Here in 2025, there are no new small phones or those with displays at around 5 inches or so. The last ones were killed off in 2023 with the ASUS Zenfone 10 and the Apple iPhone mini, quite obviously due to a lack of sales. This isn't to say that there are no more small phone fans, but perhaps brands simply don't realise what exactly these fans want in a small phone device?
That being said, there are still a few remaining options for small phone fans in 2025, which we'll cover below. So, if you're a small phone fan or are getting tired of smartphones that are too big for you, then do read the rest of this article on what small phone fans really want and what can they get in 2025?
What is available in 2025?
Unihertz Jelly Max
Featuring 5G connectivity and a 5.05-inch HD LCD display (720 x 1520 pixel resolution), the Unihertz Jelly Max not only supports Android 14 but also has a 100MP main camera with 3.4x telephoto, NFC and a 4000 mAh battery with 66W fast charging. It also has a pretty good MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage.
The only major downside is that it's a thick plastic brick at 16.3mm and costs ~RM1536 ($339.99), even without shipping fees. It also doesn't have any local representation, so if it needs repairs here in Malaysia, you're in trouble.
Apple iPhone SE
If you're an iOS user, then your smallest small phone option is the Apple iPhone SE with its 4.7-inch Retina HD display (1334 x 750 resolution). Admittedly, the iPhone SE uses old Apple designs and tech, with just an A15 Bionic chipset, rounded sides and huge bezels. But, it is very nicely thin and compact at 7.3mm.
As expected of Apple, it's still priced pretty high from RM2199 for just 64GB of storage, but at least it's still there on the Apple Malaysia online store. You can run 5G on it just fine and it should be good for iOS updates for at least a few more years.
What do small phone fans really want?
In a nutshell, what we (yes, I'm still a small phone fan) want is a compact device that is portable yet works just as well as most midrange to flagship smartphones. We don't want a toy that can't perform, but we're fine if it doesn't deliver flagship performance. Here are some basic tech specs and features of an ideal small phone:
- Fits comfortably in one hand
- Delivers midrange to flagship-level performance
- Has capable cameras for on-the-go photography
- Offers solid battery life of at least 1 day on a single charge
- Priced affordably from RM800 to RM2200
How can brands deliver the ideal small phone?
Since ASUS already hit nearly all the sweet spots with their Zenfone 10 but didn't make more due to a lack of sales, we expect there to be a glut of leftover parts. One option brands can take is to reuse these leftover parts, but perhaps cut down on certain features. This could include a more midrange chipset, not-so-powerful cameras or just an HD display with lower refresh rates.
Ideally, it would be great if ASUS took another stab at it but perhaps downgrade the premium Zenfone 10 to an FE or Fan Edition, with an older Qualcomm Snapdragon 8+ Gen 1 chipset and a 120Hz FHD 5.9-inch display for about RM2399 or so. A midrange version could go for the Snapdragon 7 Gen 3 or 7+ Gen 2 with a 90Hz FHD 5.9-inch display for RM1599 or something along those lines.
It'd be great if ASUS made a small Zenfone 11 for the entry-level and mid-range
However, given that ASUS only came out with the huge Zenfone 11 Ultra in 2024, this seems very unlikely. A different brand could perhaps take advantage of these parts and cut down pricing even further with MediaTek chipsets, 60Hz LCD displays and smaller sensor cameras. As it is, there's now a largely untapped small phone market that many brands don't seem interested in competing in... making it a prime market for the right small phone brand.
On the iOS side, there have been rumours of an iPhone SE refresh with flat sides and rounded corners for years now, but nothing concrete has turned up except a few concept designs or renders. In short, it's probably just wishful thinking, as Apple doesn't tend to move unless it's for the majority of their users. We've love to be wrong, but it doesn't seem very likely.
If you don't mind slightly larger display smartphones...
A few years back, 6-inch display smartphones would have fallen under the large smartphone category. But with many larger phones now using 6.8-inch and larger displays, such phones can be considered smaller… by comparison. If you don't mind this, some "smaller 6-inch" smartphones we'd recommend include:
- Samsung Galaxy S24 ~ 6.2-inch 2K display, Samsung Galaxy AI cameraphone for RM3159
- Google Pixel 9 ~ 6.3-inch 2K display, Google Gen AI macro cameraphone and more for RM3699
- Apple iPhone 16 ~ 6.1-inch 2K display, Apple Intelligence cameraphone from RM3999
If you don't mind paying more for your small phone with a slightly larger display, then the Samsung Galaxy S25 not only uses a 6.2-inch FHD+ Dynamic AMOLED 2X display with 120Hz refresh rate, it also has the latest Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset which offers a significant performance increase over its predecessor. While it may be a bit more expensive starting from RM3999, it is actually RM100 more affordable compared to the Galaxy S24's initial pricing which was RM4099.
In addition, it also has all the latest Samsung Galaxy AI features as well. Thankfully, it's also currently available on pre-order up until 13 February 2025 with pre-order freebies worth up to RM1600.
At the time of writing, the Samsung Galaxy S25 is the latest and greatest flagship-level small phone for 2025
Are you a small phone fan?
What do you think? Have you found a better small phone we didn't mention here? Or do you have a better plan for brands to make the ideal small phone? If you're a small phone fan too, please let us know in the comments (e.g.: "I'm also a small phone fan!") below.
Brands can then see just how many small phone fans there are who might want to buy their small phone, leading to possibly more such small phones. Or if you have a better plan, then do elaborate in the comments. As always, stay tuned to TechNave.com for more articles about tech.
COMMENTS