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Best Small Smartphones in India (iOS and Android) with Big Performance

When smartphones came out and were still a luxury, they used to be pretty tiny and compact. The display sizes ranged between 3.5-4.5 inches. However, the scenario has completely changed and now people like big smartphones with display sizes going above 6-inches and beyond. This is because the distance between smartphones and tablets are blurring and consumers want huge displays in their smartphones so that they do not have the need to carry multiple devices (tablets and laptops). This is true for most of the consumers but there are a section of users who would like to use a compact smartphone that comes with a small body and display. Also, they would not like to compromise on the performance as well and want to purchase a flagship device at the same time. These kinds of mobile phones are rare these days but after a lot of research we are bringing you the best small smartphones, that come with small displays but are big on performance.

Apple which manufactures iPhones had stuck with small displays till 2014. Their first phablet, the iPhone 6 Plus came out in September 2014. The company continues to make small phones which offer flagship performance. In this listicle, we have various small Android phones along with iPhones, which vary from low-end to flagship price segments. As usual, the list is not any particular order. So without any further ado, let’s get started.

Check out the Best Small Mobile Phones running on Android and iOS

1. Apple iPhone 7

Apple iPhone 7 - One of the Smartphones without 3.5mm jack

Apple launched the iPhone 7 in India back in September 2016. It is one of the best small smartphones in the market today as it’s a flagship device which is very compact and can handle everything with ease. There is a 4.7-inch Retina IPS display and thus it is perfect for one-handed usage. It is powered by A10 quad-core processor and 2GB RAM. The phone runs on iOS 10 and will be upgradable to iOS 11 and later. In the camera department, we get a powerful 12 megapixel primary lens, which can capture stunning pictures and shoot 4K videos.

Key Specifications of Apple iPhone 7
Display 4.7-inch Retina
Processor 2.3GHz A10 quad-core SoC
RAM 2GB
Storage 128GB (non-expandable)
Operating System iOS 10
Rear Camera 12MP with true-tone quad-LED flash
Front Camera 7MP with Retina flash
Battery 1960mAh (non-removable)
Fingerprint Front
Connectivity 4G VoLTE

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2. Google Pixel

Google Pixel, a flagship small Android phone, was launched in India back in October 2016. It is a very compact smartphone with ergonomic design, that is perfect for one-handed usage. There is a 5-inch Full HD AMOLED display, that is being powered by a Snapdragon 821 quad-core processor. It comes with 4GB RAM and runs on Android 8.0 Oreo OS out of the box. Google will be updating it for the next couple of years for sure. We get a 12.3 megapixel primary camera and it can click some stunning images as well. It is also 4G VoLTE ready.

Key Specifications of Google Pixel
Display 5-inch Full HD
Processor 2.15GHz Snapdragon 821 quad-core SoC
RAM 4GB
Storage 128GB (non-expandable)
Operating System Android 8.0 Oreo
Rear Camera 12.3MP with dual-tone LED flash
Front Camera 8MP
Battery 2770mAh (non-removable) with Fast Charging
Fingerprint Rear
Connectivity 4G VoLTE

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Must Read: Best Nokia Android Phones

3. Moto G5

Moto G5 - Best Smartphone under 12000

Moto G5 was launched in India back in April 2017. The ‘Moto G series’ is famous for its stock Android experience and the G5 is no exception. It runs on Android 7.0 Nougat and will be getting updates for the next couple of Android versions. It is one of the small Android phones as it comes with a 5.0-inch Full HD IPS display. It is very easy to use with one hand and feels quite light as well. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor and 3GB RAM. Under the hood, there is a 2800mAh battery with support for fast charging.

Key Specifications of Moto G5
Display 5-inch Full HD
Processor 1.4GHz Snapdragon 430 octa-core SoC
RAM 3GB
Storage 16GB (expandable - 128GB)
Operating System Android 7.0 Nougat
Rear Camera 13MP with dual-tone LED flash
Front Camera 5MP
Battery 2800mAh (non-removable) with Turbo Charging
Fingerprint Rear
Connectivity 4G VoLTE

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4. Apple iPhone SE

iPhone-SE-Best-Flagship-Compact-Smartphone

iPhone SE from the house of Apple was launched back in April 2016. It is undoubtedly one of the best small smartphones and also the cheapest iPhone available in 2017. We get a very tiny 4-inch Retina IPS display but the colors very crisp. Thus, you’ll enjoy consuming content and playing games on this phone, in spite of being very small. The phone is very light and hence you can use it for long hours without causing stress to your fingers. We get a 12 megapixel primary lens, that can click excellent photos and videos.

Key Specifications of Apple iPhone SE
Display 4-inch Retina
Processor 1.84GHz A9 dual-core SoC
RAM 2GB
Storage 16GB (non-expandable)
Operating System iOS 11
Rear Camera 12MP with true-tone LED flash
Front Camera 1.2MP
Battery 1624mAh (non-removable)
Fingerprint Front
Connectivity 4G VoLTE

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5. Samsung Z4

Samsung Z4, one of the smallest Android phones in this list, was launched in India back in May 2017. It comes with a 4.5-inch WVGA IPS display and is powered by a Spreadtrum SC9830 quad-core processor along with 1GB RAM. The resolution of the display is on the lower side but it is pretty solid and good-looking because of the 2.5D curved glass on top of it. The phone runs on Tizen OS 3.0 but it supports all Android apps. In the camera department, we get two 5 megapixel cameras - one is present at the back and another is located on the front.

Key Specifications of Samsung Z4
Display 4.5-inch WVGA
Processor 1.5GHz Spreadtrum SC9830 quad-core SoC
RAM 1GB
Storage 8GB (expandable - 128GB)
Operating System Tizen OS 3.0
Rear Camera 5MP with LED flash
Front Camera 5MP with LED flash
Battery 2050mAh (removable)
Fingerprint No
Connectivity 4G VoLTE

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Must Read: Best 8GB RAM Smartphones

6. Lenovo Z2 Plus

Lenovo Z2 Plus is the cheapest smartphone with Snapdragon 820 processor in India

Lenovo Z2 Plus, one of the most powerful small Android smartphones, was launched in India back in September 2016. The phone is powered by a Snapdragon 820 quad-core processor, which was the flagship processor of 2016. We get a compact 5-inch Full HD IPS display, that is very comfortable for one-handed usage. It comes in two variants - 3GB RAM with 32GB ROM and 4GB RAM with 64GB ROM. We would advice you to go for the latter as there are a lot of phone deals on it.

Key Specifications of Lenovo Z2 Plus
Display 5-inch Full HD
Processor 2.15GHz Snapdragon 820 quad-core SoC
RAM 3GB/4GB
Storage 32GB/64GB (non-expandable)
Operating System Android 7.0 Nougat
Rear Camera 13MP with LED flash
Front Camera 8MP
Battery 3500mAh (non-removable) with Quick Charge 3.0
Fingerprint Front
Connectivity 4G VoLTE

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7. Apple iPhone 6s

iPhone-6s-Best-Flagship-iOS-Smartphone-under-40000

Apple iPhone 6s, one of the best small smartphones (iPhone), was launched in India back in October 2015. It is one of the most compact flagship phones as it features a 4.7-inch Retina IPS display, which is quite vivid and colorful. The 6s is powered by a A9 dual-core processor clocked at 1.8GHz along with 2GB RAM. It runs on iOS 10 and will get upgraded to iOS 11 and later for free. There is a fingerprint sensor embedded into the home button, that can unlock the phone very quickly. Under the hood, we get a 1715mAh battery that gives all day battery life.

Key Specifications of Apple iPhone 6s
Display 4.7-inch Retina
Processor 1.8GHz A9 dual-core SoC
RAM 2GB
Storage 16GB (non-expandable)
Operating System iOS 11
Rear Camera 12MP with true-tone LED flash
Front Camera 5MP with Retina flash
Battery 1715mAh (non-removable)
Fingerprint Front
Connectivity 4G VoLTE

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8. YU YUREKA BLACK

YU YUREKA BLACK - Best Smartphone under Rs. 9000 in India

YUREKA BLACK from the house of YU Televentures was launched in India back in June 2017. It is one of the best smartphones under 10000, which also happens to be one of the best small Android phones as it packs in a 5.0-inch Full HD IPS display with 2.5D curved glass on top of it. The YUREKA BLACK is a very compact budget phone made up of metal that is being powered by a Snapdragon 430 octa-core processor. For multitasking and storage, we get 4GB RAM and 32GB ROM. In the camera department, there is a 13 megapixel primary camera along with a 8 megapixel selfie camera. There is also a fingerprint sensor and it supports Dual SIM and 4G VoLTE out of the box.

Key Specifications of YU YUREKA BLACK
Display 5-inch Full HD
Processor 1.5GHz Snapdragon 430 octa-core SoC
RAM 4GB
Storage 32GB (expandable - 128GB)
Operating System AOS (Android 7.1 Nougat)
Rear Camera 13MP with dual LED flash
Front Camera 8MP with LED flash
Battery 3000mAh (non-removable)
Fingerprint Front
Connectivity 4G VoLTE

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Must Read: Best Dual SIM Phones

9. XOLO Era 1X

XOLO Era 1x is one of the best smartphones under 6000 with 4G VoLTE

XOLO Era 1X, one of the smartphones under 5000, was launched in India back in September 2016. It is a low-end budget smartphone, which rocks a 5-inch HD IPS display and is powered by a Spreadtrum SC9832A quad-core processor. This small smartphone is perfect for users who would like to purchase an affordable phone and can use it with one hand without facing any issue. The phone runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow OS and supports 4G VoLTE connectivity out of the box. We get a 2500mAh battery under its hood.

Key Specifications of XOLO Era 1X
Display 5-inch HD
Processor 1.3GHz Spreadtrum SC9832A quad-core SoC
RAM 1GB
Storage 8GB (expandable - 32GB)
Operating System Android 6.0 Marshmallow
Rear Camera 8MP with LED flash
Front Camera 5MP with dual LED flash
Battery 2500mAh (removable)
Fingerprint No
Connectivity 4G VoLTE

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10. Sony Xperia XA1

Sony Xperia XA1, one of the small mobiles in the mid-ranged segment, was launched in India back in April 2017. It packs in a 5.0-inch edge-to-edge borderless IPS display with Image Enhance Technology. The phone is powered by a MediaTek Helio P20 octa-core processor along with 3GB RAM. For storage, there is 32GB internal memory, which can be expanded externally up to 256GB by adding a microSD card. Under the hood, there is a 2300mAh battery with support for fast charging. In the camera department, we get a 23 megapixel primary camera at the back. It runs on Xperia UI based on Android 7.0 Nougat OS.

Key Specifications of Sony Xperia XA1
Display 5-inch HD
Processor 2.35GHz MediaTek Helio P20 octa-core SoC
RAM 3GB
Storage 32GB (expandable - 256GB)
Operating System Xperia UI (Android 7.0 Nougat)
Rear Camera 23MP with LED flash
Front Camera 8MP
Battery 2300mAh (non-removable) with Fast Charging
Fingerprint No
Connectivity 4G VoLTE

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Must Read: Best 5G Mobiles

Thus, we come to an end of our best small android phones section, which also had some iPhones as well since many of them are very small smartphones compared to the phablets of this mobile world. Do let us know about your favorite small mobile phones in our comments section. We would be updating the article every month to include the best small Android smartphones. Also, do check out our other stories to find more about the upcoming smartphones.

About the author

Bibek Saha

He is the Co-Founder of BSU. A Tech enthusiast at heart, who loves to write long form articles. A certified foodie who won't give up Chicken for anything else in this world. A Manchester United fan, who loves to play Fifa when not in work mode.

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