What they hate about their current phones (in their current state) is how short their battery life is, which is totally understandable given they are 5-6 years old. But what they love about them is how compact they are.
So… I was given a simple job – find a great, long-lasting, compact Android flagship that doesn’t break the bank – meaning it costs €300-400.
You’d think: “Martin, if anyone can do that, it’d be the phone nerd who plays with phones for a living…”
And I thought so too! But I was in for a surprise…
Finding a long-lasting, affordable, and compact Android phone is nearly impossible nowaday: Pixel 8a comes close but that’s not enough
That’s the standard (and pretty much only) phone size you get for $200-400 today.
Parents and grandparents tend to keep their phones for longer, which means they are likely to be upgrading from phones the size of an iPhone 8 and Galaxy S9. This makes finding a new (compact) Android phone that fits their requirements… quite tricky.
Why is that? Well, because most people seem to want phones with large displays nowadays – even budget and mid-range phones are now large.
The thing is that “the majority of people” doesn’t quite mean “everyone”… Not everyone wants a big phone. In fact, nobody in my family does.
Right now, the only option for those who want a compact phone that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg is the Google Pixel 8a, but that’s not what I’d call “having choice”. It’s also not what I’d call a “budget” phone.
Another way to go is to buy a used/refurbished old flagship like the Galaxy S23, Pixel 8, or iPhone 14 (or older models) – but this doesn’t fill the gap in the market, and (although I don’t mind) many people would prefer to buy a brand new device.
There’s a big gap in the market for compact and affordable phones: Samsung, Apple, and Chinese phone-makers need to do something about it
Apple, Samsung, and Google aside, Chinese phone-makers aren’t innocent either! What happened to affordable compact phones from Chinese brands?
The Pixel 8a is the closest (and only) thing to a great compact Android phone right now. However, it starts at $500, and that’s not exactly what I’d call “affordable”. Unless, of course, you get one from eBay/Swappa.
At the moment, with the upcoming Galaxy S24 FE getting a 6.7-inch screen (up from 6.4-inch on the Galaxy S23 FE), it looks like our compact phone hopes will fall on the shoulders of the rumored iPhone SE 4. But the iPhone is… an iPhone – not an Android.
Motorola is about to launch the Edge 50 Neo, which might have a relatively compact screen (around 6.5-inches), and while that’s not something I’d call “compact”, it’s certainly a bit better than 6.7-inches.
Samsung, Google, and Apple aside, I believe Chinese phone-makers should also start paying a bit more love to the “compact but affordable” phone segment.
Not everyone wants a large phone – the best-selling smartphone in the world has a 6.1-inch screen (but it’s not an Android)
If everyone wants phones with large screens, why is the best-selling phone in the world the iPhone 15? It’s the same size as my mom’s Galaxy S9.
I see and understand the trend – most people want larger phones. But “most” people aren’t “all” people. In fact, the best-selling phone in the world (right now) is the iPhone 15, which has a 6.1-inch screen. If anything, this proves one-hand-friendly phones are here to stay!
But let’s make more of them… and make them cheaper… please.