Compact smartphones of the year. The best compact smartphones

Who there said that Apple dictates morals and never listens to the "Wishlist" of customers? Here is an eloquent example of how lovers lament on the topic “iPhone 6 is heresy!” and “Jobs wouldn’t let the iPhone turn into a shovel!” achieved their goal, and Apple realized their dream - a new iPhone in a classic case. As a result, the fans, who should have choked with happiness ... decided not to buy the model that had been demanded from Apple for so long.

True, this does not detract from the fact that the iPhone SE is the coolest of the small and the smallest of the quality smartphones of our time. It's just amazing how fast the 4-inch "baby" opens websites and navigates through applications. And the camera - where else have you seen such cool rear camera so compact smartphones?

Another thing is that when watching a video, you either have to strain your eyes or bring the smartphone close to your face, and in games the controls are annoying, because the “huge” thumbs cover a significant part of the screen. You have to type with even breathing and the vigilance of a ninja samurai. But this is just a lyrical digression - lovers of compact mobile phones will be delighted with the ratio of size and performance of the iPhone SE and will not notice these shortcomings. Moreover, even the newfangled Apple Pay works in this classic-looking iPhone!

But what Apple fans will really notice is the lack of 3D Touch (that is, the screen does not respond to pressure) and a weak selfie camera. And the model has no prestige - the new iPhone looks like a very old iPhone.

An ideal super-compact model to the delight of the “old believers” from Apple technology lovers, which will still scare away geeks due to obsolete filling, and a large proportion of conservatives due to too high a price.

Sony Xperia X Compact

Another smartphone from the “you still have no choice” category. It must be admitted that only the "mini" remains from Sony's legendary mini-flagship - flagship characteristics are a thing of the past, as well as the Z5 Compact model. The new compact has no water resistance, no cool processor, no expensive body materials, but in terms of display quality, camera and speed, it is still preferable to any other smartphone in the 4.6-inch or less class.

Sony Xperia X Compact

Official prices for a Japanese compact are presumptuous, to put it mildly, because no one is in a hurry to pay 33 thousand rubles for a small mobile phone with characteristics on the verge of the budget and middle classes. But gray retail will help us, which means that you can get the best modern compact android phone for 22-25 thousand. And this is already quite an adequate price for a modern model with a moderate display diagonal.

Huawei Nova

Five-inch model in the selection of compact smartphones. Ashamed? Ashamed! But it’s better to have a 5.0” lean smartphone in all directions than the thick and stupid budget rubbish that the “4-4.9 inches + Android” branch is now teeming with.

Do not be afraid of the Chinese origin of the model and its price in Russia - Nova turned out to be extremely successful, and in addition to the dreary quality of the speakerphone, this smartphone has only one drawback. It lies in the fact that Nova is a very boring smartphone, like an intelligent girl without bad habits from an exemplary family with sinless relatives.

Neither good nor bad: the display is of average quality, the camera is good, the performance is average, the autonomy is average, the body materials and design are also average. You can only note a very cool selfie camera and a car of “special effects” for it in order to apply makeup in self-portraits “on the fly”.

Well, if you don’t be a snob and don’t find fault with the fact that the smartphone turned out to be good on all fronts, you have to take it. Take it to all buyers who want to get a high-quality and relatively small smartphone without maximalism in price or characteristics.

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)

A funny example of a compact smartphone that got a 4.7-inch diagonal not to be better than competitors' models, but to become worse than the Galaxy A5 model and observe “corporate subordination”. For this reason, the “three-ruble note” has grown to the title of one of the best compact smartphones only in the third generation: the first generation A3 was generally “firewood” with indecently budget stuffing, the second turned into a beautiful and fast, but still “stump”, especially in terms of operational memory (one and a half gigabytes! Samsung, you produce RAM yourself, you can’t be so greedy!).

“And the fourth is neither alive nor dead. Oh, don’t let me maaaat!” as Nadezhda Kadysheva sings. Galaxy A4 will be released - we'll see, but the third generation A3, or, as it is called, “a-three of the 2017 model year”, still turned out to be a very cool smartphone, albeit with an inadequate price at the start of sales.

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)

A beautiful and, importantly, water-resistant case, a nimble eight-core processor (better than your MT6753) with two gigabytes of RAM, NFC for Samsung Pay, and a high-quality AMOLED display. The smartphone cannot boast of cool cameras (they are weaker in the A3 2017 than in the typical middle-class ASUS ZenFone 3 and Huawei Nova), but still the new “three” is good even in itself, and among the compact models it is also one of the most sophisticated . That rare case when Samsung with the number "three" in the index is not ashamed. It remains to wait until the price falls below 20 thousand, and there will be no contraindications to buying a compact Samsung.

The smallest smartphone in our selection. iPhone SE is made in a familiar case from the "five", which came out 5 years ago. Thanks to the 4-inch screen, the iPhone fits in any hand, even the smallest one.

Despite the old design, there is very powerful hardware inside - an Apple A9 dual-core processor, 2 GB of RAM, 16 or 64 GB of internal memory. These characteristics, combined with a small screen resolution, give fantastic performance, second only to the new iPhone 7. Among other things, the iPhone SE has one of the best mobile cameras - it will suit even the most demanding user.

Operating system: iOS 9. Processor: Apple A9 RAM: 2 GB

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)

• Case Width: 66.2 mm
• Screen diagonal: 4.7 inches

New from Samsung with a 4.7-inch screen, water protection and fast charging.

Fans of small phones Galaxy A3 2017 will like it - a small screen and a rounded back of the case make the use of the device very convenient.

The screen of the smartphone is made using AMOLED technology, the resolution is only HD, but this is enough for 4.7 inches. Inside, there is an Exynos 7870 octa-core processor with a frequency of 1.6 GHz, 2 GB of RAM and 16 GB of internal memory. The characteristics are average, but the device performs all the main tasks quickly - enough for social networks. Of the nice additions, the Galaxy A3 2017 is made according to the IP68 standard, which means that it is not afraid of dust and dirt, there is a fingerprint scanner and Samsung Pay contactless payment technology.

Sony Xperia X Compact

• Case Width: 65 mm
• Screen diagonal: 4.6 inches

Sony does not forget about fans of compact smartphones and every year releases small versions of its flagship. Xperia X Compact is the latest small smartphone from the Japanese. It is really small - the screen is only 4.6 inches, and the width of the body is 65 mm. Fits in any palm :)

The specifications did not let us down either: the well-established Qualcomm Snapdragon 650 became the heart of the Sony Xperia X Compact. It is very powerful, pulls all games at maximum settings. RAM 3 GB, and the main 32 GB - if not enough, you can expand the memory using a memory card. The case is made of plastic, there are many color options for every taste - coral, blue, black and white.

Huawei Nova

• Case Width: 69.1 mm
• Screen diagonal: 5 inches

A novelty from a Chinese company, made especially for us - opponents of shovels.

The smartphone has a rather big 5-inch screen, but the bezels around the display, which are very thin in Huawei Nova, play an important role. The width of the case is about the same as that of competitors with a smaller diagonal.

According to the assurances of the Chinese, Nova is a premium mid-range smartphone. The design of the device is really impressive - high-quality aluminum pleasantly cools the hand, it is felt that the device is expensive. Specifications are also decent - an eight-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 625 processor with a frequency of 2.0 GHz, 3 GB of "RAM" and 32 GB of internal memory. There is a slot for a memory card, a fingerprint scanner, a USB-C connector, and all this at a very affordable price.

Articles and Lifehacks

Today in our review - the smallest smartphones that have appeared on sale on the Russian market over the past few years.

Almost all of them belong to the ultra-budget segment: very rarely a device with a display of less than 5 inches can be something worthy of closer attention.

TOP 6 models of 2016-2017

Last – model Samsung Galaxy J1 Ace Neo announced in July 2016.

Not the worst member of the J line with a 4.3-inch Super AMOLED display. At least it has a good screen matrix and support for LTE, although in general the entry-level filling.

Model pluses:

• 4.3 inch Super AMOLED display.
• The maximum capacity of Micro SD cards is up to 128 GB.
• 5-megapixel main camera with autofocus.
• Support for work in LTE networks.
• Acceptable battery capacity is 1900 mAh.
• Front camera with a resolution of 2 megapixels.

Cons of Samsung Galaxy J1 Ace Neo:

• Budget 4-core chipset Spreadtrum SC8830, clock frequency 1.5 GHz.
• One SIM card slot.

5th place occupies the model Fly Stratus 4 (FS405) with a 4-inch screen, announced in May 2016.

This is already an ultra-state employee without any “buts”: the price is 2.4 thousand rubles, a TFT screen matrix, a 2-core chipset, a meager amount of memory and a completely shameful battery capacity. Who and why buys such crafts is not clear.

Model pluses:

• Ultra-low price - 2.4 thousand rubles.

Cons of Fly Stratus 4 (FS405):

• Legacy 2-core chipset MediaTek MT6572A, clock frequency 1.2 GHz.
• An outdated version of Android OS 5.1 Lollipop.
• Low battery capacity - 1250 mAh.
• Low resolution cameras - 2 megapixels for the main and 0.3 megapixels for the front.
• No autofocus.

For 4 positions – model Prestigio Wize L3 announced in July 2016. The characteristics differ from the previous model only a little: the chipset is still 4-core, the battery is slightly larger, the camera is 5-megapixel.

But the price is even lower - from 2.3 thousand rubles.

Model pluses:

• Super low price - 2.3 thousand rubles.

Cons Prestigio Wize L3:

• Budget 4-core chipset Spreadtrum SC7731, clock frequency 1.3 GHz.
• An outdated version of Android OS 5.1 Lollipop.
• The low resolution of the 4-inch TFT display is 480x800.
• Little RAM - 512 MB.
• Little built-in memory - 4 GB.
• Insufficient maximum capacity of Micro SD cards - up to 32 GB.
• There is no support for work in LTE networks.
• Low battery capacity - 1450 mAh.
• No autofocus.

3rd place – model Micromax Canvas Pace mini Q401 announced in April 2016. The display is the same as in the previous two models - 4-inch, with a low-resolution TFT matrix.

But the other filling is a little better: an LTE module, the minimum reasonable amount of memory. Price - from 5 thousand rubles.

Model pluses:

• Support for work in LTE networks.
• 5 megapixel main camera.

Cons of Micromax Canvas Pace mini Q401:

• Budget 4-core chipset Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 MSM8909, clock frequency 1.1 GHz.
• An outdated version of Android OS 5.1 Lollipop.
• The low resolution of the 4-inch TFT display is 480x800.
• Not enough RAM - 1 GB.
• Insufficient built-in memory - 8 GB.
• Insufficient maximum capacity of Micro SD cards - up to 32 GB.
• Low battery capacity - 1550 mAh.
• Low resolution front camera - 0.3 megapixels.
• No autofocus.
• The only slot for a sim card.

2nd place occupies the model DEXP Ixion M240 Strike 3 Pro announced in March 2017. Its 4-inch display has an S-IPS matrix, albeit with an equally low resolution.

1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of internal memory, Spreadtrum SC7731C budget chipset, no 4G support. Price - 3.3 thousand rubles.

Model pluses:

• 4 inch S-IPS screen.
• 5 megapixel main camera.

Cons of DEXP Ixion M240 Strike 3 Pro:

• Budget 4-core chipset Spreadtrum SC7731C, clock frequency 1.3 GHz.
• An outdated version of Android OS 5.1 Lollipop.
• Low display resolution - 480x800.
• Not enough RAM - 1 GB.
• Insufficient built-in memory - 8 GB.
• Insufficient maximum capacity of Micro SD cards - up to 32 GB.
• There is no support for work in LTE networks.
• Low battery capacity - 1400 mAh.
• Low resolution front camera - 0.3 megapixels.
• No autofocus.

Heads our rating iPhone budget option Apple iPhone SE , announced in March 2016. Received a less powerful than the full version, the Apple A9 chipset, lost 3D Touch and barometer.

If someone really needs a small smartphone with good parameters - that's it. But it's expensive: from 20 thousand rubles in the 16 GB version to 30 thousand in the 128 GB version.

Model pluses:

• Dual-core Apple A9 chipset, 1.8 GHz clock speed.
• 4-inch S-IPS display.
• Enough RAM - 2 GB.
• Enough built-in memory - up to 128 GB.
• Support for work in LTE networks.
• Acceptable battery capacity - 1624 mAh (taking into account low power consumption).
• 12-megapixel main camera with autofocus.
• Fingerprint scanner.
• NFC support.
• Metal case.

Cons of the Apple iPhone SE:

• Low display resolution - 640x1136.
• Low resolution front camera - 1.2 megapixels.
• There is no slot for memory cards.

TOP 3 models of 2018

2018 has already managed to please lovers of various curiosities and records with several novelties-tiny creatures.

5.5-inch devices have become a kind of norm for the entire market. Already, few manufacturers are trying to think about people who do not like big smartphones. And the Galaxy S8, which at the start of sales seemed not very tiny, today, compared to other flagships, it feels quite compact.

By the way, since we are talking about the S8, we should start with it. The device is quite compact for its 5.8 inches. In addition, due to the aspect ratio of 18.5: 9, it is really convenient to hold the device in your hands. The device has one of the best cameras on the market and is equipped with a high-performance processor and fast memory.

iPhone 8

Yes, this is not an Android device, but the dimensions of the smartphone are still quite good. Today it is rare to find a 4.7-inch modern flagship device with powerful hardware and a good camera.

Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact

Of course, due to the frames at the top and bottom and sharp edges, the device will not be very good in the hands, but the small display does its job. In addition, the smartphone is equipped with a Snapdragon 835 processor. Imagine what performance the gadget demonstrates in HD resolution. In addition, the device supports slow motion at 960 frames per second.

Huawei P10

The 5.1-inch flagship from Huawei is not bad. It is difficult to call it the best on the market, but it is definitely in the top ten. The smartphone received a Kirin 960 processor, 4 GB of RAM, a dual camera and a 3200 mAh battery. A good compact flagship for Huawei lovers.

LG Q6

A fairly new solution from LG, which is popular at least in Russia, according to Twitter users who share data on sales of retailers' devices. The peculiarity of the smartphone is a 5.5-inch display and no bezels.

According to phonearena

Diagonals of smartphones are growing like mushrooms after rain. The market is filled with devices with screens of 5 inches or more. It seems that manufacturers in this race have completely forgotten about those who do not like such big gadgets. They can be tritely inconvenient to handle and do not fit well in the hand. Surprisingly, today even versions of smartphones with the prefix mini rarely have a screen less than the notorious 5 inches. Small smartphones, although less in demand, still find their buyer, and finding a more or less decent model with a small display is becoming increasingly difficult. To make your search easier, we've rounded up the best compact smartphones on the market today. The rating includes devices with a diagonal less than 4.7 inches.

Apple is one of the few companies that still hasn't eliminated small smartphones from its lineup. Moreover, she was once reluctant to increase the diagonal, and recently she began to present two gadgets at once. In the fall of 2016, the iPhone 7 Plus was shown with a diagonal of 5.5 inches and iPhone 7 4.7". With this decision, Apple is trying to satisfy the tastes of different users, and it must be recognized that it is on the right track.

The smartphone is made in a design already familiar from previous models: aluminum, glass, thin body, streamlined edges. Compared to the iPhone 6s, which has the same diagonal, the device turned out to be a little lighter, but this did not affect the battery - its capacity even increased slightly. The company adheres to the principle that it is pointless to make a pixel density much higher than 300 ppi - this will increase the price, and for the user the difference between 300 and 400 ppi will remain invisible due to the peculiarities of our vision. Therefore, the company's devices do not yet have screens with FullHD resolution or higher. iPhone 7 with the given diagonal and resolution parameters has pixel density 326ppi. Color reproduction and viewing angles are perfect.

As for the rest of the parameters, the smartphone should be praised for traditionally high quality camera(there is optical stabilization) and smart work. The device taught support for LTE, Fingerprint's scanner and dust and moisture protection according to the IP67 class, but lost the 3.5 mm jack.

Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017)

Most recently, Samsung's A-series smartphones have been updated, which are very popular among users around the world. Galaxy A3 is the most compact smartphone in the lineup and also the most inexpensive. In the hand, the device lies very comfortably, strikingly different from smartphones, the diagonal of which is only slightly larger and is 5 inches. The company managed to create a really convenient small smartphone, but at the same time not deprive the user of convenience when browsing websites, videos and social networks. It turned out perfectly balanced machine.

The back panel, like the screen, is covered with protective glass Gorilla glass 4 , the ends are made of metal. Available colors: black, gold, blue and pink. Due to the rounded corners and 2.5D glass, the gadget received a stylish streamlined appearance. AMOLED-display shows itself in the best way and pleases with the quality of color reproduction. Implemented in the device new interesting feature AlwaysOn Display, which allows you to constantly display the screensaver on the display. There is nothing like it among competitors.

Smartphone received level protectionIP68 . This means that he is not afraid of dust and immersion under water for 30 minutes to a depth of 1.5 m. Under the display is traditionally a physical key with a built-in fingerprint scanner. The device supports 2 SIM cards, NFCandLTE, allows you to take good pictures. The battery is average, but 16 hours of talk time will last. Considering that Samsung has always been able to make smartphones smaller than competitors (its 5.2-inch devices can be compared in size to 4.7-5-inch devices from other companies), the Galaxy A3 is a truly compact smartphone. It easily fits in your hand and pleases with a full range of modern features, which small models often lack.

Sony Xperia X Compact

Sony is another major manufacturer that has not yet abandoned the release of small smartphones. This model in terms of price and quality can generally be called one of the best compact smartphones. The gadget received a recognizable futuristic design and exemplary build quality. The ends are completely flat, so if you want, you can even put your phone on them. The back panel is made, alas, not of metal or glass - plastic is used, but this does not spoil the overall impression. Moreover, the unique design will distinguish the gadget from the mass of similar ones.

For a diagonal of 4.6 inches, the HD resolution used here is more than enough. The manufacturer used several image enhancement technologies while viewing photos and videos. The main feature of the model is the main camera with a resolution of 23 MP with laser focusing, which allows you to create excellent clear pictures. Moreover, the sound when recording a video is recorded in stereo, and a distinctive feature is the ability to set the exposure time with your own hands. Device received support LTE, Fingerprint's scanner DРВНи branded STAMINA and UltraSTAMINA power saving modes, high performance.

Doogee T3

With this smartphone, the Chinese manufacturer wanted to stand out from the competition and immediately used a whole arsenal of chips: Genuine Leather in the design of the back panel, metal inserts, an additional screen and the presence of several interesting security applications. The result is a solid business model with a distinctive design. Users are captivated by numerous exclusive elements: a metal overlay on the earpiece and camera, polished ends, leather that extends onto the lower part of the front panel.

Second display located on the top end, beveled at an angle of 60 degrees for easy viewing of information on the screen. By default, it displays information about the time, incoming messages and calls, missed events. The solution is quite interesting: business people will be able to see the necessary minimum of information even at a meeting when the phone cannot be used, but at night, absolutely all users will appreciate the convenience of quickly finding out what time it is. In terms of other parameters, there is also nothing to complain about: the gadget is smart, productive and quite autonomous, and the camera is good- the photos turn out to be quite good (surprisingly, since it is unremarkable in terms of characteristics). In summary, it is worth noting that Doogee managed to create a very, very attractive smartphone with an excellent set of features and a stylish thoughtful design.

Uhans U100

Another smartphone wrapped in genuine leather and metal, and it will suit those who are looking for exceptional design, but are not ready to spend money. The Uhans U100 costs even a little less than $75, which allows us to call the smartphone a unique offer on the modern market. Leather together with metal inserts gives the device an expensive look, one would like to compare it with one of Vertu's smartphones.

Due to the small screen, the gadget fits perfectly in the hand, HD resolution is enough for individual pixels to be indistinguishable. Such a large weight, as for a 4.7-inch smartphone, the gadget received just because of the metal and leather inserts. In terms of other parameters, the device is, frankly, average, but at such a price, the available features can only be praised. The smartphone will handle most applications perfectly, and the main and frequently used browser, social networks and instant messengers will not make the device freeze. The camera and battery also turned out to be average. Yet, in terms of value for money, as well as considering the design, this is a very, very good smartphone.

Bluboo Mini

The smartphone was released quite recently, and the manufacturer clearly wanted to attract attention through the use of a fairly rare today 4.5 inch diagonal. The device received interesting design, its back cover is made of textured plastic, the ends are designed to look like metal. Several bright color options are available for sale. Smartphone turned out obscenely cheap- You can buy it for $ 47, which is good news. True, at such a price, miracles should not be expected. The device does an excellent job with simple everyday tasks, but many toys will not pull. The screen received not the most outstanding resolution and an air gap, but it has a good margin of brightness, it reacts briskly to pressing - it’s quite good for its money.

Samsung Galaxy J1 (2016)

And here is the budget option from Samsung. The device is dressed in plastic and has a traditional physical key. Its main advantage is a small screen, due to which the device turned out to be light, compact and most convenient to use. The gadget is suitable for an undemanding user who only needs calls and a few programs from a smartphone. Device catchesLTE, supports the work with twoSIM-cards, pleases with a stylish design, the screen is made using AMOLED technology. As a result, it turned out to be quite a good smartphone for those who are looking for an economical option, but do not want to buy or wait for a Chinese-made device.

Huawei Y3 II

Nice inexpensive compact smartphone with a basic set of modern features. It was presented in April last year, sold with Android 6.0 installed. Many manufacturers continue to replenish their lines with similar devices, which indicates the existing demand for them. Advanced, too demanding users and geeks would call this device a dialer. You can argue with them. Not everyone needs an expensive smartphone with a bunch of features that will never be used. So why overpay? The device will cope with the majority of frequently used applications, and will please you with a pleasant design, and it will not be difficult to manage it. You can only find fault with the lack of LTE.

LG K3 LTE K100DS

Let's start with the fact that LG smartphones with a price of less than $ 100 should be treated condescendingly, after all well-known and proven brand. It's nice that the company has not forgotten that small smartphones are needed by a lot of users. The presented model pleases support 4G, thoughtful design and availability two slots forSIM-cards. It is worth noting that the device works more or less quickly, and the fact that it holds the battery normally, although the battery capacity is far from the highest, turned out to be surprising.

ASUS ZenFone Go ZB450KL

Praise this model is for the presence Android 6.0 supportLTE and, of course, compact dimensions. The device received a zen-stripe under the screen, characteristic of all ASUS smartphones. It causes disputable sensations: someone likes it, because it gives uniqueness, someone complains that it takes up a lot of space and enlarges the device. As for this model, it pleased good performance: browsers, maps, instant messengers (what most users need) work without causing the device to freeze. Satellites are perfectly caught, the interface pleases with thoughtfulness and simplicity, and the battery is not the worst among devices in this price segment. In terms of price and quality ratio, this is an excellent smartphone for those who are not used to and do not want to get used to shovel phones.