Best compact phones 2024 - buyer’s guide

GSMArena team, Last updated 27 August 2024.

Last updated: August 27, 2024 (Changelog)

The trend towards growing displays seems to be plateauing, but even in the current state of things, most phones are just too big for easy handling with one hand. This is why we always enjoy it when we come across the occasional competent compact handset. In this section of our buyer's guide, we'll try to point out the ones we think deserve your attention.


Editors' choice

Motorola Razr 50 Ultra

Motorola Razr 50 Ultra

Specs
  • Incredibly compact and lightwight
  • Yet large when needed, bright, high-RR cover display
  • Nearly creaseless internal display, great in all metrics too
  • IPX8 is a most welcome addition
  • Fastest-charging clamshell foldable we've tested
  • Overall solid camera system, possibly the best telephoto in this form factor
  • Fastest-charging clamshell foldable we've tested
  • Great speakers
  • No ultrawide camera, no macro
  • Heavy thermal throttling

Goodbye iPhone 13 mini, hello Moto! Yes, we have a clamshell foldable as our top pick in the Compact category for the first time, but it surely deserves it. The Motorola Razr 50 Ultra offers a ton of flagship features in its super compact body.

The Moto is without competition in its market segment when it comes to charging speed, its displays are likely the best in its class, and its speakers are better than most (foldables or otherwise). The software implementation on the cover screen is one 2x button in the camera UI short of perfection, and Hello UI is easy to like in its entirety as well.

Motorola is taking a bit of gamble with the camera setup - or is it a calculated strategy? Either way, we do like the main+tele combo, and if you're more into ultrawide shots, there's always the non-Ultra. In any case, this Razr does a solid job as a cameraphone.

All things considered, as small-size foldables go, the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra is quite the enticing proposition.

Read full review
Samsung Galaxy S24

Samsung Galaxy S24

Specs
  • No-nonsense, sturdy, grippy, compact design. The new matte finish looks great
  • Even better durability than last year with V2 aluminum frame and still Gorilla Glass Victus 2 and IP68
  • Outstanding OLED screen, slightly bigger and even brighter than last year
  • Great battery life from a slightly bigger battery than last year
  • Awesome stereo speakers
  • Top-notch performance
  • Solid photo and video quality across the board with a camera carried forward from last year
  • Exciting One UI is now infused with plenty of AI; DeX support, and great connectivity options
  • Hardware fragmentation is back, with some markets getting Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 and some Exynos 2400 chips
  • 128GB uses UFS 3.1 instead of UFS 4.0 storage
  • No 10-bit color depth support for the screen
  • The CPU and GPU both throttle down in performance quite aggressively under load
  • Charging is still capped at 25W and there is no charger in the box

The Galaxy S24 offers a nice little incremental upgrade over its S23 predecessor without really innovating or breaking the mold in any major way. It is also one of the most compact Android flagships available and the small size didn't come at the cost of cut features.

The new, much brighter and a bit larger LTPO, 120Hz, Dynamic AMOLED 2X display is a great little step up from last year. The same goes for the new Armor Aluminum 2 frame, which is now complete with a matte finish. We also appreciate the slight bump in both battery capacity and actual battery endurance.

One UI 6.1 is also a nice incremental step up when it comes to general functionality, even if you ignore the major Galaxy AI injection, which, admittedly, is still an "acquired taste" for most users and will take some refinement and normalization before becoming an unquestionable and established value-add.

As for the whole chipset situation, we see how returning to a two-chip, segmented approach rubs many people the wrong way. We acknowledge that Samsung's own Exynos parts have a pretty bad reputation (deserved, at least in part). Still, from our first batch of testing, the Exynos 2400 variants of the Galaxy S24 and S24+, we can at least say that this year, the Exynos 2400 does seem pretty close in overall performance to the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3.

Going into wishful thinking for a bit here, we would have loved to see the vanilla S24 join its bigger siblings and get 45W charging this year. Ultra Wide Band (UWB) would have been a nice extra too. And Samsung just needs to stop offering the UFS 3.1 128GB base storage variant. We get why it's there, but that doesn't mean we have to like it. The same goes for the 8-bit displays, by the way.

In keeping with tradition, the Galaxy S24 continues to be a mighty yet surprisingly compact package. It is one of the few small flagships left out there, and that alone will ensure its popularity with buyers. Also, as usual, it is the cheapest way to get into Samsung's latest flagship line and for better or worse, that appeals to a particular crowd.

Read full review
Google Pixel 8

Google Pixel 8

Specs
  • Compact and premium build, easy to handle, dust- and water-resistant
  • Bright and color-accurate 120Hz OLED panel
  • Improved charging
  • Overall, great camera quality with an unmatched character that has a loyal following
  • Superb stereo speaker
  • Android from the source, exclusive feature set, 7 years of software support
  • Some software features are limited to certain countries
  • No AF on the selfie camera, no Pro camera mode
  • Ultrawide camera is underwhelming in low light
  • A dedicated telephoto camera would have been nice
  • Unimpressive battery life and no charger in the box

The Pixel 8 offers an improved viewing experience in line with 2023's industry standards, excellent camera experience, faster charging, 7 years of software support, and timely major OS updates. And, it is one of the most compact smartphones on the market, one of the most powerful, and one with a remarkable photo quality from its cameras.

But the Pixel 8 isn't without its flaws. For instance, a 3x telephoto unit would have been greatly appreciated as well wider availability for its smart features. After all, many of Pixel’s clever software features can't be utilized to its fullest in many markets. Charging and battery life aren't particularly impressive either, although somewhat okay in Pixel terms. We also wonder why Google decided to skip the autofocus feature on the selfie camera and the support for Pro camera mode on the smaller Pixel.

Bottom line, the Pixel 8 is an easy recommendation because, despite its issues, it's a significant upgrade over the previous generation and manages to pack competent hardware into a compact body..

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Sony Xperia 5 V

Sony Xperia 5 V

Specs
  • It's not Xperia Compact, but close. IP68, grippy, lightweight, too.
  • Classic no-nonsense design, GG Victus 2, IP68
  • Excellent OLED screen, bright, 120Hz, color-accurate, no cutouts
  • Superb battery life
  • Very good speakers of equal size and balance
  • Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2
  • Excellent photo and video quality across the board
  • Dependable video quality, great sound, top-notch stabilization
  • Powerful hardware, pro camera apps
  • 3.5mm jack, microSD expansion, physical camera shutter key
  • No charger or no cable in the box
  • No dynamic refresh rate for the screen
  • No telephoto camera, no macro capabilities
  • Throttles under heavy loads
  • 128GB storage is the only built-in storage option

The incredibly compact Sony Xperia 5 V is a minor update over the Xperia 5 IV - it brings a more powerful chipset, newer Gorilla Glass panels, and an improved main camera at the expense of the retired zoom one. Luckily, 2x zoom is still present, with excellent quality at that.

The Xperia 5 V can also be considered a cheaper alternative, and a more compact one, to the flagship Xperia 1 V with a larger 4K display and a proper telephoto with variable zoom.

The Xperia 5 V has one of the best designs on the market - it's a timeless classic with a lovely grip, an impressively compact form factor and a very secure grip. The all-round ingress protection is greatly appreciated, too.

Then there is the cutout-free OLED with excellent properties. Sony hasn't figured out the variable refresh rate just yet, but judging from the outstanding battery life, we think not many users will hold this against them. The latest Snapdragon chip and RAM will always come in handy, as well as the improved thermals. We like the new stereo speaker setup a lot. And the audio jack. And the microSD expansion.

Most importantly, the Xperia 5 V delivers on every camera promise. It snaps some of the best photos a smartphone can offer in both day and night conditions, across all cameras at that - primary, ultrawide, selfie. Furthermore, the 2x zoom turned out excellent for photos and good in videos, too. All of that – wrapped into this small compact body. Nice!

Read full review
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip6

Specs
  • Compact foldable
  • IP48 rating now means some protection against solids in addition to the water resistance
  • IPX8-rated for water resistance
  • Improved battery life compared to the previous generation
  • Feature-rich software with useful cover screen implementation - Galaxy AI too, of course
  • Versatile camera system, zoom results are better than before
  • Glacial charging speeds
  • Cover screen could be larger and even more functional
  • Heavy throttling under prolonged load

The Galaxy Z Flip6 is not a substantial upgrade over the previous generation - faced with limited opposition, Samsung is doing a bit of coasting with its foldables this year. That said, the Flip6 in particular does bring a few improvements that make it more competitive in a field where it doesn't necessarily need to compete harder. Alternatively, it could be argued that the Flip6 is only getting the bare minimum of updates to keep the flame goin.

We do appreciate the new camera - it's not the dramatic improvement we wished it would be (against our better judgment), but it does push the Flip's versatility up a bit. The increase in battery life is similarly not a gamechanger, but more is always welcome. But argubaly its key advantage remains One UI for all of its features and refinement. The close cooperation with Google on the AI stuff can be another selling point for the right buyer.

The Z Flip6's only glaring omission is a sensible charging solution - not only was it never fast, but it's not getting any faster either. The cover screen could be sexier and more useful like on some competitors, too. Overall, it is a great compact phone, one of the best, but maybe you should consider our top pick first, and the Z Flip 6 – second.

Read full review
Xiaomi 14

Xiaomi 14

Specs
  • One of the few compact flagship phones
  • Upgraded LTPO OLED panel with variable refresh rate
  • Exceptional battery life
  • Very fast charging
  • Versatile and reliable camera experience, great videos
  • The new HyperOS seems more streamlined and efficient
  • Quite slippery by design
  • Throttles under heavy load

The Xiaomi 14 is a reasonably priced compact flagship phone. Overall, the handset is a capable mini flagship with plenty of big-screen features - a full stack of excellent cameras, LTPO OLED, fast charging, solid battery life and plenty of storage.

What we would like to see in the next version of the Xiaomi 14 is autofocus on the ultrawide camera, better selfie and better thermals during long and heavy workloads. We found the Xiaomi 14 to throttle significantly under load, which may ruin your gaming experience in some cases.

Still, the Xiaomi 14 is easy to recommend as it's perhaps the most capable compact Android flagship currently on the market.

Read full review
Xiaomi 14 Civi

Xiaomi 14 Civi

Specs
  • Lightweight, compact and premium design
  • Brighter than most and feature-rich display
  • Competitive charging solution
  • Potent and versatile camera system
  • Comes in 8GB/256GB, UFS 4.0 by default, IR blaster
  • Powerful chipset for the asking price
  • Videos have some sort of magenta tinge
  • Battery life is below average
  • Loudspeakers sound rather flat
  • No ingress protection rating

If you live in India, this is an offer you must consider. Xiaomi put together a very competitive package for the Xiaomi 14 Civi, leaving little to complain about. The device has an excellent display, potent and versatile camera hardware, fast charging, class-leading performance and good-looking, compact and lightweight body.

It is one of the most compact and lightweight premium phones right now, with excellent screen, performance, fast charging and a versatile and reliable camera system.

Read full review

Most recent updates

August 27, 2024: Replaced the iPhone 13 mini with the Motorola Razr 50 Ultra as new top. Replaced the Galaxy Z Flip5 with the Galaxy Z Flip6. Added the Xiaomi 14 Civi. Removed the Motorola Razr 40.

April 13, 2024: Replaced the Galaxy S23 with the Galaxy S24. Added the Xiaomi 14. Removed the Zenfone 10 and the Oppo Find N3 Flip.

November 7, 2023: Replaced the Pixel 7a with the Pixel 8, the Zenfone 9 with the Zenfone 10, Xperia 5 IV with the Xperia 5 V and the Galaxy Z Flip4 with the Z Flip 5. Added the Motorola Razr 40 and the Oppo Find N3 Flip. Removed the Motorola Edge 30 Neo and the Xiaomi 12X.

June 13, 2023: Added the Pixel 7a.

March 13, 2023: Replaced the Galaxy S22 with the Galaxy S23.

November 2, 2022: Replaced the Asus Zenfone 8 with the Zenfone 9. Replaced the Xperia 5 III with the Xperia 5 IV. Added Motorola Edge 30 Neo, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip4, Xiaomi 12X. Removed the Xperia 10 IV.

June 29, 2022: Replaced the iPhone SE (2020) with the iPhone SE (2022). Replaced the Galaxy S21 5G with the Galaxy S22 5G. Added Sony Xperia 10 IV. Removed the Pixel 5.

Oct 20, 2021: Replaced the iPhone 12 mini with the iPhone 13 mini. Replaced Xperia 5 II with the Xperia 5 III. Replaced the Pixel 4a with Pixel 5. Removed the Galaxy A41.

Aug 02, 2021: Added the Pixel 4a. Removed the 'Almost There' suggestions.

Nov 27, 2020: Replaced Galaxy S20 with Galaxy S21. Added the Asus Zenfone 8. Removed the Galaxy S10e.


Best phones by category

Reader comments

  • Sabix
  • 07 Sep 2024
  • uI7

Yes, like those Nokia N95 😢

  • Anonymous
  • 17 Aug 2024
  • nRt

Omer is on point. Not sure about full specs. But SIZE DOES MATTER in such a list.

  • Omer
  • 08 Aug 2024
  • Hxr

The one thing I don't understand is why a compact phone guide doesn't have any specs in each entry in the list, which is the most important thing in the list- to know just how big the phone is