Top 10 small smartphones

In the last 30 years, there has been a downward trend in the electronics industry. Computers evolved into compact laptops, consoles into PSPs, bulky CRT monitors into thin LEDs and LCDs. And only with smartphones, the opposite is true - now mobile phones with a screen diagonal of less than 6 inches are considered small, although not long ago even 5.5 inches were labeled as Note. But the "shovels" have many opponents. This is definitely not the best choice for outdoor activities or professions that involve hard physical labor.

Especially for those who need a compact smartphone, we have selected the 10 best models available on the Russian market. It was not easy, because now there are only a few of them. So, our top 10 looks like this.

10 VERTEX Impress Luck NFC (4G)

A typical budget smartphone without a lot of bells and whistles. The small size is dictated by the size of the display - only 5 inches. Eh, still the frame of the screen is a little thinner ... The display itself is quite good - the IPS matrix gives realistic colors and large viewing angles, even in the bright sun it is quite "readable".

The dimensions of the smartphone are 144x73x9.5 mm (length / width / thickness). Yes, it fits perfectly in the palm of your hand and pocket, but be prepared for a serious weight of 290g.

Under the hood is a modest 4-core MediaTek MT6739 processor, 8 GB of internal memory and 1 GB of RAM. Certainly, you can't do without a microSD card. Cameras "for show", but there is support for 4G and NFC for contactless payments. Not bad for this price.

9 Samsung Galaxy A01 Core 16GB

Another inexpensive option, but from a better known brand. Simple, cheap and small - for narrow tasks, for economical and undemanding buyers.

The screen is slightly larger than the previous model - 5.3 inches. But the dimensions are slightly smaller - 141x67x8.6 mm. In terms of weight, the difference is even two-fold - 150 g versus 290.

16 GB of memory is not enough in the modern world, but with a memory card you can expand the storage capacity. The performance of the hardware is enough for flipping pages on the Internet, correspondence in instant messengers and social networks. For games and a large number of applications, it is better to look for an alternative.

8 Xiaomi Redmi 4A

An ultra-budget variant from Xiaomi, which, despite its venerable age, is still on sale in Russia. The smartphone fits perfectly in the hand thanks to its compact dimensions - 139 x 70 x 8.5 mm. Its weight is even less than that of Vertex and Samsung - only 130 g.

The diagonal of the display is 5 inches. This size is ideal for a small child's pen or for the older generation who do not need social media and games. The display has a good matrix, colors pleasing to the eyes, there is no inversion (negative) of colors at the corners.

Problems with a smartphone can begin only after prolonged use. Judging from real experience, brakes and freezes may appear in the second year of operation. However, this is "treated" by resetting the settings to the factory settings or flashing.

7 Xiaomi Redmi 5A

Even at the time of going on sale, this model was the cheapest of the current Xiaomi for 2017. A stable skepticism has formed towards the Redmi A line, they say, how can a normal smartphone cost so much? But that's the beauty of Xiaomi.

The Redmi 5A has a 5-inch display with HD resolution. There is an oleophobic coating to protect the screen from scratches. The matrix is ​​IPS, so there can be no special complaints about colors and brightness. Dimensions of the device - 140 x 70 x 8.6, weight - 137 g. Convenience and compactness - that's about him.

"Hardware" can not be called the strong point of the device, but for standard daily tasks with a small budget - it is the most.2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of built-in memory allow you to have no problems with messengers, browsers and simple games. The battery will last for a full day of work.

6 HUAWEI Y5p

There are no Google services and a second main camera here, but is that so important? The Y5p has a bright back cover, a fairly solid body and a high-quality display with high brightness and contrast (compared to direct counterparts). Dimensions 146 x 73 x 8.35, considering that the display is 5.45 inches, small and practical in daily use.

In tests, the HUAWEI Y5p shows excellent Wi-Fi speeds. The built-in memory (32 GB) is enough for the average user to surf the Internet and surf the cats. 2 GB of RAM will allow you to have no problems with the simultaneous launch of 4-5 applications.

The smartphone runs on a relatively new version of Android OS - 10.0.

5 Xiaomi Redmi 4X 32GB

A very interesting device, both at the time of release and now, when the 9th generation of Redmi rules the show.

With its dimensions, the 4X resembles the iPhone 6 / 6S. Physical dimensions - 139 × 70 × 8.7 mm. The smartphone fits perfectly in the hand and does not slip at all. The display has a diagonal of 5 inches (with the old aspect ratio of 16: 9), which for fans of compact electronics is a true paradise against the background of 6-7 inch devices.

In our configuration, the smartphone is equipped with 3 GB of RAM and 32 GB of built-in memory, which looks more interesting than the hardware of the previous nominees of the rating. The Qualcomm Snapdragon 435 processor in 2021 lacks stars from the sky, but it is still suitable for most tasks of moderate complexity.

4 Apple iPhone 7 128GB

Surprisingly, Apple's 2016 smartphone is still relevant in 2021. It is not suitable for every modern user, especially if he wants to be “in trend”. But it is a good choice for those looking for compactness. "Seven" was not increased in comparison with the iPhone 6S, and received modest dimensions: 138 × 67 × 7.1 mm. This is the thinnest smartphone in the ranking. Its weight is only 138 g.

In 2016, it was probably the best compact smartphone on the market. Experts noted its high performance (even with only 2GB of RAM), an excellent matrix and an excellent camera. She got optical stabilization and shoots just fine. However, like any other iPhone.

3 Apple iPhone 8 64GB

iPhone 8 received exactly the same dimensions as the iPhone 7 - 138 × 67 × 7.3. The difference of 0.2 millimeters in thickness cannot be called a difference. But the "eight" weighs more - 148 g, which is 10 g more. The diagonal of the display, respectively, is the same - 4.7 inches, with the good old 16: 9 aspect ratio.

Should you upgrade from iPhone 7 to iPhone 8? It is unlikely, because the difference between them is really small. If you still have the 6th or 5th iPhone in your hands, if you are used to small sizes and do not intend to buy a "shovel", then the iPhone 8 is one of the best options.

64 GB of memory, 4K shooting, premium looks - there can be a lot of reasons for buying such a device. The main thing is to want to see them, but at the same time turn a blind eye to the cost.

2 Apple iPhone SE 2020 128GB

Updating the old iPhone SE turned out to be interesting, but expensive.Yes, this smartphone is definitely one of the top three compact smartphones of our time, but you should be ready to pay about 40,000 rubles for it.

Owners of previous generations of iPhones in the new SE-shk will find a lot of interesting things for themselves. For example, it has almost the same design, literally telling you "I'm still the same iPhone that you love so much." With a diagonal of 4.7 inches and dimensions of 138x67x7.3 mm, it completely repeats the iPhone 8 and even weighs exactly the same.

The SE 2020 is made of aluminum and glass and supports iOS 13 at the time of release, which could be a serious reason to update your smartphone. The camera module here is a little more modest than that of the flagships iPhone 11 and iPhone 12, but the quality of the images is still very difficult to find fault with.

1 Apple iPhone 12 mini 128GB

There is a lot to dislike about Apple (there are always good reasons for haters), but what it should be honored for is for the release of compact counterparts for its main models.

The new iPhone 12 mini is not inferior in the quality of the display and camera (2 modules, including ultra-wide angle) to its "big brother". Approximate parity in performance, a serious "lag" can be seen only in terms of battery performance.

"Minic" received a 5.4-inch OLED display and surprisingly small dimensions - 132 × 64 × 7.4. Considering the minimal frames around the display, the dimensions of the case are minimized, so to speak, to the stop. If you value compactness, but do not intend to tolerate frivolity and other compromises, this is your best choice.

Which small smartphone should you buy?

So, we have 4 main options:

• inexpensive Chinese smartphone from the "third tier" brand. For a few thousand rubles, you get a compact device with minimal features. You can consider such a purchase if you need a convenient spare smartphone, maybe for a child, an older person, for someone who rarely uses a smartphone and only to call and write;
• an inexpensive smartphone from a well-known brand, popular a few years ago, and therefore it can be found in a state of new in 2021. These include Redmi 4X, Redmi 4A, Redmi 5A, etc.
• Legacy iPhone, iPhone SE or Mini. It will cost a pretty penny, but such a smartphone can be bought as the main one and for a wide range of tasks;
• used or restored (Refurbished). We strongly do not recommend resorting to such a solution, so as not to “waste” your money.