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7 Small Screen Android Phones Worth Buying

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These are the best small screen Android phones worth buying in 2019. As you probably know, these days every phone released has a huge screen. Bigger isn’t always better, which is why some people prefer small Android phones. The iPhone SE is a perfect example of a good small phone, and Android users want something similar. 

It all started in 2011 with the Samsung Galaxy Note, and now every company offers a big phone. From the Galaxy S10 to the OnePlus 6T or Pixel 3 XL. Phones with screens over 6-inches is the new norm. If you want one that’s small, or small(er) and easy to hold, we have you covered. 

The problem is most small phones don’t come with high-end specs or the latest features. As a result, you’ll have to buy a massive device or compromise on features. That isn’t the case with every phone though, which is why we gathered a list of the best phones we consider “small” these days. 

Best Small Screen Android Phones

  1. Google Pixel 2 or Pixel 3
  2. Huawei Honor 10
  3. Samsung Galaxy S10e
  4. Sony Xperia ZX2 Compact
  5. Moto G5 Plus
  6. Nokia 3
  7. Palm Companion Phone

The Galaxy S10, LG V40, and Pixel 3 XL all have huge screens. However, some of those companies still offer smaller Android devices. Unfortunately, finding a high-end phone with a tiny 3.5-inch screen is basically impossible, but some options come close to that size.

The small Android phones we recommend are either extremely affordable, deliver great battery life, or offer a premium experience in a little package. These are “small” compared to what else is available, but none are as tiny as the iPhone SE. However, the Xperia XZ2 Compact is quite small.

In closing, most Android phones still have screens around 5-inches or bigger. Sadly, that’s about as small as they come. However, with shrinking bezels and the latest technology, they’re more compact than you think. In fact, the Galaxy S10e has a big 5.8-inch screen but feels like a 4.5-inch phone. It’s a good middle ground for potential buyers. We’ve updated this list with the best small screen Android phones available in 2019, and we’re hoping to add great options to it later this year, like the Pixel 3 Lite or the Pixel 4.

Google Pixel 2 (or Pixel 3)

Google Pixel 2 (or Pixel 3)

If you want a phone that isn't approaching "phablet" territory look no further than the Google Pixel 2. This small(ish) Android phone delivers a high-end experience across the board, has one of the best smartphone cameras on the market, and already runs Android 9 Pie with the option to try the Android Q beta. And while we recommend you get the Pixel 3 instead, the P2 is very cheap these days. 

With the Pixel 2, you'll get fast performance, a great design, and basically a Galaxy S8 in a tiny package. It's the best small phone available in my opinion.

The Google Pixel 2 delivers a 5-inch 1080p Full HD Samsung AMOLED display, dual front-facing speakers, powerful specs, the latest software, and a highly capable 12.3 Megapixel rear camera. Google offers the same portrait mode photography settings as the new iPhone Xs, on both the front and rear cameras too. 

To round things out, the Pixel 2 features an IP67 dust and water-resistant rating, packs a decent 2,700 mAh battery, and supports fast charging technology. Again, we know this isn't the smallest device in the world, but it's the most powerful small Android phone on the market today. The new Pixel 3 has a 5.5-inch screen and is only a hair bigger thanks to tiny bezels. 

Buy it Unlocked for any carrier on the Google Store

59 Comments

59 Comments

  1. Vivanflusk

    11/06/2015 at 5:18 pm

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    • grant

      02/23/2017 at 3:18 pm

      Must have been the galaxy A3 in the glove compartment.

  2. Diggie

    12/31/2015 at 1:25 pm

    Started good with z3 compact, and stopped looking when the moto g 2015 was mentioned. Anything over 4.5-4.7 is not compact, and the 2015 moto g is a bulky behemoth

    • Skuggvarg (@skuggvarg77)

      05/18/2016 at 1:26 am

      Completely agree. 4.7 inches must be the absolute top when it comes to compact phones, anything over 4.7 is definitely not small. 4.7 isn’t that small either but it still works…

      There are way too few small phones, but the compact series work (Z1C-Z5C), then there’s Galaxy S5 mini, Galaxy A3 (2015) and even Galaxy A3 (2016). Beyond that…maybe a few Xiaomi phones, but sadly not much else.

    • Skuggvarg (@skuggvarg77)

      05/18/2016 at 1:27 am

      And yeah…Galaxy Alpha too.

      • Blarghest

        08/22/2016 at 7:29 am

        Galaxy Alpha really is let down by a very weak battery. Had Xperia 3 compact before it and it was like night and day. Battery lasted 2-3 times as long as the weak Samsung model.

  3. Katherine

    01/28/2016 at 7:11 am

    According to me, Note 5 deserve number 1 spot with features like fast wireless charging and adaptive fast charging that I could measure through this cable bought from Amazon: https://amzn.to/1PdysgD

    • Daniel Cloud

      07/09/2016 at 2:12 am

      Your answer indicates you’ve missed the point of this article.

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  5. youknowimright

    02/10/2016 at 1:21 pm

    there was a mistake in the title. it should read: “1 Small Screen Android Phone Worth Buying”

  6. Essel

    03/02/2016 at 12:03 pm

    There’s nothing small about any of these. I guess the truth is small Android phones with decent specs no longer exist. Last truly small Android phone that had halfway decent specs (for its time) was the Motorola Droid Mini. Guess I will be sticking with mine till it’s hopelessly obsolete or jumping ship to iPhone.

    • Ed VanDyke

      04/13/2016 at 11:56 am

      AMEN!!!
      I just traded in my Droid-Mini for a screen-unlock problem I’ve been enduring for over a year. The guy at the Verizon store talked me into the shatter-proof screen and wireless charger of the Droid Turbo 2. But between hemiplegism and this little Dutch paw, I can only reach about half the screen (and that shatterproof screen will pay for itself many time over, based on how many times I’ve dropped it reaching for the num/alpha or shift button, in the day that I’ve had it). Being able to answer incoming calls again, and using my phone without turning it off&on a half dozen times first is certainly an improvement… But I’m scouring the internet to find a better option while I still have a couple weeks to change my mind….. I’ve had a Motorola Android since the ORIGINAL Motorola Droid (slide-out keyboard and all).. But I’m thinking it may be time to get indoctrinated into the i-Niverse…. :/

      • Skuggvarg (@skuggvarg77)

        05/18/2016 at 1:21 am

        There are some Xiaomi phones that are both relatively small and still have good specs, so you might want to check out those.

    • Rick

      05/03/2017 at 6:45 am

      I loved my Mini. Is still be using it if it had a replaceable battery. (This business of having to use non-replaceable batteries to make phones thinner is a bunch of malarkey. My Galaxy Alpha has one, and it’s not a thick phone.)

  7. Daryl Lindsey

    03/08/2016 at 3:16 am

    You mentioned a 5″MotoG?..There are plenty of that size out there.The HTC M8,M9,A9 all match that size and outperform it in a curb stomp(You didn’t mention on in a budget).Furthermore if your going 5″ why not 5.1″GalaxyS6 active.Most of these phones cpu is comparable to HTC M7.I Do dig the Sony however.And the dust proof Samsung

  8. Daryl Lindsey

    03/08/2016 at 3:20 am

    Most importantly “Compact” should be 4.5″ or less IMHO…maybe 4.6

  9. kcw

    03/14/2016 at 12:59 am

    There no more real practical size android phone. The smallest new phone with decent specs out there has a real indecent price.

  10. Bott

    04/11/2016 at 3:15 pm

    They forgot to put Galaxy view or Nexus 9 here… Good list of compact phone

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  12. Michael

    04/13/2016 at 9:36 am

    There’s really nothing of any quality available for Verizon. The Nexus 5x is the only “small” phone and it’s not really small. Wish the Xperia Z5 compact worked on Verizon. It looks like a fantastic phone.

  13. Mel

    04/13/2016 at 2:59 pm

    Literally none of these are available through Verizon, its like they don’t even want to keep their customers. Please do a review on anything remotely small that is actually available through the provider most used.

    • Jim Wilcox

      07/31/2016 at 5:56 pm

      I just picked up a Lumia 735 as my first smart phone for $120. Sure, Windows phones may be on a slow death spiral, but this phone will be good for 2-3 years. By that time the phone world will be different, with dropping prices and more features.

  14. Larry Lewyn

    04/22/2016 at 6:52 am

    PLEASE STOP SHILLING YOUR CRAPPY ADS HERE! This is a place for discussing small phones not selling your garbage! Totally agree 5″ is way too big to be considered compact. 5 years ago a 5″ screen would have been considered giant. I still use my galaxy s4 mini which I think is about 135 grams. I do not want to lug around 160 gram or heavier phone. That is why I have a laptop / tablet.

    • Skuggvarg (@skuggvarg77)

      05/18/2016 at 1:31 am

      Completely agree with you on all points, although the S4 Mini had a reaaally crappy battery, but the form factor was really good. Maybe a little too light, though…it almost blew out of my hands a few times when the winds were quite strong. Really sad that they don’t make small phones because there’s definitely a market for it. I went from S4 Mini to S5 Mini, which works okay. Reasonably compact. I really can’t find any better alternative today, so I’m sticking with the S5 Mini for now.

  15. Z.Y.ZHANG

    05/04/2016 at 7:10 pm

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  16. Foo.m..a...n

    05/07/2016 at 4:29 am

    Small screen? 4.5 to 5″? You’re kidding me, thats not even near small.

  17. Erik

    05/09/2016 at 4:34 pm

    You must be kidding – none of these are small. I have a Motorola Droid RAZR M and these are all bigger. Why are there no options for small smartphones!!!? My daughter got a Moto G and it is a huge brick. I want something to fit in my pocket, not something I’m going to watch movies on all day. I’ll use my tablet or laptop for that.

  18. Derek

    05/10/2016 at 6:36 pm

    I use an Apple SE 4 inch phone. It is just as fast as the Apple 6s. I only care about size. I do not want to look like an idiot you know someone with an Apple 6s plus or a huge samsung on their belt. My wife says those people look stupid.
    First and foremost it is a phone. My SE fits nicely in my pocket. No other phone has better specs I mean no other 4 inch phone. If you want small go Apple. If you hate Apple still go Apple but wait for some other company to go small then buy that phone.
    I only care about size not specs. Dont say the samsung phone is better yes it is but not better in size.

    • Skuggvarg (@skuggvarg77)

      05/18/2016 at 1:33 am

      I’m so with you on this. Phones should be small, or at least there should be small phones…but these days, all phones are unreasonably big.

  19. simka

    05/18/2016 at 5:01 am

    I still use Xperia active. It is ~9,5cm in size and I understand this phone as small phone. All those 12cm+ phones are giants… I want my phone to fit in pocket and I call that as compact or mini phone. I dont want to carry that huge TV with me.

  20. NoMorePhablets

    05/18/2016 at 1:24 pm

    NONE. OF. THESE. ARE. SMALL!!!!!!! When is the mobile industry going to LEARN??? Unbelievable. This article is a TOTAL WASTE OF STORAGE SPACE.

    • Skuggvarg (@skuggvarg77)

      07/03/2016 at 4:16 am

      I agree with you but just out of curiosity, what would you consider small? What size limits would you like, both on the screen and on the outer dimensions?

  21. baitisj

    05/30/2016 at 3:19 pm

    Dimensions? Nowhere to be seen. Goodbye.

    • Skuggvarg (@skuggvarg77)

      07/03/2016 at 4:11 am

      So true! Although, you can easily look it up, but I still agree with you. Dimensions should always be present in every article about phones.

  22. larry l

    06/04/2016 at 11:40 am

    I with many here. The article is extremely misleading and deceptive as to what a small size is.
    I had a Samsung Captivate (i927/i897) that I really liked. One of the reasons I like it was the screen size or should I say “Display Size” which was, diagonally actually 4 inches. The entire phone was 5 inches. The phones mentioned here are at minimum “Display Size about 5 inches which in turn makes the entire phone closer to 6 inches; which I would say is a larger phone; but certainly, I wouldn’t put a label on it as having a “small screen”.

  23. henry1941

    06/12/2016 at 2:52 pm

    4 inches – 10 cm maximum dimension. Otherwise it is not mobile.

    • Skuggvarg (@skuggvarg77)

      07/03/2016 at 4:14 am

      It’s not like I recommend it, but did you check the dimensions of the S4 Mini? That’s the last decent phone that was quite small.

  24. comment

    06/17/2016 at 4:50 pm

    I would like a new phone the size of my existing Nokia C7. The Nokia C7 is a great size phone.

  25. AD12

    06/18/2016 at 10:07 pm

    Alcatel Idol 3 4.7 has to be #1 on this list

  26. MadGabZ

    06/23/2016 at 12:28 am

    I still carry my Sony Ericsson Arc S from 2011. It’s tweaked and modded to hell, just to run a few apps, but the design and form factor is UNBEATABLE!
    If only someone would update the hardware innards of that design, it would be killer.. for me, at least! :) It’s the PERFECT size for a pocket phone, good for sneak pr0n in bed, decent for the occasional google search, etc.

  27. M

    06/30/2016 at 11:09 am

    Not a fan of smartphones but I love SoundCloud. Will SC run on this device?thanks

  28. likesitfast

    07/05/2016 at 5:35 am

    The Xperia mini was the best compact phone if only it had buttons instead of touch screen for the home, back or file which over heated and rendered the phone useless until it had cooled. Surely not everyone wants a phablet which seems to be the trend at the moment. Even my current Xperia M1 is too big. Now manufacturers insist on glass screens! Why? They’re only going to crack and need replacing. it’s a compromise that I’d happily take and the quality doesn’t suffer that much.

    Wake me up when we have some choice of small phones……

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  29. Jan Bartnik

    07/10/2016 at 5:17 am

    How about LG Wine Smart? It’s sub 4″ I think. The specs are… well 2010-ish… but it’s new.

  30. Abhar

    08/17/2016 at 9:08 am

    xperia z5 compact is fuсking сrар! The worst smartphone I’ve ever had! Or STUPIDPHONE, rather. Terrible downgrade from z3 compact.

  31. Drinmo

    08/22/2016 at 1:55 pm

    Moto x 2013. Sweet little phone.

  32. Chandra

    08/23/2016 at 7:52 am

    How Is oneplus x it 5

  33. Dave

    08/31/2016 at 10:36 am

    I loved my xperia mini before the battery went thermal and nearly melted through a table before I realised and removed it. RIP my lovely little phone. Dear phone manufacturers WE WANT SMALLER PHONES NOT THINGS THAT DON’T FIT IN POCKETS.

  34. Michael Czajka

    09/20/2016 at 6:53 am

    Samsung J1 mini or nxt should have been included?

  35. Mr Spam

    09/22/2016 at 1:01 am

    I don’t understand. Surly the important thing about this article is the size. The size if the divice is not stated.

  36. dave99stang

    10/03/2016 at 8:17 am

    It’s very frustrating, it seems like all the phones out there are either big or huge.

    I would like to move from apple to andriod because I hate how everything apple is so proprietary and they force their updates on you. Unfortunately with no small (sub 4.5 inch, preferably 4 inch) android phones with awesome hardware out there I will probably go back to apple with the SE.

  37. Andis

    10/21/2016 at 3:14 am

    5 inches is already a superbig screen. 3.7 is the maximum for small screens. Sony Xperia Mini was actually the last one.

  38. GSM

    01/15/2017 at 7:20 am

    Is this a joke or clickbait title? Since when 4.7 inches is considered “compact”?? I was expecting something like a list of phones similar to Posh Mobile Micro X S240 (2.4 inch Android phone). Totally worthless article.

  39. bram van laeken

    01/23/2017 at 2:00 am

    wow moto g small phone?ehm did i miss something?its same size as a a samsung s5

  40. Rick

    05/03/2017 at 6:39 am

    I would caution people against getting the older Galaxy Alpha, from AT&T anyway. When I got mine, it still had KitKat on it. I upgraded immediately to Lollipoo. That turned out to be a mistake. The memory management on it is horrible. I had to install an automatic cache cleaner and another one that has a floating icon which is always available so I can tap it to clear the cache whatever app I’m in. I use it frequently during the day. Other users have had the same problem. And AT&T has not provided the software that will let me go back to Kitkat.

    • Rick

      05/03/2017 at 6:50 am

      I meant “Lollipop, ” but maybe “Lollipoo” is the right word with regards to the Galaxy Alpha!

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