Best small phones 2024: compact yet powerful mini mobiles

The best small phones you can buy in 2024, if you're not a fan of big displays and pocket-busting dimensions

iPhone SE 2022
The iPhone SE, 2022 edition
(Image credit: Future)

The best small phones of 2024 offer a perfect combination of a compact size and big performance: just because they're smaller than their rivals doesn't mean their specifications are necessarily inferior, and sometimes they can be cheaper too.

Whether you have smaller hands or just don't feel the need to have a phone the size of a dinner plate, the best small phones are brilliant buys. Spend a few days with one of these handsets and you could quite reasonably ask yourself why you would need anything bigger. Plus, they actually fit in your pockets! 

What counts as 'small' has changed over time as phones in general have got bigger (when will it end?). Here we've set a maximum 6.1-inch screen size for our best small phones guide – not exactly tiny, but relatively small compared with some of the monsters on the market. They do say good things come in small packages. 

If you've decided actually, bigger is better then we also have in-depth guides to the best phones of any size and for specific types of phones: high-powered gaming phones, the best Android phones, the best Samsung phones and many more. 

Which is the best small phone in 2024? The top 3

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The best small phone for most people is the Asus Zenfone 10. It's a small stylish phone with big specs and amazing video recording. 

The best small Apple phone is the iPhone 13 mini. More powerful and more modern than the iPhone SE (2022), it's worth going for this option if you have a budget that's able to stretch further.

The best small Google phone is the Google Pixel 7a, a winning balance between features and price. You get fantastic camera performance and decent specs, plus very prompt Android updates when they're ready.

The Asus Zenfone 10 in green, on a wooden backgroundT3 Best Buy badge

(Image credit: Future / Sam Cross)

1. Asus Zenfone 10

The best small phone for most people

Specifications

Screen: 5.9-inch AMOLED
Refresh rate : 144Hz (when gaming) otherwise 30-120Hz adaptive
Processor: Snapdragon 8 gen 2
Battery : 4,300 mAh
Charging speed: 30W
Main camera : 50MP

Reasons to buy

+
Top tier performance
+
Excellent video shooting
+
Stylish desing

Reasons to avoid

-
Stills camera not the best
-
ZenTouch a bit annoying

We love the Zenfone 9 already so this brand-new model with a host of upgrades is right up our street. Our 5-star review was full of praise for this pocket-sized wonder. With a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor you can expect top-level performance and great battery life. 

The Zenfone range is designed to pack flagship specs into a smaller handset and Asus has definitely achieved that with the Zenfone 10. We were particularly impressed with the smoothness of video thanks to the 6 axis Hybrid Gimbal Stabiliser and a HyperSteady mode that keeps footage steady with even the shakiest hands. 

With a 5.9-inch AMOLED display, this is a beautiful phone that also comfortably fits within both your pocket and our compact phones category. 

Read our full Asus Zenfone 10 Review

iPhone 13 mini best small phonesT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Apple)

2. iPhone 13 mini

The best small Apple phone

Specifications

Weight: 141g
Dimensions: 131.5 x 64.2 x 7.7mm
Screen size: 5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED
Resolution: 2340 x 1080 pixels
CPU: Apple A15 Bionic
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 128GB / 256GB / 512GB
Battery: 2406mAh
Rear camera: 12MP wide + 12MP ultrawide
Front camera: 12MP

Reasons to buy

+
Attractive, compact design
+
Super rapid performance 
+
The final 'mini' Apple phone

Reasons to avoid

-
Quite expensive
-
Only 60Hz screen
-
Charging isn't the fastest

If you have a budget that goes beyond the level of the iPhone SE, then the iPhone 13 mini might be the best small phone for you. It has a screen size of a mere 5.4-inches, but thanks to the notch and lack of bezels, it's actually physically smaller overall than the SE.

Going with the iPhone 13 mini also nets you 5G, a dual-lens rear camera, faster wireless charging, and a higher-resolution OLED display. It's the more powerful choice and, perhaps surprisingly, the last of its kind: there's no iPhone 14 mini, so if you want higher-end Apple and you want it small, this could be your last chance.

Aside from the size considerations, this is everything that you would expect from an Apple iPhone: the build quality is excellent, the software works pretty much flawlessly, and there are a huge number of brilliant apps available for it.

Google Pixel 7aT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Google)

3. Google Pixel 7a

The best affordable Phone for most people

Specifications

Processor: Google Tensor G2
Display: 6.1-inch OLED
Resolution: 1080 x 2400
Refresh rate: 90Hz
Charging speed: 18W

Reasons to buy

+
Amazing Tensor G2 performance
+
Camera improvements are impressive
+
Google just 'gets' Android

Reasons to avoid

-
Slow charging speed
-
Battery life concerns
-
Chunky bezels

The latest pocket sized Pixel is the 7a, and it's pretty special. This model makes the step up to Tensor G2 performance, one of the best chipsets out there. For the specs you won't have to break the bank either with a £399/$459 launch price. 

Google always treats Pixel users to the best version of Android with first dibs on new features, but that's not the only reason to plump for the Pixel 7a. The camera has received a serious step up and the G2 processor brings the very best out of its AI photo features.

Granted it's not as svelte as some of the other phones on this list but with a 6.1-inch screen it's still on the smaller side for a modern phone.

Read our full Pixel 7a review.


Best small phones 2024: Best of the rest

iPhone SE 2022 best small phonesT3 Best Buy badge


(Image credit: Future)
A more affordable small iPhone

Specifications

Weight: 144g
Dimensions: 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm
Screen size: 4.7-inch LCD
Resolution: 750 x 1334 pixels (326 ppi)
CPU: Apple A15 Bionic
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB / 128GB / 256GB
Battery: 2018mAh
Rear camera: 12MP wide
Front camera: 7MP

Reasons to buy

+
All the power of iOS
+
Affordable price
+
Excellent build quality

Reasons to avoid

-
iPhone 13 mini also exists
-
Dated looking design

While the third-gen iPhone SE (2022) might not have changed much in terms of looks from its predecessor, it's been given a huge upgrade on the inside: this compact handset is powered by the Apple A15 Bionic chip that also sits inside the iPhone 14 series. That means any app you want to run on this is going to fly, especially as it only has to push pixels to a 4.7-inch display. 

While the camera setup isn't the best you're going to find, it's still capable of getting some very decent results, and then there's the price – this is the most affordable iPhone you can buy by some distance. It's small, affordable and, therefore, will be the ideal small phone for most people.

Of course the iOS software running on the iPhone SE (2022) is the same as the software running on the more powerful and more expensive handsets in Apple's series of handsets, so there really isn't much difference in terms of what you can do with this compared wit the premium-level iPhones.

Google Pixel 6a best small phonesT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
A great small Google phone

Specifications

Weight: 178 grams
Dimensions: 152.2 mm x 71.8 mm x 8.9 mm
Screen size: 6.1-inch OLED
Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels (429 ppi)
CPU: Google Tensor
RAM: 6 GB
Storage: 128 GB
Battery: 4410 mAh
Rear camera: 12.2 MP wide + 12 MP ultrawide
Front camera: 8 MP wide

Reasons to buy

+
The fastest Android updates
+
Impressive camera system
+
Represents great value for money

Reasons to avoid

-
Screen refresh rate stuck at 60Hz
-
Pixel 7 might suit you better
-
The 7a exists now

As we said at the start, it's not all that easy to find truly compact phones these days, and the Google Pixel 6a is pushing the definition a bit with its 6.1-inch display. Nevertheless, it's smaller than a lot of handsets out there at the moment, and won't weigh you down too much.

Besides the size, the Pixel 6a offers a rather appealing balance between price and performance. You could opt for the Pixel 7 or 7a instead of course, but for many people the Pixel 6a is going to have everything they need, and at a cheaper price too. Don't forget it runs on the same processor as the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro.

As always with Google Pixel phones, the photos and videos you can get out of this handset are outstanding. The dual-lens 12MP+12MP rear camera may not set any records in terms of megapixel count, but you're certainly not going to be disappointed with the results you can get from it.

Samsung Galaxy S23 best small phonesT3 Approved badge

(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
The best small phone from Samsung

Specifications

Weight: 168 grams
Dimensions: 146.3 mm x 70.9 mm x 7.6 mm
Screen size: 6.1-inch AMOLED
Resolution: 1080 x 2340 pixels (425 ppi)
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
RAM: 8 GB
Storage: 128 GB / 256 GB / 512 GB
Battery: 3900 mAh
Rear camera: 50 MP wide + 10 MP telephoto + 12 MP ultrawide
Front camera: 12 MP wide

Reasons to buy

+
Impressive build quality
+
Can capture some great images
+
Software is improving

Reasons to avoid

-
Not hugely different to the Galaxy S22
-
Cameras aren't as good as the S22 Ultra

The Samsung Galaxy S23 is the cheapest and the smallest of the S23 flagship series from Samsung, and it packs plenty of power into a relatively compact frame. Samsung has been making phones for many years now, and it shows in the quality and style offered by this handset.

Everything here is an improvement on the Galaxy S22 phone that came before this device, though in some cases we would've liked to have seen a more dramatic upgrade. There's certainly no problem in terms of performance, with the latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 keeping everything running very smoothly indeed.

As usual with a Samsung Galaxy phone, the camera quality is excellent, and the software that Samsung puts on its handsets is getting better all the time as well. All in all an appealing all-round package if you don't like the larger sizes and higher prices of the other Galaxy S23 phones.

An image of the Asus Zenfone 9T3 Approved badge


(Image credit: Basil Kronfli / T3)
Packed with power but still small

Specifications

Weight: 169g
Dimensions: 146.5 x 68.1 x 9.1mm
Screen size: 5.9-inch OLED
Resolution: 1080 x 2400 pixels (446 ppi)
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1
RAM: 8GB / 16GB
Storage: 128GB / 256GB
Battery: 4300mAh
Rear camera: 50MP wide + 12MP ultrawide
Front camera: 12MP

Reasons to buy

+
Solid build quality
+
High-end camera system

Reasons to avoid

-
Not all that cheap

If you want a small phone but still need as much performance as possible, look no further than the Asus Zenfone 9. It comes with the super-speedy Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor inside and can be configured with as much as 256GB of internal storage and a whopping 16GB of RAM.

That's not where the appeal of this phone stops either, because this is a very well designed and put together handset. Importantly for this particular round-up, the bright OLED screen measures a mere 5.9-inches from corner to corner.

The Asus Zenfone 9 is close to being a world-class, compact flagship, but its camera falls short of excellence and it misses out on wireless charging. Despite those drawbacks, it’s still an incredibly powerful compact Android device with long-lasting battery life.

Sounds like the powerful small Android phone you've been looking for? Read our full Asus Zenfone 9 review for more info

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 reviewT3 Award


(Image credit: Future / Mike Lowe)
The best small folding phone

Specifications

Weight: 187g
Dimensions: 165.2 x 71.9 x 6.9mm (unfolded)
Screen size: 6.7-inch (unfolded)
Resolution: 1080 x 2640 pixels (unfolded)
CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1
RAM: 8GB
Storage: 128/256GB
Battery: 3700mAh
Rear camera: 12MP wide + 12MP ultrawide
Front camera: 10MP

Reasons to buy

+
Sturdy, strong design
+
1.9inch cover screen with widgets
+
Available in 7 different colours 

Reasons to avoid

-
Quite thick when folded
-
Camera tech is just alright 
-
Relatively small battery

Ok, so this might seem like cheating seeing as it's not a sub-6-inch phone; indeed unfolded the display is 6.7-inches... but it's still small, because it folds literally in half to make for a pocketable or purse-friendly phone.

On the front the Z Flip hosts a 1.9-inch Cover Display which you can interact with more than was possible in its predecessors. The battery life is also beefed up, which makes it a far longer-lasting option then earlier foldables. 

Perhaps the best part is that Samsung has lowered the price in this model, so while it's still kind of pricey you can bag it for about the same as any standard flagship these days. 

Always thought of buying a folding phone? Read our full Galaxy Z Flip 4 review to see whether it's the choice for you

David Nield

Dave has over 20 years' experience in the tech journalism industry, covering hardware and software across mobile, computing, smart home, home entertainment, wearables, gaming and the web – you can find his writing online, in print, and even in the occasional scientific paper, across major tech titles like T3, TechRadar, Gizmodo and Wired. Outside of work, he enjoys long walks in the countryside, skiing down mountains, watching football matches (as long as his team is winning) and keeping up with the latest movies.

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