Although the market for small phones isn’t nearly what it used to be, you can still find a relatively compact handset that doesn’t compromise on top features. PCMag has been writing about phones for at least three decades and reviewing them for nearly as long, so you can trust that we’ve searched high and low for the few remaining phones that meet a reasonable definition of “small.” Among our Editors’ Choice winners are the Google Pixel 8 for its top-notch cameras and the TCL Flip 2 for its old-school design. And we even include a few pocket-friendly iPhones if you prefer Apple’s ecosystem. Of course, all our recommendations are worth your consideration, so be sure to read the linked reviews for our in-depth evaluations. And for more details to keep in mind while you shop, don’t miss our buying guide at the end.
Deeper Dive: Our Top Tested Picks
Best Camera Quality
Google Pixel 8
- Competitively priced
- Advanced AI features
- Terrific cameras
- Compact
- Excellent build quality
- Unimpressive battery life
- No telephoto camera
- Storage capped at 256GB
Operating System
Android 14
CPU
Google Tensor G3
Dimensions
5.93 by 2.79 by 0.35 inches
Screen Size
6.2 inches
Screen Resolution
2,400 by 1,080 pixels
Camera Resolution (Rear; Front-Facing)
50MP, 12MP; 10.5MP
Battery Life (As Tested)
10 hours, 20 minutes
The Pixel 8 is the smaller of Google’s flagship phones, but it still packs a fast Tensor G3 processor, lots of AI-assisted features, a gorgeous screen, and the best cameras in its price range. Moreover, it offers a clean software experience and comes in at a midrange price.
The Pixel 8 is for Google fans who don’t want to deal with the size and price of the 8 Pro but still want most of the high-end features.
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Best Flip Phone
TCL Flip 2
- Affordable
- Long battery life
- Clear earpiece and speakerphone
- Wi-Fi connectivity
- Email access
- Can’t download additional apps
- Poor cameras
Operating System
AOSP
CPU
MediaTek 6739-CH
Dimensions
4.22 by 2.19 by 0.78 inches
Screen Size
2.8 inches
Screen Resolution
320 by 240 pixels
Camera Resolution (Rear; Front-Facing)
2MP
Battery Life (As Tested)
Approximately 14 hours of talk time
TCL’s Flip 2 is a low-cost voice phone with a few modern conveniences, such as Wi-Fi and email access. Moreover, we’re fans of its clear call quality and long battery life (around 14 hours of talk time). We would have liked a slightly more usable camera, but that drawback doesn’t detract from the phone’s primary purpose of making calls.
If you miss the simplicity of your old flip phone, this TCL model should appeal. It’s a reliable choice if you simply need to make voice calls.
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Best Small iPhone
Apple iPhone 15 Pro
- Compact size
- Lots of processing power
- Customizable Action button
- Advanced USB-C features
- Excellent cameras
- Pro video capture
- Shorter battery life than iPhone Pro Max
- Less optical zoom than iPhone Pro Max
Operating System
Apple iOS 17
CPU
Apple A17 Pro
Dimensions
5.77 by 2.78 b y 0.32 inches
Screen Size
6.1 inches
Screen Resolution
2,556 by 1,179 pixels
Camera Resolution (Rear; Front-Facing)
48MP, 12MP; 12MP
Battery Life (As Tested)
16 hours, 45 minutes
The iPhone 15 Pro incorporates most of the features from Apple’s flagship Pro Max into a size that’s far easier to grasp. It runs on Apple’s most advanced A17 Pro chip, offers excellent image and video quality, employs a classy titanium frame, and has a vivid screen with an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120Hz. A customizable, physical action button and USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 (both new for this generation) round out the experience.
If you want a high-end iPhone that fits in your pocket, the iPhone 15 Pro is the way to go. You lose out on the 5x tetraprism telephoto camera of the Pro Max and a bit of battery life, but those are worthwhile trade-offs if you want a phone that’s comfortable to use in one hand.
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Best Small Android Phone
Samsung Galaxy S24
- Compact, premium build
- Flagship performance
- Useful AI features
- Seven-year software support commitment
- Limited RAM and storage offerings
- Can get warm while gaming
Operating System
Android 14
CPU
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy
Dimensions
5.79 by 2.78 by 0.30 inches
Screen Size
6.2 inches
Screen Resolution
2,340 by 1,080 pixels
Camera Resolution (Rear; Front-Facing)
50MP, 12MP, 10MP; 12MP
Battery Life (As Tested)
13 hours, 5 minutes
Samsung’s Galaxy S24 packs Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 for Galaxy processor, a speedy Snapdragon X75 modem, 8GB of RAM, and up to 512GB of UFS 4.0 storage into its reasonably sized frame. The phone’s 50MP main camera also takes sharp, vibrant photos, while its FHD+ panel offers 2,600 nits of peak outdoor brightness and HDR10+ support. Battery life is better than average, while wireless charging is a welcome convenience.
If you prefer Android to iOS, the Galaxy S24 is the best compact phone you can buy. And because Samsung commits to seven years of OS updates, you won’t have to worry about finding another small phone for a long time.
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Best Folding Phone
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5
- Beautiful design and finish
- Excellent performance
- Sharp screens
- Surprisingly rugged build
- Outer display functionality is limited by default
- Poor app continuity between screens
Operating System
Android 13
CPU
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy
Dimensions
6.50 by 2.83 by 0.27 inches
Screen Size
6.7 inches
Screen Resolution
2,640 by 1,080 pixels
Camera Resolution (Rear; Front-Facing)
12MP, 12MP; 10MP
Battery Life (As Tested)
10 hours, 5 minutes
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 doesn’t make you give up screen real estate in the name of practicality: It folds down to easily fit inside your pocket and expands to show a 6.7-inch display when you open it back up. An outer display is useful for everything from taking selfies to interacting with widgets, while the phone’s IPX8 rating, Gorilla Glass Victus 2 panels on the front and back, and flat-folding hinge make it sufficiently durable. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip keeps everything running smoothly.
If you want to carry the smallest phone possible, it’s hard to beat the Galaxy Z Flip 5. It combines the compactness of a flip phone with the advanced features of a traditional smartphone.
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Most Affordable Small iPhone
Apple iPhone SE (2022)
- Most affordable new iPhone
- Speedy performance
- Supports T-Mobile and Verizon mid-band 5G
- Longer battery life than the previous model
- Outdated body design
- No Night mode in camera
- Lacks support for AT&T’s 3.45GHz mid-band 5G
- Shortest battery life of any current iPhone model
Operating System
iOS 15
CPU
Apple A15
Dimensions
5.45 by 2.65 by 0.29 inches
Screen Size
4.7 inches
Screen Resolution
1,334 by 750 pixels
Camera Resolution (Rear; Front-Facing)
12MP; 7MP
Battery Life (As Tested)
7 hours, 20 minutes
Apple’s iPhone SE doesn’t have the latest specs or the most cutting-edge design, but it’s an affordable entry into the iOS ecosystem and among the most suitable phones for one-handed use. Its A15 processor is still fast enough for most tasks and its rear camera works fine in sufficient light. Battery life is a bit behind the times, but that’s not a deal breaker.
If the iPhone 15 is out of your budget, the iPhone SE is the most cost-effective way to experience Apple’s mobile OS in a compact design. And if you’re not a fan of Face ID, the integrated Touch ID button should be a welcome sight.
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Buying Guide: The Best Small Phones for 2024
The Best Phones of the Year
How Big Is Too Big?
Smartphones have increased in size, but our hands haven’t. Way back when LG launched its G2 smartphone in 2013, the company said that most people could comfortably hold a phone as wide as 2.8 inches. That might be why the base size for Samsung’s flagship Galaxy S phones and Apple’s base iPhones has hovered between 2.7 and 2.8 inches for years.
Left to right: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, S24+, S24 (Credit: Eric Zeman)
Palm breadth tells you how wide a phone can be before it falls out of your hand; thumb length tells you how wide a screen can be before it’s inoperable with one hand. According to an old NASA study a HealthLine article mentions, the average handbreadth is 3.1 inches for women and 3.5 inches for men. The Center for Construction Research and Training estimates are a bit lower: 2.91 inches for women and 3.3 inches for men. A New York Magazine story cites a US Army study that claims the average thumb length is 2.74 inches for men and 2.49 inches for women. So, that 2.8-inch phone width from LG is just a hair wider than the full reach of the average male thumb.
We’ve used the 2.8-inch-wide measurement as the maximum width for phones to be eligible for this roundup, but it’s getting progressively more difficult to find phones that meet this requirement. As such, a couple of phones on the list are just a hair over the 2.8-inch mark. Many people might still find these phones to be a bit wide for one-handed use, but small phone beggars can’t currently be choosers.
Why Are Phones Getting Bigger?
The push toward mobile internet and video consumption originally drove the growth of phone screens. With phones now serving as people’s primary window to the internet and preferred canvas for myriad video streaming services, bigger screens are now more compelling than smaller ones.
Left to right: Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra, iPhone 15 Pro Max, Google Pixel 8 Pro (Credit: Eric Zeman)
When the physical size of hands stopped manufacturers from making phones wider, they still went taller, pushing the screen height-to-width ratio from the common 16:9 to 19:9 or 19.5:9. Sony has gone as far as 21:9, making very tall, narrow phones that beautifully display 21:9 video originally intended for wide-screen TVs. If you care about “small” only in the sense of reaching across your phone, one of those phones might be a good option.
People like bigger batteries, too, and the easiest way to pack in a bigger battery is to make the phone bigger. Unlike other technologies, battery capacity has been extremely resistant to technological improvement—try to get too smart at squeezing more battery capacity into a smaller space, and you end up with a problem.
Finally, phone makers want to charge more. There’s a deep theme in the American consumer culture that bigger is better and is worth more: bigger cars, bigger houses, bigger TVs, and bigger phones. It’s been difficult for phone makers to convince consumers that something small still holds value.
If you’re looking for a small phone because you find big screens distracting or exhausting, small voice phones are worth considering. These little flip phones fit just as well in your hand now as their ancestors did in 2006.
Recommended by Our Editors
The Future of Small Smartphones
Alas, it looks like small smartphones will remain a niche market. For example, Apple ceased selling the iPhone 12 mini and iPhone 13 mini because they sold so poorly. Samsung and Sony are sort of keeping smaller premium devices in their lineups. Folding phones (specifically those that mimic the design of old-school flip phones) are also worth considering, as they are at least pocketable.
Still thinking big? Check out our roundup of the best phones overall.
Dave LeClair and Sascha Segan contributed to this story.
