Phones keep getting bigger, but not everyone wants a 6.9-inch slab in their pocket. The good news is that late 2026 has a better choice of small phones than we've seen in years. Google, Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi all sell a flagship with a screen of about 6.3 inches, and a couple of cheaper options go even smaller.
For this list, we only included phones with a screen of 6.3 inches or less that launched in 2026 and are still on sale. Foldables are not included. We ranked them by overall value as a compact phone, using official specifications and prices, plus published test results from GSMArena and other reviewers. We have not tested these phones ourselves.
Compact phones at a glance
| Phone | Screen | Weight | Battery | Zoom camera | Launch price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google Pixel 11 Pro | 6.3" | 204g | 4,850mAh | 48MP 5x | $1,099 |
| Apple iPhone 18 Pro | 6.3" | 211g | 4,056 / 4,288mAh* | 48MP 4x | $1,199 |
| Xiaomi 17 | 6.3" | 191g | 6,330mAh | 50MP (60mm) | €999 |
| Samsung Galaxy S26 | 6.3" | 167g | 4,300mAh | 10MP 3x | $899.99 |
| Google Pixel 11 | 6.3" | 6.9 oz (~196g) | 4,985mAh | 10.8MP 5x | $899 |
| Google Pixel 10a | 6.3" | 183g | 5,100mAh | None | $599 (after Oct 2026 increase) |
| Sony Xperia 10 VIII | 6.1" | 168g | 5,000mAh | None | €599 / £549 |
*iPhone 18 Pro: 4,056mAh in models with a SIM tray, 4,288mAh in eSIM-only models.
1. Google Pixel 11 Pro: best compact phone overall
The Pixel 11 Pro gives you almost everything from the bigger Pro XL in a 6.3-inch body. It has a sharp 1280 x 2856 LTPO OLED screen rated for up to 3,600 nits peak brightness, Google's new Tensor G6 chip and a full three-camera system: a 50MP main camera, a 48MP ultrawide and a 48MP 5x periscope telephoto, plus a 42MP selfie camera. The 4,850mAh battery is large for its size, and Google promises seven years of OS and security updates. Tensor still trails Qualcomm and Apple chips in raw speed, and the $1,099 starting price is high, but no other small phone offers this camera range with this much software support.
2. Apple iPhone 18 Pro: best small iPhone
If you use an iPhone, this is the one to get. The iPhone 18 Pro pairs a 6.3-inch 120Hz OLED display with Apple's 2nm A20 Pro chip and three 48MP cameras, including a 4x telephoto. The main camera now has a variable aperture (f/1.48 to f/4.0). It supports 25W MagSafe and Qi2 charging. The downsides are its weight (211g, the heaviest here), a relatively small battery and the highest starting price on this list at $1,199.
3. Xiaomi 17: best battery in a small phone
The Xiaomi 17 is the phone that proves small doesn't have to mean short battery life. Its global version has a 6,330mAh silicon-carbon battery (the Chinese model has 7,000mAh), supports 100W wired and 50W wireless charging, and uses the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. GSMArena called its battery life chart-topping for the class and its display flawless. The weak points are a narrower ultrawide without autofocus, a short 60mm telephoto and heavy CPU throttling under sustained load. It launched in Europe at €999 for 12GB/256GB, but it isn't sold officially in the US.
4. Samsung Galaxy S26: lightest flagship
At just 167g and 7.2mm thick, the Galaxy S26 is the lightest phone in this ranking. It has a 6.3-inch 1-120Hz AMOLED display, a 50MP main camera with a 10MP 3x telephoto and either a Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 for Galaxy or an Exynos 2600, depending on the market. Samsung promises seven years of security updates. The trade-offs are the smallest battery here at 4,300mAh and slow 25W charging. It launched at $899.99 for 256GB.
5. Google Pixel 11: best camera value
The regular Pixel 11 costs $200 less than the Pro and still gets a 5x telephoto, which is rare at this price. The zoom camera is a much smaller 10.8MP unit, the main sensor is 48MP and the ultrawide is 13MP, so it can't match the Pro in detail. But you get the same Tensor G6 chip, a 4,985mAh battery that is actually larger than the Pro's, 25W Pixelsnap wireless charging and the same seven years of updates for $899.
6. Google Pixel 10a: best budget pick
The Pixel 10a has a 6.3-inch display, a 5,100mAh battery and seven years of updates, and GSMArena measured a strong Active Use Score of 15:13h. It has only two cameras (48MP main and 13MP ultrawide) and the older Tensor G4. The big catch is price: Google raised it from $499 to $599 on October 2, 2026, and reports point to memory costs. Older stock can still be found for less at some retailers.
7. Sony Xperia 10 VIII: smallest and most old-school
With a 6.1-inch 120Hz OLED screen and a weight of 168g, the Xperia 10 VIII is the smallest phone on this list. It also keeps two features most phones have dropped: a 3.5mm headphone jack and a microSD slot. Its 5,000mAh battery is large for the size, and Sony claims up to two days of use. On the other hand, the Snapdragon 6 Gen 3 is a modest mid-range chip, there is no telephoto, and Sony promises only four years of OS updates. The price has also jumped to €599 (£549), up from €449 for the Xperia 10 VII. It isn't sold in the US.
How to choose
- Best camera range: Pixel 11 Pro or iPhone 18 Pro.
- Longest battery life: Xiaomi 17, if you're in a market where it is sold.
- Lightest phone: Galaxy S26.
- Best value: Pixel 11 at full price, or Pixel 10a if you find it discounted.
- Headphone jack and microSD: Xperia 10 VIII is the only option.
Our take
Small phones are no longer a compromise on performance. The 6.3-inch flagships from Google, Apple, Samsung and Xiaomi have the same chips as their bigger siblings. Battery is the area where they still differ most: the Xiaomi 17 shows what silicon-carbon cells can do, while Samsung and Apple still fit much smaller batteries. Prices are the other worry. Memory costs pushed up the Pixel 10a and the Xperia 10 VIII this year, so it pays to watch for discounts before buying.
Sources: Google Store (Pixel 11 Pro), Google Store (Pixel 11), Apple (iPhone 18 Pro specs), Samsung Newsroom, GSMArena (Xiaomi 17 review), Notebookcheck, 9to5Google, GSMArena (Pixel 10a review), PCMag (Xperia 10 VIII), GSMArena (Xperia 10 VIII specs), Mobilkompas
