Best small phone 2023

In just a few short years, big phones have gone from being an outlier to the norm in the smartphone industry. Just about every major device released these days has a larger physical size, and while that's great for watching movies and playing games, it can be a challenge for those who prefer phones to be small and compact. Thankfully, there are still plenty of options, including the Samsung Galaxy S23 as our top overall pick.

We also take a closer look at the latest in Google's Pixel A-series, check out a groundbreaking Samsung foldable, and even dip briefly into Apple territory. Suffice to say, if you want the premium smartphone experience in a smaller, easy-to-hold package, you've come to the right place.  

At a glance

Best overall

The baby Samsung Galaxy S23 is the perfect small phone in terms of size alone, touting an adorable 6.1-inch Dynamix AMOLED 2X display. In addition to the petite dimensions, it's also a seriously great package that you won't want to overlook.

The Galaxy S23's small screen and overall slim build make it extremely comfortable to use in the real world. With tight bezels, a flat display, and a lightweight design thanks to the aluminum frame and glass back, the Galaxy S22 is one of the most user-friendly flagships we're bound to see in 2023. The display is also top-notch, with a fluid 120Hz refresh rate for buttery smooth animations, and impressive brightness at 1,750 nits.

Qualcomm's latest Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset is at the heart of the S23, and as you'd expect, this allows for some of the best performance currently available in a smartphone (in addition to sub-6 and mmWave 5G support). There's also 8GB of RAM and your choice of 128 or 256GB of internal storage. The camera system is reliable and versatile, with some slight improvements over the phone’s predecessor, the S22. You still get the 50MP primary camera, the 12MP ultra-wide camera, and the 10MP telephoto camera, but the Galaxy S23 also upped the resolution of the front-facing selfie camera to 12MP.

To learn more, check out our Samsung Galaxy S23 review.

Best value

Google's Pixel A-series has long been a value leader since the series was introduced. While most A-series phones have been on the smaller side, they often pair the diminutive size and price with equally diminutive specs. This time around, however, the Pixel 6a can be considered a "value flagship" phone that also doubles as the best small phone you can buy.

Every time I pick the phone up and use it, I marvel at how this phone only costs $450 and yet feels so darn premium in every way. The processor inside is the same one in the more expensive Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro, offering the same advanced camera features from those Pixel phones.

While the Pixel 6a uses the same camera hardware as the Pixel 5a, that Tensor processor inside ensures that the photos you capture are crystal clear every time. Google has long been a master at this but took it to the next level with Tensor, which offers Face Unblur technology, automatically capturing crisp faces even when there's movement. It's one of the many reasons the Pixel 6 series is the best phone for parents.

To learn more, check out our Google Pixel 6a review.

Best foldable

If there's any one specific reason to get a foldable phone, it's to fit a bigger display in an actual pocketable form factor. That's precisely why the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 is the best foldable phone for fans of smaller phones. Case in point, it might have a giant 6.7-inch display on the inside — which is anything but "small" or pocketable — but the Flip 4 folds in half when you're done with it, giving you the convenience of a small phone size and a big screen when you need it.

With the Galaxy Z Flip 4, Samsung upgraded the battery size and added in a more powerful and power-efficient processor, meaning you'll easily get all-day battery life on a single charge. The charging was also upgraded from 15W on the Flip 3 to 25W on the Flip 4, meaning it won't take more than 20 or 30 minutes to juice it up enough to get you through a particularly busy day. As with most Samsung phones, you can also expect years of software support.

The camera experience has been upgraded as well, as I pointed out in our Galaxy Z Flip 4 camera review. It now takes better low-light shots faster than the Flip 3, and Samsung's software has gotten smarter, too, handling things like motion better than ever.

To learn more, check out our Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4 review. 

Best for enthusiasts

Most small Android phones can't be called small by the same definition we had just five years ago, but the Asus Zenfone 9 eschews that thought and delivers a true one-handed experience. Even the side-mounted fingerprint sensor can be used to scroll content on the screen, enabling new ways of one-handed use that aren't often seen.

In addition to that, Asus packed a big, huge battery inside as well as the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1. That means you're going to get the best performance from an Android phone right now and battery life that'll make you wonder what sort of voodoo magic Asus worked on the phone. 2-day battery life is normal with the Zenfone 9, and that's almost hard to believe when a phone is this fast.

Asus also packed in some truly superb cameras, plus a 3.5mm headphone jack onboard, making us wonder why other OEMs can't get their act together and include one. All in all, the Zenfone 9 offers a great overall experience that's only limited by a lack of availability in the US.

To learn more, check out our Asus Zenfone 9 review.

Best alternative

This phone borrows heavily from the Sony Xperia 1 II, making cuts in size inside and out. The smaller frame still gives you a 6.1-inch FHD+ OLED with a 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling rate, so visually, there's something neat to look at. You won't be getting 4K resolution on this panel, but that's fine if you don't mind a step or two lower at 2520x1080.

The Xperia 5 III is also easier to wield, not just because of its smaller stature, but also a wise decision to go with rounded corners. There are also some decent performance specs, courtesy of the Snapdragon 888 5G chipset, along with 8GB of RAM and 128GB/256GB storage (there's also a micro SD slot if you want more space). That makes it more than capable of handling pretty much any task, even if the look of the phone may feel a bit aged. Streaming media is easy, and if you want to do some gaming, that's easy enough, too. There's even a headphone jack in case that's useful.

A good IP68 rating gives the phone some decent water resistance, which may compel you to take a few risks when shooting with its capable camera. The triple camera array in the rear can take good shots, with more true-to-life color that might please your eye if you take photography more seriously. The 4,500mAh battery also holds up well because of its larger size relative to the phone's slimmer frame, and that's more than enough to last a full day, every day.

Best for Apple users

Sure, this is Android Central, but it's hard not to mention the Apple iPhone when exploring the world of small smartphones. With the Apple iPhone SE (2022), camera output is going to be as good as it gets for something in this price range. Decent shots in good conditions and not so good when the lights dim. That's the same for the battery, which lasts a long time, thanks to its 4,000mAh size and the lighter specs. So you should breeze through a full day with plenty left to spare.

It's always nice when hardware and software can run this well on a device this size. The A15 Bionic chip is a steady performer, and with iOS 15 running smoothly, it's as intuitive as you'd expect an iPhone to be. Apple's tendency to also support its phones with years of updates (assuming they won't throttle it in any way) will also keep the iPhone SE 2022 relevant for some time.

Trimming things down also means a smaller battery. However, the 2,018mAh cell keeps the device up for a decent amount of time. Unfortunately, there's still no USB-C, so you will have to charge via Lightning or Qi wireless charging. The single 12MP main camera takes decent shots, leveraging the processing powers of the A15 Bionic and software improvements. You do miss out on Face ID, but there's the throwback home button with Touch ID built-in for biometric security.

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Not everything's about size

The market for small Android phones isn't as expansive as it used to be, but there are still plenty of choices out there if you know where to look. Among everything currently available, we think the Samsung Galaxy S23 is the best one you can get, packing loads of premium specs into a compact and reliable flagship. 

The Google Pixel 6a may not be what everyone considers "small" but it has amazing specs across the board, comes in at a price that's more than reasonable, and can still be considered small by modern phone standards. Using the Pixel 6a is pretty darn great no matter what you're doing, often punching above what you'd expect from a phone this cheap.

If you need a phone that's truly designed for one-handed use, then look no further than the Zenfone 9. ASUS somehow managed to deliver high-end hardware, great cameras, and a large battery into this small phone, and it is a truly standout package.  

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