In 2023, one of the most powerful computers imaginable can fit in the palm of your hand.
Small smartphones are all the rage. From Apple to Android, Google to Asus, there are many tiny devices to choose from. These phones are easier to hold and transport, are cheaper than their bigger siblings, and generally work the same. What’s not to like?
Why Should I Get a Small Smartphone?
Compact phones can be easier to carry, fit in your pocket, and use day-to-day if you find large screens cumbersome. You can hold a small smartphone in one hand and not worry too much about dropping it.
Additionally, smaller phones tend to be a bit cheaper than their regular or larger, sized counterparts and are not hugely different. This means you can get a device with similar functionality for less money.
Want a small smartphone and don’t know where to start? Look no further.
Read on to learn all about the best small smartphones out there, including those from Apple, Samsung, and Google. Also, visit our website for everything you’ve ever wanted to know about cell phones and cell phone plans.
Keep reading for information on the following phones:
- Apple iPhone SE
- Apple iPhone 13 mini
- iPhone 14 Pro Max
- iPhone 12 mini
- Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4
- Samsung Galaxy S23
- Asus Zenfone 9
- Google Pixel 7a
- Google Pixel 5
Try out our find a phone feature, which will instantly tell you the best phone for your needs.
What Should You Look for in a Phone?
When choosing a smartphone, no matter the size, you must first decide what you are looking for in a mobile phone. Gone are the days of simple handsets. Today, phones have a wealth of specs that need to be considered before purchase.
Do you only want to talk and text? What is the best possible main camera? Are you looking for a phone with a wifi hotspot? 5G? 4G LTE? Do you need a phone that comes with a charger?
When buying any type of phone, here are some key factors to consider:
- Screen size: This is something to consider if you want many videos, play games, or simply like a great view.
- Memory: This is important for storing photos, music, movies, apps, games, or whatever else you want to use your phone for.
- Processing speed: Nobody likes it when their phone glitches or is stuck loading, right? A high processing speed usually means an incredible refresh rate, essential for gamers.
- Camera quality: Now more than ever, having great pictures and videos is essential, especially if you are a social media user.
- “Cool Factor”: Having what is known as a flagship phone, for example, the new iPhone 14, or the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, a foldable Android smartphone, can make your cool factor skyrocket, sparking admiration, interest, and maybe even a little jealousy.
Whatever you’re looking for, there’s a small smartphone for you.
If you are selfie-obsessed, check out which phone on our list has the best camera (spoiler alert: Google Pixel 7). If you stream or play mobile games, choose the phone with the best processor (spoiler alert: Samsung Galaxy S23).
Want that cool factor? Consider the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4, a foldable smartphone.
If you only want the essentials and are looking for a cheaper option, there’s a small smartphone for you, too (iPhone 12 mini). If combing through smartphone types and specs sounds like a lot of work, you’re in luck.
Here at Navi, we will find the best small phone for you with our find a phone navigator and the perfect plan to match.
Apple Small Smartphones
Apple is the second biggest smartphone vendor in the world.
The immensely popular iPhone has had 14 iterations, with a few being small smartphones.
No matter what, every iPhone runs on Apple's iOS, meaning, even if some of the features are different, the general operation of the phone will remain similar, no matter the model.
For those interested in small iPhones, some great options are:
Storage: 64 GB, 128 GB, or 256 GB
Color: Midnight, Starlight, or Product Red
Price: Starting at $429
Some of the most significant features include the following:
- 4.7 Retina HD display
- Emergency SOS
- 12MP Main Advanced Rear Camera system
- Front Camera
- A15 Bionic chip with 4-core GPU
- Touch ID
- 5G Cellular data
- Up to 15 hours of video playback
- Special Carrier deals with AT&T and T-Mobile
If you want a new iPhone to talk, text, and browse social media, you should be fine with the iPhone SE. Its camera will take good pictures and has 5G cellular data.
Sound like a lot of info so far? Let us make this process simple.
Storage: 128 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB
Color: Product Red, Starlight, Midnight, Blue, Pink, or Green
Price: Starting at $599
Some of the most significant features include the following:
- 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR display
- Emergency SOS
- Dual Camera system with 12 MP Main and Ultra Wide rear cameras
- TrueDepth front camera
- Cinematic Mode and Night Mode, 0.5x and 1x Optical Zoom options
- Superfast 5G Cellular
- A15 bionic chip with a 6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, and 16-core Neural Engine
- Face ID
- Compatible with MagSafe cases, wallets, wireless charging, and more.
Up to 17 hours of video playback
If you want a step up, consider the iPhone 13 mini. Its dual cameras take better photos than the SE, and it has superfast 5G and a slightly bigger screen. If you take more pictures than the average person, play many mobile games, or stream videos frequently, this could be a small smartphone for you.
Storage: 128 GB, 256 GB, 512 GB, or 1 TB
Color: Deep purple, Space Black, Silver, or Gold
Price: From $1099
Some of the most significant features include the following:
- 6.7 Super Retina XDR Display
- ProMotion technology
- Always-On display
- Dynamic Island makes alerts, notifications, and other interactions easier to see
- Pro Camera System with Action Mode
- Emergency SOS via Satellite
- Up to 23 hours of video playback
- A16 Bionic chip with 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, and 16-core neural engine
- Face ID
- Superfast 5G cellular
- Crash detection
- Pro camera system with 48 MP main, Ultra Wide, and Telephoto lenses
- Autofocus on TrueDepth front camera
- Photonic Engine for incredible detail and color
- Action Mode
- 0.5x, 1x, 2x, 3x zoom options
- MagSafe compatibility
If you want the newest, most high-end phone with the most features possible, consider the iPhone 14 Pro Max. Its new features, such as the Dynamic Island and Pro Camera System, make it the most flashy iPhone on our small smartphones list. Click here to learn more about the 14 Pro Max and many other phones and phone plans.
Storage: 64 GB, 128 GB, or 256 GB
Color: Purple, blue, green, Product Red, White, Black
Price: The Apple iPhone 12 mini is no longer sold by Apple, so you must buy it pre-owned from another retailer like Amazon, Verizon, or Best Buy.
Some of the most significant features include the following:
- 5.4 inch Super Retina XDR LCD Display
- Dual Cameras with 12MP Main and Ultra Wide
- TrueDepth front camera
- 0.5x and 1x Optical zoom options
- Up to 15 hours of video playback
- Emergency SOS
- A14 Bionic chip with 6-core CPU, 4-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
- Face ID
- Superfast 5G
- MagSafe compatibility.
If you do not mind buying used, the iPhone 12 mini may be a great way to get a capable iPhone that runs ios at the lowest possible price.
If choosing one of these sounds hard, let us help. Click here for our find a phone navigator.
Android Small Smartphones
Read on to find out if one of these Android phones is the small phone for you.
Storage: 128 GB, 256 GB, or 512 GB
Color: Bora Purple, Graphite, Pink Gold, Blue, as well as Bespoke Editions with more color combinations
Price: Starting at $909.99
Some of the most significant features include the following:
- 6.7 inch screen FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor
- 5g connectivity
- 10MP Selfie Camera
- Dual Camera System with 12 MP Ultra-wide camera and 12MP Wide-angle camera with Scene Optimizer and flaw detection
- Up to 10X digital zoom
- Super fast charging
- Stereo Speakers
- Side fingerprint sensor
- Multitasking features
This phone is foldable, which gives you both the convenience of having a truly pocket-sized smartphone and the cool factor of having a fold-up smartphone. This is your best bet if you are looking for the smallest phone imaginable. At a very small size, this phone gives you comparatively great speed and photo quality.
The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is more expensive than most phones on this list. However, this price gives you a hugely powerful foldable phone, which many people do not have.
Be mindful, however– because of the folding function, there is a line in the center of the inner screen.
Storage: 128 or 256 GB
Color: Lavender, Cream, Phantom black, Cream, Lime (online exclusive), or Graphite (Online Exclusive).
Price: $799.99
Some of the most significant features include the following:
- 6.1-inch screen with OLED display
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 Processor
- Up to 22 hours of video playback
- IP68 Water Resistance and Corning Gorilla Glass Victus Display
- Strong three-camera system
An upgrade from the Samsung Galaxy S22, this phone has the most computing power compared to any other small Android phone. However, charging speeds are slower, and no 5G ultra-wideband support exists. While smaller, this phone has similar functionality to the Samsung Galaxy s23 ultra, as the refresh rate and peak brightness are the same!
Visit our resources page for more information on the Samsung Galaxy S22 and most other smartphones.
Storage: 128 GB or 256 GB
Color: Starry Blue, Moonlight White, Sunset Red, or Midnight Black
Price: Starting at $699
Some of the most significant features include the following:
- 5.9-inch screen
- Snapdragon 8 Plus Gen 1 processor
- Dual camera system with 6-Axis Hybrid Gimbal Stabilizer
- 5G connectivity
- Long-lasting battery
If you care the most about battery life and performance, this is likely the small Android smartphone for you.
Storage: 128 GB or 256 GB
Color: Lemongrass, Snow, or Obsidian
Price: Starting at $599
Some of the most significant features include the following:
- 6.1-inch screen
- Google Tensor G2 Processor
- Adaptive battery lasting over 24 hours or up to 72 hours with Extreme Battery Saver
- A dual rear camera system that can take 4K photos and videos, with features such as Cinematic Blur
- Wireless charging
- Built-in VPN by Google One and Google Titan M2 chip for identity protection
This phone is the most high-end Pixel, with a camera many consider one of the best out there.
If you’re having trouble choosing a phone, our find a phone navigator will make the process easy.
Storage: 128 GB
Color: Charcoal, Chalk, or Sage
Price: Starting at $349
Some of the most significant features include the following:
- 6.1-inch screen
- Over 24-hour battery life
- Google Tensor processor
- Dual rear camera system with 12.2 MP dual pixel wide and 12 MP ultrawide cameras
- 8 MP front camera
- Fast charging feature
- Dual SIM
- Stereo speakers
- 3D thermoformed composite back with a tactile alloy frame
This is not the fastest smartphone on the market, but it should be enough for most people. If you want a Pixel and want to save money, consider the Google Pixel 6a.
Storage: 128 GB
Color: Black or green
Price: Starting at $999.99
Some of the most significant features include the following:
- 6.1-inch HDR OLED FHD+ screen
- Three camera lenses and 4K video recording
- Built-in live streaming
- Music Pro and full-stage stereo speakers
- Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 Processor
- Bright FHD Display that is easy to see outdoors.
This phone has a large battery and great speakers/display features. If you make movies and music or care about high-quality media, this may be the phone for you.
Conclusion
Choosing a phone can be a whirlwind. Should you buy from Apple, Samsung, Google, Motorola, or someone else? Plus, you need to select a phone model, considering form factors, size, weight, and a variety of features that can be confusing, from bezels to storage to tech specs.
Whether you’re looking for a more basic, mid-range, or flagship phone, we will find the right phone for you with our find a phone navigator and a plan to go with it.
Sources:
5G and 5G Ultra Wideband mobile networks FAQs | Verizon
