Ever Googled for \u201cBest Small Phones\u201d? I\u2019ll save you the click: the guides you\u2019ll find feature phones that are old, underpowered, or simply not small<\/em> to begin with. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019ve long been a small phone guy. I loved my 2013 Moto X, with its 4.7-inch screen, and I\u2019ve used a 5.4-inch iPhone Mini<\/a> for years. But when Apple discontinued the Mini<\/a> last month, I decided it was time to jump ship. I saved my money for the Pixel 8, figuring I\u2019d eventually learn to live with a \u201cnew normal\u201d of 6.2-inch handsets.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n But for gadget enthusiasts like me, Google had other plans: it\u2019s arbitrarily pushing buyers to the ginormous Pixel 8 Pro instead<\/a>, bragging about how its larger handset can handle niftier features even though both phones have the same cameras and chips<\/em>. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n That\u2019s why I began my hunt for the last good small phones \u2014 but gosh is it slim pickings. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n For example, perhaps you\u2019ve heard the Asus Zenfone 10 is a small phone because it has a 5.9-inch screen \u2014 smaller than 6.1, 6.5, or 6.7. But did you know the phone itself is almost identically sized to a \u201cnormal\u201d Galaxy S23 or iPhone 15, not counting camera bumps?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Some guides suggest the 2022 iPhone SE, perhaps because it\u2019s got a 4.7-inch screen \u2014 even smaller than a 5.4-inch iPhone Mini, right? Wrong:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Pixel 6A and Pixel 7A? Absolutely <\/em>nope \u2014 both are bigger than a standard Samsung or Apple phone. Even unlocking their under-display fingerprint sensor feels like a stretch for my average-sized hand.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n While Android Police<\/em> calls the Sony Xperia 5 V \u201cthe compact flagship Android phone enthusiasts always wanted<\/a>,\u201d I think this size comparison speaks for itself:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n And if you think folding flip phones are small, well… <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Opened, the Samsung Z Flip and Moto Razr are roughly as big as the Pixel 8 Pro or iPhone 15 Pro Max, two of the biggest flagship handsets out there.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Closed, the Z Flip\u2019s girth doubles, making it that much harder to wrap a hand around \u2014 and it\u2019s plenty wide, too. Plus, Samsung doesn\u2019t actually let you use it like a small phone by default \u2014 you\u2019ve gotta jump through hoops<\/a> to use apps on the outer screen. Even with the Z Flip 5\u2019s larger cover screen, it\u2019s awkward.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n There is one company doggedly still pursuing small phones. It\u2019s called Unihertz, and its Jelly line<\/a> is tiny and has nifty features like a BlackBerry keyboard<\/a> or programmable buttons and extra LEDs<\/a>. But they\u2019re also exceptionally budget, designed for minimalists<\/a>, not those who want a great processor and a great camera like me. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Why isn\u2019t someone building the iPhone Mini of Android, you might ask? They\u2019re trying! But the latest dispatches from the Small Android Phone Project<\/a> are… not great. The project hasn\u2019t had a meaningful update in five months, and team leader Benjamin Bryant admits he had to pause to look for consulting work on the side. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n In some ways, they\u2019re still at square one: the entire design revolves around the phone\u2019s display, but display manufacturers don\u2019t publicly offer the kind of small, high-end screen Bryant\u2019s team is looking for \u2014 those are typically produced under contract to specific manufacturers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n \u201cThe problem is Apple has exclusive rights to [the iPhone Mini\u2019s] display \u2014 so, even with the line being discontinued, [Samsung Display] isn\u2019t going to give us access,\u201d he told supporters last month. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n The situation has slightly improved since then: Bryant says his team just had its first real call with Samsung Display US. \u201cSamsung Display US is willing to champion us; the challenge will be convincing the Korean HQ that we are a viable enough project for them to invest time and resources\u00a0into,\u201d Bryant tells me. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Other options: there are \u201capparently more than enough\u201d refurbished iPhone Mini displays on the market to fill the Small Android Phone Project\u2019s needs; the external cover display on the Oppo Find N2 looks promising; and there are other displays that could work if they\u2019re willing to build a phone with a chin. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n But\u00a0I would not expect a phone out of them anytime soon. Bryant admits that, in general, the small phone outlook is \u201cbleak\u201d and that some of his prospective customers \u201cwill be forced to upgrade in the coming year.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n Personally, I don\u2019t feel forced<\/em>: I could theoretically replace the battery in my Mini yet again<\/a> and keep it running another year. But instead, I impulsively nabbed a Z Flip 5 at its Prime Day price<\/a> to try something different for a change. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019m on day four, and while I\u2019m definitely not satisfied with the size, I don\u2019t want to be stuck on small phones the way I was stuck on physical keys. A decade ago, smartphone manufacturers pulled the physical QWERTY keyboard from my cold Droid hands<\/a>. This time, I\u2019m getting out before I get left in the past.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n