Top 15 best compact smartphones: Price/quality ranking 2021-2022 and which one to choose with good specs

Screen size smartphones grow annually and tirelessly: according to surveys, 68% of buyers prefer the so-called "shovels".

And as soon as there is a demand, there is a supply, which is why more and more smartphones with wide screens appear on the shelves.

But what about those who like to carry a means of communication in a breast pocket?

In this article we have collected the most popular compact smartphones in the price/quality ratio, described their main characteristics, advantages and disadvantages, and we offer you to get acquainted with them.

Rating TOP 15 best compact smartphones 2021-2022

The place	Name	Price
Top 3 best compact smartphones in price/performance ratio for 2021-2022
1	Apple iPhone SE (2020) 128GB	Check price
2	Samsung Galaxy M01	Learn the price
3	Sony Xperia 10 II Dual	Learn the price
Top 3 best compact smartphones under 6 inches
1	Apple iPhone 11 Pro 256GB	Learn the price
2	HONOR 8S Prime	Learn the price
3	Meizu 16 6/64GB	Learn the price
Top 3 best compact smartphones under 5 inches
1	Apple iPhone SE (2020) 64GB	Learn the price
2	Xiaomi Redmi 4X 32GB	Learn the price
3	Apple iPhone 8 64GB	Check out the price
Top 2 best powerful compact smartphones
1	Apple iPhone 11 Pro 64GB	Check out the price
2	Samsung Galaxy S10e 6/128GB	Check price
Top 2 best compact smartphones with good battery
1	Xiaomi Redme Note 5 4/64GB	Check out the price
2	AGM A9 4/32GB	Learn the price
Top 2 best inexpensive compact smartphones
1	ZTE Blade A3 (2020) NFC	Learn the price
2	MAXVI MS531 Vega	Find out the price

How to choose a compact smartphone and what to look for?

• Performance. The optimal smartphone has 6 or more cores and 1.75 GHz in the processor. The more numbers - the more expensive the model.
• RAM. The minimum is 3 GB. If there is less - the smartphone will only cope with a minimum of applications and programs, not to mention games. And there will be no multitasking.
• Storage. The more memory in the phone - the more videos, photos and all the information the owner will save. Keep it to 64 GB.
• Display. Phones with OLED screen boasts more vivid and juicy colors than IPS, but alas - often flicker and burn out.
• Video and photography. Let the camera will be one, but goodAt least 12 megapixels, double lens. stabilizer, flash.

Top 3 best compact smartphones in price/quality ratio for 2021-2022

Apple iPhone SE (2020) 128GB

Compact and relevant for 2021-2022 smartphone model, fast and not the most expensive. Applications, in the expression of many buyers, "fly", the screen - IPS touch screen with an aspect ratio of 16:9.

When shooting video superimposed stereo sound, the settings can be changed directly in the camera, without entering the settings menu every time. Optimization is at an altitude, quality materials and assembly.

Dimensions are small, the device fits comfortably in your hand.. The battery lasts greatScreen time of 3 / 4 hours, if you bypass the games - 50% of the charge by evening will remain. The processor is top-end, instantly responds to touch sensor.

The case comes in 3 colors: black, red and white.. The material of the phone is aluminum. Moisture protection is average, so protect your smartphone from falling in puddles. It is allowed to work with two SIM cards alternately.

Specifications:

• dimensions: 67.3? 138.4? 7.3 mm
• weight: 148 g;
• battery: 1821 mAh;
• image size: 1334?750
• internal memory: 128GB;
• processor: Apple A13 Bionic.
• camera: 12 MP;

Samsung Galaxy M01

Thanks to the thin frame and lightweight body, this model looks very stylish and elegant. В On sale in June 2021-2022. A single user interface One UI allows you to optimize applications (taking into account and adjusting to the size of the screen).

The display speaker is located on the back. The phone display is protected by a special tempered glass.

Available housing colors: blue, red, black. The body is made of plastic, the shape is classic, with smooth corners.

The front camera is located in a drop-shaped cutout at the top of the case. The screen can be unlocked either by entering a PIN or a graphic key. You can turn on voice control - this allows you to give commands aloud, without bothering to work with the sensor.

The type of connector for charging - micro-USB.

Specifications:

• Resolution: 720 x 1520 pixels;
• pixel density: 295 dpi;
• refresh rate: 60 Hz;
• chipset: Qualcomm Snapdragon 439;
• transistor size: 12 nanometers;
• main memory: 3 Gb;
• battery: 3000 mAh;
• dual camera: 13 MP, 2 MP;
• memory: 32 GB, slot for memory card;
• Wi-Fi: 802.11n;
• Bluetooth: 4.2
• battery: Lithium-ion (Li-Ion).

Sony Xperia 10 II Dual

This model was announced in February 2021-2022. The body is noticeably elongated: according to the idea manufacturers, this was to make the smartphone as convenient as possible for the user.

However, judging by the reviews, not everyone likes this shape. The screen of the phone - OLED panel with a standard frequency of 60 Hz: thanks to the standard parameters the screen is less voracious and cheaper.

The charger with power of 18 W charges the device slowly but it is practically not warmed up and it serves longer.. In 90 minutes it charges to 100%.

Several cameras allow you to take all kinds of pictures of normal quality. And the video smartphone gives excellent: with accurate colors, excellent sharpness and a good dynamic range.

The level of water protection IP65/68 will not allow the "stuffing" to suffer from raindrops. The display is protected by glass Gorilla Glass 6. Fingerprint scanner is placed on the side.

Specifications:

• battery capacity: 3600 mAh;
• processor: Snapdragon 665;
• weight: 151 g;
• 3 cameras: 12 MP, 8 MP, 8 MP;
• dimensions: 69x157x8.2 mm;
• Built-in memory: 128 GB;
• RAM: 4GB.

Top 3 compact smartphones up to 6 inches

Here is a list of Top smartphones under 6 inches.

Apple iPhone 11 Pro 256GB

One of the fastest Pro-level smartphones. And it's good for everything: The A13 Bionic processor doesn't The new three-camera system lets you capture life's best moments without worrying about charging all day long.

Face ID works perfectly. The device takes good pictures even in minimal light.

The Super Retina XDR display not only allows you to enjoy the most detailed and vivid video images, but also to play games at the highest settings.

The package includes a power adapter with a capacity of 18 watts, which allows you to quickly charge your smartphone.

1 year warranty. Listening to music on the described smartphone can be up to 65 hours, watching movies - up to 18 hours.

Water protection is high - IP68. The materials used are high-strength glass and aluminum. The functionality adds three-axis gyroscope, compass, accelerometer and face recognition sensor.

Technical specifications:

• Operating system: IOS 13;
• Screen resolution: 2436 x 1125;
• screen diagonal: 5.8 "
• memory: 256 GB
• RAM: 4GB;
• 3 cameras: 12 MP, 12 MP, 12 MP;
• battery: non-removable Li-Ion;
• weight: 188 g.

HONOR 8S Prime.

As an alternative to the iPhone, take a closer look at HONOR 8S Prime. This ultra-budget smartphone with a basic set of features will appeal to someone who does not like the clutter of features and who does not need any fancy "chips".

The frame around the display is small, the camera is installed in the front of the body, but it is not conspicuous thanks to the artful framing.

The material of the frame and the rear panel - durable plastic black, blue or blue. The 3GB of RAM is enough to help with everyday tasks.

The eMMC 5.1 capacity is below average, but the gadget with the EMUI 9.0 shell is quite responsive.

The case fits well in your hand and is easy to stash in your pocket. With the purchase the new owner also receives a screen film.

It is allowed to use several SIM-cards, but in turn. Touch screen with 16.78 million colors. Added headphone jack mini jack 3.5 mm.

Specifications:

• Size: 5.71 inches;
• weight: 146 grams;
• chipset: MediaTek Helio A22;
• random access memory: 3 GB;
• memory: 64 GB;
• camera: 13 MP;
• architecture: 4 cores at 2.0 GHz (Cortex-A53);
• GPU frequency: 550 MHz
• battery: 3020 mAh.

Meizu 16 6/64GB.

This model was released as a simplified replacement for the flagship Meizu 16th, but the cons it has few..

Appearance is quite attractive: stylish brevity, painted monochrome body, tapered graceful edges and thin frames immediately evoke confidence and a desire to take the device in your hands.

No complaints about the build and quality of materials, neither on the glossy, nor on the ceramic (white) coating does not collect fingerprints, which means that the gadget always looks neat.

The indicator light is hidden in the upper part of the body (under the speaker grill). The display is Super AMOLED protected anti-glare 2.5D-glass, the screen occupies more than 90% of the front surface.

Viewing angles are excellent, and both white and black colors remain the same at any turn of the body.

Color rendering is saturated.

Technical Specifications:

• Weight: 155 g
• Dimensions: 151? 74? 7.5 mm
• Battery: 3100 mAh;
• processor: SoC Qualcomm Snapdragon 710;
• diagonal: 6 inches;
• internal memory: 6GB
• memory: 64GB
• dual camera: 12 MP, 20 MP.

Top 3 compact smartphones under 5 inches

Apple iPhone SE (2020) 64GB

The fresh budget smartphone looks a lot like the 2016 iPhone SE, but is much better equipped..

It is the size of an "eight", and the display diagonal is almost the same - 4.7 inches, as well as the glass back panel.

There's a fun Touch ID "home" button: touch it and it will respond to you with a vibration. The hardware is powerful - the flagship processor A13 Bionic, which is almost the coolest to date: it makes all applications and programs run without "brakes" and glitches.

The same applies to updates, which are invisible to the user, but regularly and fully.

The camera is one, but what: a 12 MP wide-angle, which perfectly captures both in daylight and in the twilight.

The Neural Engine 3rd generation neural processor helps you take photos to perfection. Video is also all right: the coolest 4K format, stabilization, and a built-in video editor.

Technical specifications:

• dimensions: 67.3? 138.4? 7.3 mm;
• weight: 148 g;
• image size: 1334?750
• aspect ratio: 16:9
• internal memory: 64 GB;
• internal memory: 64GB; camera: 12 MP
• battery: 1812 mAh;
• RAM: 3 GB.

Xiaomi Redmi 4X 32GB

Smartphone one of the most budget line of Xiaomi. But the installation of a cheaper processor, strangely enough, on the functionality does not affect much, and the smartphone does not lose compared to its competitors.

If you do not like monsters in your hands - this miniature lightweight device is just for you. The back wall is slightly rounded, the body is made of matte black aluminum (on sale there is also gold).

The fingerprint sensor is installed on the back cover next to the camera. The battery is impressive: 4100 mAh lasts a day or even more.

There is OTG (with the ability to charge other devices from it). 2.5D glass protects the monitor in case of falls.

Pleasantly happy picture quality: if you close your eyes to minimal color distortion and loss of brightness, the rest - the saturation, contrast, detail - cause only applause.

Technical specifications:

• Processor: 8-core Snapdragon 435;
• RAM: 2 GB;
• Bluetooth: 4.2;
• dimensions: 69.96? 139.24? 8.65 mm;
• battery: 4100 mAh;
• weight: 150 g
• diagonal: 5 inch
• RAM: 3GB;
• memory: 32 GB, a slot for a memory card;
• camera: 13 MP.

Apple iPhone 8 64GB

Unlike the iPhone 7, the new model has a glass body instead of aluminum, and such The changes are justified: it will be easier to introduce wireless charging Qi.

The display: IPS with a resolution of 1334? 750 pixels and a diagonal of 4.7 inches.

The processor is the most powerful to date: 64-bit A11 Bionic, working on two high-performance and four energy-efficient cores.

Battery charge lasts for more than 12 hours of headset talk and 12 hours of "surfing" on social networks.

Fast charging feature. Fingerprint sensor is installed in the Home button.

There is Apple Pay and contactless payment module. Water and dust protection is high. The screen is anti-reflective coating, flicker is not tracked, the picture is juicy, there is an automatic brightness setting.

Technical specifications:

• moisture protection level: IP67;
• parameters: 67.3?138.4?7.3 mm;
• weighs 148 g
• aspect ratio: 16:9;
• battery: 1821 mAh;
• maximum video resolution: 3840?2160;
• RAM: 2GB;
• memory: 64 GB;
• camera: 12 MP.

Top 2 powerful compact smartphones

Apple iPhone 11 Pro 64GB

Impressive - unanimous opinion of users. It is easy to use, and possibilities gives just a sea of possibilities.

The installed processor supports machine learning technology, which is a real breakthrough in smartphone development.

A superb zoom allows you to take pictures at the maximum distance of the ultra-wide-angle camera and at the closest possible zoom on the telephoto camera.

Captured videos keep up with photos: they are superbly detailed, realistic and vivid, frame rates up to 60 per second, there is cinematic stabilization, and the dynamic range is extended.

The new generation Smart HDR quickly and seamlessly recognizes faces and changes the lighting.

The highest level of water resistance is installed: the owner can take your smartphone to a depth of 4 meters for 20, and even 30 minutes.

The package includes EarPods headphones with Lightning connector. Supports not only NanoSIM, but also eSIM.

Specifications:

• Battery: Li-Ion;
• dimensions: 71.4x144x8.1 mm;
• weight: 188 g;
• Wi-Fi: 802.11ax;
• RAM: 4GB;
• memory: 64 GB;
• battery: 3969 mAh;
• 3 cameras: 12 MP, 12 MP, 12 MP;
• Bluetooth: 5.0.

Samsung Galaxy S10e 6/128GB

Barely appearing on the market, this smartphone Samsung has become a direct competitor to the iPhone XR, and not from nothing ..

Its screen became even smaller (5.8 inches), the curved side edges disappeared, and the fingerprint scanner manufacturers decided to install on the side - for convenience.

The AMOLED screen is certified for HDR10+, has Full HD+ resolution (instead of Quad HD+), increasing the usable area of the front.

Two top-of-the-line chipsets are used: Snapdragon 855 and Exynos 9820. The camera system is dual: a 12MP rear and 16MP wide-angle. There is a fast charging function and the ability to work as a USB drive.

Dust and moisture protection IP68 is present, there is A2DP profile, ANT+, Galileo and voice control.

The memory can be expanded: there is an additional memory card slot up to 512 GB (it is combined with the SIM card). Supports Apt-X.

Specifications:

• Wi-Fi: 802.11ax and Direct;
• Bluetooth: 5.0;
• dimensions: 69.9? 142.2? 7.9 mm
• weight: 150 g
• RAM: 6GB
• battery: 3100 mAh;
• memory: 128 GB, slot for memory card;
• dual camera: 16 MP, 12 MP;
• OS version at the beginning of sales: Android 9.0.

Top 2 compact smartphones with a good battery

Xiaomi Redme Note 5 4/64GB

Once again, the manufacturer has managed to maintain a balance between technical equipment and Cost: Redmi Note 5 is one of the most discussed smartphones on sites like Yandex.Market.

Comes in two colors: blue and yellow. The body is plastic and metal, the edges are rounded, the surface is pleasant to the touch.

The fingerprint unlock sensor is located on the right side of the back cover. 3.5 mm jack decided to put in the bottom.

IR port allows you to use the smartphone as a remote control. With the MicroSD drive you can increase the memory: put the card in the hybrid tray and no problem!

The screen is protected by oleophobic and anti-glare coating.

Specifications:

• Weight: 181 g
• wxHt: 75.45?158.5?8.05 mm
• Audio: MP3, AAC, WAV, WMA, FM-radio;
• RAM: 4 GB;
• memory: 64 GB, card slot;
• dual camera: 12 MP, 5 MP;
• battery: 4000 mAh.

AGM A9 4/32GB

A real little armadillo - the AGM A9 smartphone. It is protected from everything you can can: water, temperature extremes, shock, dust and dirt.

Do not be afraid to drop it in water (even sea water), freeze or heat in the sun - it will hold. Two pairs of speakers in the case allows you to use the device as a portable speaker.

The battery is one of the most capacious and lasts 35% longer than similarly equipped gadgets..

The processor keeps power consumption low at any level of activity, so you can play, chat, and watch movies however you want.

Front-facing cameras and both feature SONY's proprietary IMX486 module, which means great image stabilization, high audio quality, and high light transmission when shooting at night.

Specifications:

• battery: 5400 mAh;
• processor: Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 450;
• screen: LCD with 2160*1080 resolution (FHD+);
• RAM: 4 GB;
• memory: 32 GB, slot for memory card;
• camera: 12 MP;
• contrast ratio 1500:1.

Top 2 inexpensive compact smartphones

ZTE Blade A3 (2020) NFC

Don't let the price bother you: in terms of its characteristics this is not the worst smartphone. ZTE! If you need a gadget exclusively for calls and the Internet - do not look for another, the optimal is just in front of you.

The basic functions work without complaints, the device is well assembled, no backlashes or creaks were noted.

LTE network (as a wired modem or router) catches well. The body, of course, is plastic, but quite durable, and all in bright colors. The back cover can be removed if you need to examine the internal mechanism or tweak something.

There is a separate slot for a memory card, as well as space for a couple of SIM cards.

Event indicator is on the front panel.

Viewing angles are wide, there is no picture distortion, brightness reserve is present. Despite the small battery, it holds the charge amazingly long: in router mode - up to 10 hours!

Specifications:

• Built-in memory: 32 GB;
• Screen resolution: 1440x720 pixels;
• screen diagonal: 5.45 inches;
• RAM: 1GB
• memory: 32 GB, card slot;
• camera: 8 MP;
• Battery: 2600 mAh.

MAXVI MS531 Vega.

Widescreen display and aspect ratio of 18:9 will allow you to enjoy content in different formats and in any conditions.

MAXVI VEGA display is ergonomic, modern IPS matrix with a resolution of 480 * 960 will provide the owner a quality picture.

The battery is removable, 3000 mAh.. Softtouch housing is available in 3 different colors.

A special module provides the maximum speed of the Internet connection. Voice over network technology makes it possible to provide voice services as a data stream.

The fingerprint sensor is located on the back cover, is responsive and does not "glitch". There are two cameras - the front one is 5 Mpx and the main one has the same resolution. Built-in modules GLONASS and GPS for optimal geo-positioning.

In addition to the smartphone and charger, the package includes headphones, a protective film and battery.

Specifications:

• Adapted version of Android 8.1 Go Edition;
• WxHT: 71.2? 152.2? 9.8 mm;
• weight: 169 g
• RAM: 1 GB;
• memory: 8 GB, slot for memory card;
• camera: 8 MP;
• processor: MediaTek MT 6739, 1300 MHz.

What brand to choose?

There are several categories of smartphones.

1. Budget smartphones can't boast of high performance, but they are easy to set up, reliable and cost inexpensive. This Prestigio, Fly, Huawei and Nomi.
2. The image ones are more "tricked out" in terms of design.. This NTS, Sony, Lenovo, LG, Huawei, Motorola.
3. Flagships are the most functional, stuffed to the top with miraculous devices.. If you do not spare money and choose a model from Apple or Xiaomi, they will pleasantly surprise you.

Read more about the ratings of smartphones for a particular price, you can in these articles: models up to 30000, 25000, 20000, 15000, 10000, 5000 rubles.

Customer reviews

Helpful video

From the video you will get an overview of compact smartphones: