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 2025?
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. Sadly, this model is long gone, and you can't find it anymore.
So, we need to redefine our perception of "compact" when it comes to smartphones. When the benchmark for modern flagships is 6.7 inches and above, it's fair to assume that the middle ground would be 6.3 to 6.7 inches, and all phones under the 6.3-inch screen diagonal should be considered compact.
The best small phones to buy in 2025
Flagships:
Samsung Galaxy S25 - 6.2-inch screen, 162 grams, $800. The smallest and most affordable entry in the Galaxy S25 series, with a top-end Qualcomm processor and excellent cameras.
Apple iPhone 16 Pro - 6.3-ich screen, weight: 199 grams, $1,000. The latest A18 Pro processor, and all the fancy Camera Control and Action Button hardware in a compact and powerful package.
Google Pixel 9 Pro – 6.3-inch screen, weight: 199 grams, $1,000. Google's first truly compact flagship phone, with optical zoom, Tensor G4, and Gemini onboard.
More affordable options:
Google Pixel 8a - 6.1-inch screen, 188 grams, $500. The epitome of the affordable Android phone. With seven years of software support and almost the same specs as the Pixel 8, the 8a is a real bargain.
COMING SOON: Pixel 9a - March/April 2025, $500. Expected to get the faster Tensor G4 processor and possibly more RAM to help with AI performance.
Sony Xperia 5 V – 6.1-inch screen, weight: 183 grams. Unveiled back in 2023, this was Sony's last attempt at a compact flagship. The Xperia 5 lineup has been discontinued until further notice, so it's hard to find one, but you might still have stock available in some stores.
The Galaxy S25 is one of the most compact phones you can get in 2025.
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While many other "compact" phones have a 6.3-inch screen and a weight close to 190 grams, the S25 feels feather weight at just 162 grams. That's nearly 20% lighter!
You're also getting the latest Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, a super-bright screen, and AI integrated deep into the system.
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.
We also love that Samsung promises seven years of software and security updates for the Galaxy S25, making it very future-proof.
Same triple camera hardware, but new camera processing
4000mAh battery
$800 starting price
2. Apple iPhone 16 Pro
Screen size: 6.3 inches
Dimensions: 149.6 x 71.5 x 8.25 Weight: 199 grams
Apple iPhone 16 Pro
What we like
Refined in many subtle ways
Slightly longer battery life
New Photographic Styles are useful
What we don't like
Camera Control is overhyped
No faster wired charging
No more 3X zoom camera for portraits
7.7
PhoneArena Rating
7.3
Price Class Average
Battery Life
6.6
7.3
Photo Quality
7.7
7.2
Video Quality
7.1
6.4
Charging
5.5
6.5
Performance Peak
6.7
6.7
Performance Daily
8.3
7.4
Display Quality
8
8
Design
8
7.5
Wireless Charging
8.4
7.1
Biometrics
8
7.7
Audio
8
7.4
Software
10
8.4
Why the score?
This device scores 5.2% better than the average for this price class, which includes devices like the OnePlus 13, Google Pixel 9 Pro XL and Samsung Galaxy S25+
The iPhone 16 Pro is a 6.3-inch phone, so it's quite compact and thanks to the small screen bezels, it actually fits a larger screen in roughly the same size as the 6.1-inch iPhone 16.
Apple used to have the tiny iPhone 13 mini with a 5.4-inch screen a few years back, but that model is long discontinued and we don't expect Apple to return to the Mini game anytime soon.
The iPhone 16 Pro is a true flagship with an A18 Pro chip and 120Hz ProMotion display, and it has a 5X zoom camera on board for the first time on a compact iPhone. Of course, it also supports Apple Intelligence.
The downside is that it is a bit heavier than the Galaxy S25, but these days, this is what goes for "compact".
The Pixel 9 Pro may not be the most compact flagship out there with its 6.3-inch display (actually, it's right on the limit), but Google has managed to produce one amazing small flagship and it deserves a place here.
Even though this phone comes with the aforementioned 6.3-inch screen, the overall dimensions are not far off much more compact phones, especially when we look at the width (much more important for subjective feel in the hand).
While the weight is quite hefty at nearly 200 grams, you get a massive, 4700mAh battery in exchange. Not bad!
What's inside the Pixel 9 Pro is what counts. The latest Google Tensor G4 chipset is the beating heart of this little beast. The screen can go over the 2,500-nit brightness mark in real-life conditions (we've tested this), and the camera system is as powerful as ever with a 5X telephoto lens included. There's Gemini onboard and seven long years of software support.
The Pixel 9 Pro is probably the best package Google has produced ever, and its sub-$1000 price is also a nice surprise. Given the lengthy support and all the AI magic that will be coming to the phone with each Feature Drop, the Pixel 9 Pro is a very strong Android contender.
Pixel 8-like performance, seven years of software support
Affordable
What we don't like
Big bezels around the screen
Slow charging speeds
6.4
PhoneArena Rating
6.3
Price Class Average
Battery Life
5.8
6.8
Photo Quality
6.4
6.4
Video Quality
5.4
5.2
Charging
5
7.2
Performance Peak
5.6
4.9
Performance Daily
6.8
6.4
Display Quality
7
7.4
Design
6
6.4
Wireless Charging
4
5.8
Biometrics
7
6.9
Audio
6
6.1
Software
10
5.3
Why the score?
This device scores 1.6% 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 launched Pixel 9 lineup with two somewhat compact phones in it - the Pixel 9 and the Pixel 9 Pro. The latter made it to our list but it costs almost $1000, so with the Pixel 8a you're getting the same compact at half the price.
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.
Dimensions: 146.7 x 71.5 x 7.8 mm Weight: 167 grams
Apple surprised everybody with a new addition to its iPhone 16 series and a spiritual successor to the iPhone SE. Enter the iPhone 16e! This affordable iPhone device is now an integral part of the iPhone 16 lineup and comes with some really cool bells and whistles.
It's important to mention the price first. The base 128GB variant starts at $599, and it's currently the cheapest iPhone you can get directly from Apple. For that amount of money, you're getting a 6.1-inch screen and a very lightweight device at just 167 grams.
The phone also features the same chipset as the regular iPhone 16 (minus one GPU core), and a pretty powerful 48MP main camera. The caveat here is that this is the ONLY camera the device has; there's no ultra-wide or telephoto to accompany the main wide lens.
There's also no MagSafe onboard and no mmWave support, but those are pretty much all the compromises Apple had to make to arrive at this price point. It's a great little phone that will work fast and smooth in the years to come. Apple Intelligence is supported, and thanks to the modern chipset, the iPhone 16e will receive all the software magic Apple has planned for the other kids in the iPhone 16 family.
This device scores 7.5% better than the average for this price class, which includes devices like the Asus Zenfone 12 Ultra, Xiaomi 14T Pro and Motorola Edge 50 Ultra
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.
Furthermore, this phone might be the last from the Xperia 5 series, as Sony seems to have focused on the flagship Xperia 1, and the budget Xperia 10 series, scrapping the compact flagship altogether. So, it's your last chance to own a compact flagship Xperia phone. Don't miss it!
52MP (48MP effective) main camera with Exmor T sensor, 1/1.35", 120 fps, OIS/AF, f/1.9
Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
New camera aisle design (now housing only two cameras)
New Video Creator app
New amplifier for the front-facing stereo speakers
Notification LED is gone
How We Rate Smartphones
Our primary metric is the overall phone rating. This score is a composite of 12 different factors that define the smartphone experience, including Battery Life, Camera Quality, Design, Performance, and more. Each factor is rated on a scale from 0 to 10, but their contribution to the final score varies—Battery Life, for instance, holds more weight than Design.
The "Price Class Average" metric is another very important part of the rating system, it compares the phone in question to other phones with similar specifications and price points. This gives additional context to the mean score, as it helps you quickly assess how a particular model stands within its category.
We've made some changes to the way we rate phones. As of now, most top Android phones score around 7.5, leaving room for future devices to improve and push boundaries. If you want more detailed insights, we also offer category-specific ratings, such as our Battery Score and Camera Score, which break down performance even further.
Of course, when we talk about compact phones, the main criterion is the size and weight. These don't negate our overall ratings for the models, just put an upper limit on the size of the screen.
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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.
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