What are the best compact smartphones you can buy right now? So what exactly is compact? And what are the possible disadvantages of a compact phone? You can read it in this article.
Petition for compact smartphones
This week we wrote about the news that Eric Migicovsky, the founder of Pebble Technology, has started a petition for more compact Android smartphones. With this petition, he wants to show that there is enough enthusiasm for these more compact smartphones. He also wants to bring fans of compact smartphones together and put pressure on the smartphone manufacturers and convince them to build the dream smartphone for “compact smartphone enthusiasts”. Read more about the petition in this article. You can find the petition itself here†
What is ‘compact’?
The concept and our opinion about what we consider a great smartphone has changed a lot over the years. In the past, everything was different, and yes, smartphones too. For example, people used to talk about a large smartphone if it had a 4-inch screen. People also laughed at the 5.3” display of Samsung’s first Galaxy Note from 2011. People said, among other things: ”Much too big!”, ”You can hide behind this”. But yes, look where we are now. We are now looking at 6.7 inch screens, without complaining or joking about it.
This is due on the one hand to the changing image of the times, as well as to new techniques. Because of these new techniques, smartphone manufacturers can place larger screens in smartphones, without the smartphone itself becoming larger. The bezels, for example, the edges around a screen, are getting smaller and smaller and the aspect ratio of our smartphones has also changed. Where smartphones first often had an aspect ratio of, for example, 16:9, these have recently become more and more elongated. Usually we now look at a screen with an 18, 19, 20 or even 21:9 aspect ratio. As a result, smartphones, despite their size, are still easy to handle. The width increases relatively little and this allows you to reach the other side of the screen with your thumb. Nowadays we talk about a compact smartphone with screens from 5.4 inches to 6.2 inches.
What are the best compact smartphones right now?
So much for a brief background on the compactness of smartphones. We now move on to the three best compact smartphones that we think are available right now. We look at the actual use of the smartphone. That is why the Z Flip 3 is not mentioned in this list. During the usage this smartphone is not much smaller, but narrower than other smartphones. Of course, if you fold it in half. This is our top 3:
1. Xiaomi 12X (6.28 inches)
The Xiaomi 12X is the most affordable device from Xiaomi’s new 12 series. The device comes with a suggested retail price of 699 euros and is, just like the regular Xiaomi 12, relatively compact with its 6.28-inch screen with fine and thin screen edges. We have extensively reviewed the Xiaomi 12X and we were very enthusiastic about the device. The conclusion of our review? The Xiaomi 12X brings a luxurious high-end experience for ‘only’ 699 euros. However, in terms of specifications, the device is slightly inferior to its more expensive brother, the ‘regular’ Xiaomi 12. For example, the 12X has slightly less strong performance, you cannot charge it wirelessly and the device is officially not waterproof. But you do get a very luxurious and affordable smartphone with a beautiful display, very good battery life, beautiful design and excellent cameras. Sebastien said the following in his review:
The Xiaomi 12X is a very good phone. I have a soft spot for smaller high-end smartphones and the Xiaomi 12X is one of the best you can buy. It also looks very nice with its fine screen edges and finish that hides fingerprints. Furthermore, the beautiful screen is a very strong aspect of this device, the performance is also very good, even if it does not have the latest high-end Snapdragon. But what I appreciate the most is the good battery life. It’s great to end the day with a margin and even if you do get into trouble, a good fast charger is ready for you. In addition, the camera of the 12X is very versatile.
Xiaomi 12X
- beautiful screen
- Decent camera
- Great battery life
- Beautiful design without fingerprints
- MIUI 13 can be confusing
- Appears with Android 11
- Not the best speakers
- Not waterproof, no Gorilla Glass
View more specifications
2. Samsung Galaxy S22 (6.1 inches)
The Samsung Galaxy S22 is the smallest and cheapest device from Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series. And where we expressed all our love for the device and its compactness in our review of the Samsung Galaxy S22+, the ‘normal’ Galaxy S22 is even more compact and actually the slightly better deal. The device is in fact in almost nothing inferior to its bigger brother, but is more than 150 euros cheaper.
Leon Speek, an AW Beta tester, said the following about the device in his review of the Galaxy S22:
If you look at the specifications with the powerful performance and the improved camera, you know that you are really getting a compact flagship.
Samsung Galaxy S22
- Strong performance
- Very nice software
- Versatile camera
- Excellent update policy
- Disappointing battery life
- fingerprint scanner
- Is lagging behind with fast charging
View more specifications
3. Google Pixel 6a (6.1 inches)
Okay, we have to be honest, we haven’t tested the Google Pixel 6a yet. So we can’t give a real judgment yet, but the specifications in combination with the price do look very good. In addition, the device will have a screen with a size of 6.1 inches. With this, the Google Pixel 6a has one of the smallest screens that you can currently encounter in an Android smartphone.
The Pixel 6a that was recently announced gets the same fast Tensor processor found in the Google Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro. A processor that ensures that smart applications are possible. Applications like Magic Eraser, about which you can see more here. In addition, the device will have a Full HD+ AMOLED panel, Stock Android 12 and two 12 MP cameras. A 12.2 MP main camera and a 12 MP wide-angle lens. This main camera is the same sensor as the one we have encountered since the Pixel 2, but also provided good pictures in the Pixel 3, 4 and 5. As soon as we receive the device, the review will of course appear quickly on our website.
Conclusion and possible problems
Opinions about compact smartphones are very divided. On the one hand, we read and hear that many people are looking for a compact smartphone. On the other hand, there are indications that the demand for compact smartphones is low. For example, Apple is discontinuing its Mini-series because it is by far the least sold† In addition, there are often disadvantages to compact smartphones. Due to the small size of the device, the batteries in these devices are almost always smaller than in other smartphones. And this while modern processors in smartphones have not become much more efficient.
It is of course true that smartphones with a smaller screen need to control fewer pixels. However, power consumption has not decreased in recent years. As a result, smartphones simply have to have a battery that is sufficient to provide a modern smartphone and processor with power for a number of hours. In addition, compact smartphones often have a less good price-quality ratio, they are often slightly less good than the bigger brothers and people sometimes find them too small for viewing content. This makes the compact smartphones just a difficult category and there are the necessary bumps in the road.
Yet many devices in this list manage to circumvent these drawbacks. For example, the Xiaomi 12X has a good battery life, the S22 is almost nothing less than its bigger brother and the Pixel 6a is very affordable. That’s why we think these devices are the best compact smartphones you can buy right now.
Do you agree? Or not? Let us know in the comments below this article.
– Thanks for information from Androidworld. Source