Best small phones 2025: the top compact mobiles

I've been testing and reviewing mobile phones for over two decades now – since small phones really were small (the first iPhone in 2007 had a now-considered-tiny 3.5-inch display). So I know what I'm talking about when it comes to the best compact phones – and there are 5 top picks in this best-of round-up.

There are plenty of good reasons to want a small phone: maybe space is at a premium in your pocket or your bag, or you want to use your smartphone with one hand rather than two. What's more, just because these phones are smaller than their rivals doesn't necessarily mean their specifications are inferior – and sometimes they can be cheaper too.

What counts as 'small' has changed over time as phones have generally gotten larger. Here we've set a maximum 6.2-inch screen size for our best small phones guide – not exactly tiny, but relatively small compared with some of the monsters on the market. I've also stuck to prices below high-end and larger flagships.

If you've decided that bigger is better for you, then we also have in-depth guides to the best phones of any size, and for specific types of devices: the best Android phones, the best iPhones and the best folding phones offer specific buying advice too.

T3's Top 3

WRITTEN BY

WRITTEN BY

Mike Lowe

Mike is T3's Tech Editor, with decades of experience under his belt. That includes reviewing phones – so many phones that it's about one a fortnight on average! That's why he's the man to pick the best small handsets out of the myriad options available today.

The best small phones 2025

Best small Android phone

In our Google Pixel 8a review, giving the phone a full 5 stars out of 5, we called it "the affordable phone to beat" – and it's also the small phone to beat in this list. With its 6.1-inch screen and very reasonable price point, not to mention lots of fun Google AI tricks on board, it's a compact handset that's going to appeal to a lot of people.

As our in-depth review explains: "with big improvements over its Pixel 7a predecessor, this entry-level Pixel is a Samsung-beater that's got a great (albeit small) display, impressive software, AI features that do the business, and super cameras." Do note, however, that the Pixel 9a is now available – but that's got a larger 6.3in display and will inevitably cost more.

The Pixel 8a a nicely designed handset, it has the same chipset inside it as the Google Pixel 8 Pro, and the software improvements keep on coming too – with Android 15, for example. While there are newer Pixel phones now available, this offers plenty of bang for your buck – and sticks to that 6.1-inch display limit.

Best small iPhone

Check out our iPhone 16e review for the complete rundown of what a fine phone this is: it brings with it a speedy Apple A18 chip, meaning the latest Apple Intelligence features are on board, all wrapped into a 6.1-inch package.

It replaces the older iPhone SE from 2022, which had a far smaller 4.7-inch screen and much chunkier bezels, so this is Apple getting much more up to date. You'll have to pay for that, though, as this is the priciest phone in our small phones list – but it's a lot less costly than flagship iPhone models.

In our review, we talk about this iPhone as being "a stripped-back but bang-up-to-date handset," with particular praise for the camera, which is arguably unrivalled compared to any other on this list. There's no wide-angle camera, mind, but not many people use such optics all that often anyway.

With the iPhone 13 Mini now a product of the past, and the SE off the scene, the iPhone 16e is the clear small-yet-powerful choice for Apple users who don't want a giant Pro handset.

Best small foldable phone

The main 6.7-inch main display of the Galaxy Z Flip 6 might sort of break the rules of this feature, but it's got a 3.4-inch cover display that fits the bill – and using that metric it's the smallest phone on this list. Fair enough, you can't do all that much with the cover display, but you can take care of a few essentials without opening up the main display.

You are still going to have to pay a premium for a foldable phone, but the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is certainly worth it, and it's versatility comes in handy in a whole range of ways. You can take perfectly framed selfie shots using the cover display when the smartphone is closed shut, for example.

Read through our Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6 review, and you'll see we described it as "one of the best clamshell foldables to use – largely thanks to the feel of this design's hinge, which isn't to be overlooked". Compared to the Galaxy Z Flip 5, it offers a brighter screen, bigger battery, and improved cameras.

Best premium small phone

With a 6.2-inch screen, the Galaxy S25 is pushing the definition of small, but it's noticeably more compact than the 6.7-inch Galaxy S25 Plus and the 6.9-inch Galaxy S25 Ultra. If you want a Samsung flagship phone that's not going to be too unwieldy, then this could be the ideal choice.

Our Samsung Galaxy S25 review tells you all you need to know about this handset, and we concluded that it was "the obvious go-to option for those seeking a flagship Android handset that just happens to be smaller in scale" – making it perfect for this particular buying guide.

The Galaxy S25 is evidence that you don't need to compromise on specs and performance just because you're using a smaller phone – it's as powerful as they come (and is packed with AI features), while still just about qualifying as a compact phone.

It's barely any different to its S24 predecessor, though, so if you can find that at a cut of the price then it could be the more obvious choice.

Best mid-range small phone

Our full five-star Asus Zenfone 10 review is full of praise for this pocket-sized wonder: we describe it as "a top pick for anyone who wants a great Android phone in a compact format", and the camera capabilities and the speed of this smartphone are particular highlights.

That snappy performance is largely down to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 processor we've got inside here – and as an added bonus, the efficiency levels of the silicon mean you get great battery life too. This is a small phone that will run and run.

The Zenfone range is designed to pack flagship specs into a smaller handset and Asus has definitely achieved that with the Zenfone 10. You can pick this handset up for a decent mid-range price, and it's fair to say you get more in every category than you might expect considering how much it costs.

Honourable Mentions

Apple iPhone SE (2022): If you can still locate one, Apple's small phone is a few years old now, so while it's showing its age, it's also showing massive discounts for the refurbished model.

Samsung Galaxy S24: While it's a generation older now, this handset barely differs to its S25 follow-up, and if you can buy it cheaper then it's a flagship bargain worthy of your attention.

How to choose

There are obviously a lot of variables when it comes to choosing the best small phone for you – not least the screen size, which then goes a long way to determining the overall dimensions of a handset. Be sure to look carefully at other screen specs too, including the refresh rate: a higher refresh rate means smoother visuals.

Key to a phone's performance are the processor and the amount of RAM under the hood – the faster the processor chip and the more RAM, the better. Even in the era of streaming apps, local storage is important too (not least for storing photos and videos), so again get as much of this on board as you can.

Speaking of photos and videos, pay close attention to the rear and selfie camera setups on these phones: pay attention to the megapixel ratings and sensor sizes (the bigger the better in most cases), and try and see some sample images and clips if you can (our individual reviews, linked above, should help you out here).

Battery life is always going to be important for pretty much every smartphone owner, and again this is something you can weigh up from our write-ups – a battery's capacity gives you some idea of the time you get between charges, but might not always tell the whole story. Check wired and wireless charging speeds too.

Those are all of the main specs covered, but there are quite a few other ones that are worth considering. Is dustproofing and waterproofing something you think you're going to need, for example? Look for the IP rating (IP68 is the best). You might even want to think about the colours these handsets are available in.

Then there's the perennial question of iOS or Android, of course. A lot of this is going to come down to the devices you already own, and the apps and services you've already invested in. If you've already got a house full of MacBooks and HomePods, for example, then it makes sense to go for an iPhone for your mobile.

How we test

We want to make sure that the buying advice you get from T3 is as comprehensive and as informative as possible – and to that end we've put together an in-depth how we test page for you to refer too, detailing the thorough review process we stick to. In short: we test our every piece of hardware in all the areas that matter.

When it comes to small phones, it only takes a glance at the specs sheet to figure out whether a handset does or doesn't qualify for this list. However, we then put each phone through its paces to make sure it's going to provide the performance and smooth user experience required to make it into our buying guide.

Photo and video capture quality is crucial in a phone too, and this is something else we've tested extensively on all of these handsets. We also make sure to use each phone that we review extensively for several days at least, to match the experience you're going to have of the device if you end up buying it for yourself.

That means everything from the average battery life, to the quality of the screen in a variety of conditions, can be properly assessed. Our final verdict then comes from a place of authority and expertise, so you can trust that we know what we're talking about when it comes to the best small phones currently on the market.

Reviewer panel

Mike Lowe

T3 Tech Editor Mike Lowe has been writing about small phones since the days when small really meant small in the context of mobiles. He's seen the best and the worst devices the phone makers have had to offer across the years, so he's well qualified when it comes to understanding what makes a handset stand out.

Sam Cross

There isn't much that T3 Staff Writer Sam Cross doesn't know about technology – it's part of the reason we hired him – and that detailed knowledge extends to phones of every size as well. You can be sure that when Sam reviews phones, he actually knows what he's talking about, including what the best small phones are.

Mat Gallagher

Mat is the big boss of T3, who gets all the Apple kit in for review. He's seen all the latest and greatest iPhones, including the small ones, which is where his expertise comes into this best-of list.