great, and the A16 Bionic is still a very fast and powerful chipset. There's no denying that the iPhone 16 series, which is just around the corner, will replace this entry, so if you want a compact and powerful iPhone, you should probably wait a couple of weeks.
Pixel 8-like performance, seven years of software support
Affordable
What we don't like
Big bezels around the screen
Slow charging speeds
6.5
PhoneArena Rating
6.1
Price Class Average
Battery Life
5.8
6.7
Photo Quality
6.4
6.6
Video Quality
5.4
5.3
Charging
5
7
Performance Peak
4.2
3.3
Performance Daily
6
5.5
Display Quality
7
7.5
Design
6
6.4
Wireless Charging
4
5.4
Biometrics
7
6.8
Audio
6
5.9
Software
10
5.3
Why the score?
This device scores 6.2% better than the average for this price class, which includes devices like the Nothing Phone (2a) Plus, Motorola Edge (2024) and Motorola Moto G Stylus 5G (2024)
The Pixel 8a is a great value proposition, no matter if you're looking for a compact Android phone or just want to get the best bang for your buck. This phone is slightly larger than the competition despite boasting the same 6.1-inch screen. This is mainly due to larger bezels and a bit bulkier design, but it's a small price to pay when you're getting the Tensor G3, a great screen, and all the software magic from the original Pixel 8 at a fraction of the price.
One can even argue that the Pixel 8a is just a roughly looking Pixel 8, the differences are so miniscule. As an alternative, you can buy the Pixel 8, of course, and there's the newly announced Pixel 9 lineup with two somewhat compact phones in it - the Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro. But the last two don't fit our initial criterion for a compact phone, they have 6.3-inch screens.
The Pixel 8a is also the last one to sport the Camera Bar design, so if you're a fan of that, and also the curved back and sides, this is the way to go. It also feels much more comfortable in the hand in comparison to more boxy phones with flat sides.
The Xperia 5 V explores other angles of the term compact. On paper, this 6.1-inch phone doesn't scream compact, but once you hold it in your hand for a while, you see what Sony has done. The width of the phone is just 68mm, which is very close to the 64.5 mm of the iPhone mini. In practice, you feel like you're holding a much smaller phone, thanks to the reduced width.
On the other hand, its tall, 21:9 OLED screen might not be the easiest to operate, especially drawing the notification shade and reaching for UI elements toward the top of the phone, but it's gorgeous for movies and other content consumption.
Buying a Sony phone comes with the usual perks of having a 3.5mm audio jack, a microSD card slot, some cool pro-grade software tools, and a unique form factor. Don't overlook Xperia phones when it comes to good package. And the 5-series delivers it in a compact form as well.
Until not long ago, we thought the era of compact flagship phones is over. But last year, these compact devices made a surprise comeback. The iPhone 12 mini became the smallest iPhone Apple is offering, beating even the iPhone SE for that title. And this year, we got its successor – the iPhone 13 mini.
Thanks to its thin bezels and flat-edge design, you're getting a bigger screen compared to that of the iPhone SE, yet in a smaller body. And what's even better is that the iPhone 13 mini is the cheapest of the four iPhone 13 models, starting at $699 for the 128GB model, which is also double the storage of last year's iPhone 12 mini, but for the same price!
You won't sacrifice much in terms of specs, either, going with the mini iPhone. You still get Apple's A15 Bionic processor and same fantastic new camera features as the other iPhone 13 models. When it comes to high performance in a small package, nothing beats the iPhone 13 mini right now, and it's probably the fastest compact phone you can get.
This year Apple updated its "budget" SE series with a new iPhone SE (2022). To save on costs, the Cupertino company once again reused the now quite outdated body of the iPhone 8, but internally, this phone is a beast, and arguably the most powerful smartphone in its price range.
And yes, it's also a pretty compact phone with a 4.7-inch display, weighting just about 5.08 oz (144.0 g). Despite its old design with large top and bottom bezels, the up-to-date hardware inside, notably the A15 Bionic chip and 5G support, makes the iPhone SE (2022) highly futureproof. So if the price of the iPhone 13 Mini is too high for you, this is the next best thing if you're looking for a small iPhone.
Mariyan, a tech enthusiast with a background in Nuclear Physics and Journalism, brings a unique perspective to PhoneArena. His childhood curiosity for gadgets evolved into a professional passion for technology, leading him to the role of Editor-in-Chief at PCWorld Bulgaria before joining PhoneArena. Mariyan's interests range from mainstream Android and iPhone debates to fringe technologies like graphene batteries and nanotechnology. Off-duty, he enjoys playing his electric guitar, practicing Japanese, and revisiting his love for video games and Haruki Murakami's works.
Loading Comments...
COMMENT
All comments need to comply with our
Community Guidelines
Phonearena comments rules
A discussion is a place, where people can voice their opinion, no matter if it
is positive, neutral or negative. However, when posting, one must stay true to the topic, and not just share some
random thoughts, which are not directly related to the matter.
Things that are NOT allowed:
Off-topic talk - you must stick to the subject of discussion
Offensive, hate speech - if you want to say something, say it politely
Spam/Advertisements - these posts are deleted
Multiple accounts - one person can have only one account
Impersonations and offensive nicknames - these accounts get banned
Moderation is done by humans. We try to be as objective as possible and moderate with zero bias. If you think a
post should be moderated - please, report it.
Have a question about the rules or why you have been moderated/limited/banned? Please,
contact us.
FCC OKs Cingular\'s purchase of AT&T Wireless
Things that are NOT allowed: