Some of this might sound like faint praise, but this is one of the most affordable and arguably best value iPhones we’ve seen in years, and it just so happens to be compact too. Smartphones have been slowly expanding in size, and we're now at the point where the majority are difficult to use with just one hand. Flagships are huge: Apple and Samsung reserve their best cameras, biggest batteries, and most capacious storage for the 3-inch-wide, hand-buster phones in their Max and Ultra models, respectively. But it's still possible to find small, good phones that fit in your hand, give you all the features you want, and generally don't break the bank.

When you have the best iPhone, you pretty much have infinite possibilities for keepingbusy and entertained, no matter where you are. Sure, the iPhone may not be marketed as a gaming phone specifically, but it's pretty powerful — especially with the A17 Pro in the latest iPhone 15 Pro. That new processor means the Apple mobile gaming experience is only getting better and better, with Apple's new chip being able to play console-level games like Assassin's Creed Mirage and the Resident Evil 4 remake. To set up the phone, use the accompanying app to sync the Palm with your primary device. You can still receive calls, messages, and other essential alerts. Performance is middling rather than great, but the Sony Xperia 10 IV takes excellent photos thanks to its triple-lens rear camera setup. Low-light photography isn't its strength but a 2x optical zoom is useful while a triple-lens 12MP wide, 8MP telephoto and 8MP ultrawide rear camera gives you plenty of options. The Galaxy Z Flip 4 has a basic camera setup that includes a 12MP primary camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 10MP selfie camera. Battery life is markedly better than its predecessor, but it's still only enough for one full day. Also improved on the Galaxy Z Flip 4 is wired charging, now cranked up to 25W. Though the iPhone SE (2022) has just a single rear 12MP camera and 7MP front camera, Apple's software ensures this phone takes excellent, well-balanced photos in most lighting. Features like Smart HDR 4, Deep Fusion technology, and Photographic Styles make shooting with the new iPhone SE a lot of fun, though bear in mind there's no Night mode, something to consider if you take a lot of low-light or after-dark shots.The Sony Xperia 10 IV is a great looking phone as you would expect from an Xperia device. Its build quality is fantastic, feeling robust yet slender. A 6-inch OLED display looks good with vivid imagery even if it only has a 60Hz refresh rate. The handset has a decent – albeit single-lens – 12MP camera too, and a premium (read: metal and glass) if slightly old-fashioned design. As a member of the S range it’s reasonably high-end, with either 6GB or 8GB of RAM and an Exynos 9820 or Snapdragon 855 chipset. Which chipset you get depends on where you are in the world, but both rank among the best of this phone’s release year (2019). We’d like to have seen slightly better battery life, and the 64GB starting size is entirely too low, especially for the price, but those niggles aside the iPhone 12 mini is a superb small phone.

With its 6.0-inch screen the Google Pixel 5 only just squeezes onto this list, but its tiny bezels means there’s no wasted space, and the screen itself impresses. It’s a 1080 x 2340 OLED one with a 90Hz refresh rate, which leaves it feeling smoother than a typical 60Hz phone. Bottom Line:Premium specs, good battery life, and an above-average camera make the Samsung Galaxy S23 one of the best compact Android phones you can buy. That might sound big to some people but compared to the Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra or the 6.7-inch iPhone 14 Pro Max, that's pretty diminutive. The only real negative with the Galaxy S22 is the fact that the battery is actually smaller than its predecessor's, coming in at only 3,700mAh. It supports fast charging only up to 25W, unfortunately, and you have to buy a charger separately since it doesn't come with the phone. It also supports wireless charging up to 15W. Similarly, its camera is fairly potent. It has a 12MP f/1.6 wide camera with 1.7µm pixels for low-light performance, while the 12MP f/2.4 ultra-wide camera offers 120-degree field of view. Taking photos in low light situations works well too, easily being some of the best we've seen.The phone, which is designed by former Samsung executives, lets you partially disconnect from all the noise and distractions on your main device. If you use your phone for business, the Palm is an excellent way to cut loose at weekends or when you're on vacation. The Google Pixel 4a is Google’s rival to the iPhone 12 mini, though at 5.81 inches the Pixel’s screen is quite a bit bigger.