This article may contain personal views and opinion from the author.
Generally, my job involves complaining about things phone-makers get wrong. However, every now and then I’m pleased enough with certain upgrades/decisions that I sit down and make sure to tell you about it.
One of those recent Martin-pleasing events was the small revival of “small” flagship phones - mainly thanks to the new Pixel 9 Pro, Vivo X200 Pro mini, Xiaomi 15, and of course, the already compact as ever Galaxy S24 and iPhone 16/16Pro.
However, it just so happens that not every person on the planet can afford an expensive compact phone - can you imagine! Or even if they could, it doesn’t mean people feel the need to spend $800-$1,100 on a premium flagship when the only feature they really want/need is the compact size.
This brings us to a (surprisingly) brand new topic I’ve never discussed on PhoneArena - and this doesn’t happen often…
To all phone-makres: Why do flagship phones come in multiple sizes but budget/mid-range phones don’t?
The excellent Pixel 8a deserves an XL version too, Google.
OK, to be fair… I sort of touched on this topic in a relatively recent story, where I ranted about the sheer lack of compact but affordable phones on the market. To this day, the most affordable compact phone (if we don’t count the ancient iPhone SE 3) is the Pixel 8a - and this one’s not nearly as affordable as some would like it to be.
However, the broader argument I decided to leave out was phone-makres don’t really need to make affordable compact phones… only. They can make large affordable phones too - at the same time.
To get more specific, here’s the iPhone SE 4 case, which (ironically) is a counterargument in this story, because it’s a small mid-range phone that might be too small for some people.
Once it’s released, Apple’s alleged iPhone SE 4 is going to be the first small-ish iPhone I’ll feel comfortable recommending to iPhone users - but there’s no doubt the 6.1-inch screen (borrowed from the iPhone 14) will be too small for many people who don’t want to spend $900 on the iPhone 16 Plus
Google’s 6.1-inch Pixel 8a falls into the same category as the upcoming iPhone SE 4 - despite giving you a flagship-grade experience at a much lower price, there’s no getting around the fact that the 8a is going to feel tiny for someone coming from a large Galaxy/Pixe/iPhone flagship
Samsung is in the best position to shake up the market with a few compact budget/mid-range phones
Samsung is known for launching dozens of different phones every year - yet there's zero size variety in the budget and mid-range Galaxy series.
And then we have the far more common size problem with budget/mid-range phones, and I feel the Galaxy A35/55 might be the perfect devices to use as a case study.
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Being just as large as my iPhone 15 Pro Max, not only do the Galaxy A35/55 not come in two sizes, but the two share exactly the same dimensions. Perhaps the cheaper phone could’ve been at least slightly smaller, Samsung? This could be a selling point.
In fact, to get super specific, my mum and my grandma need new phones right now, and the very well balanced Galaxy A35/55 would’ve been the perfect candidates if they weren’t so big. And to go a step further, I’d go as far as saying even I would use a phone like the Galaxy A55 if it had a 6.3-inch panel and thin display borders (to make it more compact).
Why is having choice a luxury?
The redesigned iPhone SE 4 sounds great but not everyone on a budget wants the relatively small 6.1-inch screen. How about an iPhone SE Plus?
Size is the first thing people choose in their new phone, and it can be a huge dealbreaker. For example, my cousin somewhat reluctantly bought and kept his Galaxy S24 despite the poor battery life he’s getting. But he loves the size so much that he’s absolutely not willing to go back to something as large as the Pixe 6 - let alone the larger flagships of today.
The bottom line is - right now, there is no company that makes a small and a large version of the same mid-range phone, which sounds silly. The situation in the budget segment is even worse, since these phones tend to have large screens with large borders, which make them even bigger - the prime example is the $200 Galaxy A16, which is larger than the iPhone 16 Pro Max(!).
The point is - I just don’t get the reluctance to offer people who can’t afford a flagship a bir more choice. Even if we’re talking about a couple of compact phone releases a year (from each phone-maker). Why don't people on a lower budget deserve a basic choice of two sizes?
How about that for a mid-range lineup?
6.1-inch and 6.5-inch iPhone SE 6.1-inch and 6.5-inch Pixel 8a 6.2-inch and 6.6-inch Galaxy A35/55
On top of that, budget/mid-range phones sell like hotcakes, and I’m almost convinced Apple, Samsung, and Google are leaving money on the table. That being said, I’m not letting Chinese phone-makers off the hook either - the situation in China and India is just as bad, and these are some huge markets.
In the end, it seems like the struggle to find a compact affordable phone that's not the Pixel 8a or iPhone SE will continue in 2025, while if you want an iPhone or a Pixel on a budget, you're stuck with the tiny screens of the iPhone SE and Pixel 8a.
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Martin, a tech journalist at PhoneArena, brings a unique blend of humor and insight to his work. His fascination with smartphones began with a Galaxy Young and evolved through a series of trades and upgrades, making him a self-proclaimed smartphone nerd. Martin's content often combines current analysis of market trends with historical references and future predictions. Whether it's a deep dive into technical issues or a first-person commentary on industry events, Martin's articles are designed to inform and engage. His critical perspective is driven by genuine curiosity and a desire to keep readers informed, not by any corporate sponsorship.
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