I'm an iPhone 5S user. With the 5S most likely losing support with iOS 13, I am going to move to a new phone some time this year. However, I cannot stand large phones. What's the best small Android phone? (under 5 inches)
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Best small android phone
- Thread starter retta283
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I would say the Sony compact devices are the ones that come into mind. However, I don't know the last time they made one.
I'll be honest with you, give the S10e a chance. It's really compact and the screen is 5.8" in a body of a smaller phone. Thanks to minimal bezels, you don't have to give up on compact phones. It's just the screen sizes got larger.
I'll be honest with you, give the S10e a chance. It's really compact and the screen is 5.8" in a body of a smaller phone. Thanks to minimal bezels, you don't have to give up on compact phones. It's just the screen sizes got larger.
I will take a look at it. Haven't used a Galaxy phone since the first S model 9 years ago...
If you can get passed the fp sensor location and the facial detection being finicky, I think it could be a good experience.
I had a look at the Samsung S10e and was so impressed I pre-ordered it after having already pre-ordered the largest Samsung 10s Plus. I still can't decide which pre-order I'm going to keep.
The S10e has a gorgeous display and great cameras, especially compared to the 5s. It's easier to find accessories for it than less popular brands like Sony. You will also get excellent stereo sound and you also still get the headphone jack, which is nice for anyone who has a good supply of wired earbuds built up over the years.
Battery life is said to be very good.
There is also the Google Pixel 3 and the upcoming Pixel 3 Lite to look at. You lose the headphone jack with the Pixel 3. I forget what the feature set of the Pixel 3 Lite is supposed to be.
I find Samsung devices to be more consistent in quality control this year vs Pixel. But Google customer service seems to be more accessible if you have a problem, assuming you're in the US. I'm on the mobile version of the site and cant see everyone's locations.
I'd personally go with the S10e because it does have the latest processors and best specs available and you can expand storage with a micro SD card, which have come down in price.
As someone who has an iPhone SE and an iPhone Xr, 8 Plus, Pixel 3XL, I'd say it will take some getting used to going from the SE to the S10e, but the S10e feels very comfortable sizewise compared to all the phones I've listed. But you gain a comfortable sized display.
The S10e has a gorgeous display and great cameras, especially compared to the 5s. It's easier to find accessories for it than less popular brands like Sony. You will also get excellent stereo sound and you also still get the headphone jack, which is nice for anyone who has a good supply of wired earbuds built up over the years.
Battery life is said to be very good.
There is also the Google Pixel 3 and the upcoming Pixel 3 Lite to look at. You lose the headphone jack with the Pixel 3. I forget what the feature set of the Pixel 3 Lite is supposed to be.
I find Samsung devices to be more consistent in quality control this year vs Pixel. But Google customer service seems to be more accessible if you have a problem, assuming you're in the US. I'm on the mobile version of the site and cant see everyone's locations.
I'd personally go with the S10e because it does have the latest processors and best specs available and you can expand storage with a micro SD card, which have come down in price.
As someone who has an iPhone SE and an iPhone Xr, 8 Plus, Pixel 3XL, I'd say it will take some getting used to going from the SE to the S10e, but the S10e feels very comfortable sizewise compared to all the phones I've listed. But you gain a comfortable sized display.
Why are you considering Android? Are you fed up with IOS?
I only ask as the iPhone 8 is small and under your 5 inch requirement.
Tired of iOS. Unless iOS 13 is a complete overhaul I am done with it, and of course the 5S won't get it.
If I did buy an iPhone I would probably go for the smaller XS, because I can imagine the new design will take advantage of the gestures more, leaving iPhones with home buttons behind. Want to give Android a chance though
I highly recommend the the new S10e. Its not as small as you may like but it's the best small android phone - period.
This.
Samsung have done a great job with the S10, particularly the the S10e and S10+, both seem to give great battery life.
My boss got the regular S10, and he says although it's great phone, it's battery doesn't last him a day, I think he should have got a S10+,which can just about do a full day on a charge, according to MKBHD.
In hindsight, I should've gone S10 or S10+ myself. Problem is the price tag. I simply couldn't afford to move from one phone to another more expensive one. I thought I could cut corners w/ the S10e's facial detection or FP sensor.
The fp sensor position doesn't work well for me and the facial detection is too inconsistent. I don't mind the less secure nature of facial detection, but it doesn't want to work well in the dark or even when I stare at my phone close up. I am going back to my iPhone because it works well enough and I might go to the S10+ in like September.
Yeah the facial detection you’re used to from iPhone is made possible by the Dot projector. That plus the flood illuminator will get the job done in the dark.
Personally the annoyance I have with iPhone face detection is, if I’m not lined up to the camera right, which is often, it fails and I have to enter my passcode. And I hate having to double click the power button even after using Face ID to finish some payments. I prefer Touch ID so much in most of my use cases.
As I said in a post somewhere else the side mounted fingerprint scanner on the s10e will be great or awful depending on the person and their hand size and how they hold the phone. It’s great for me but I’m not a big person.
Are you having trouble accessing it or having trouble with it recognizing your prints?
I ordered the S10e and the S10 and kept the former.
For me the fingerprint sensor on the regular S10 is just too finicky. The ultrasonic fp sensor needs time to evolve and on the e they have stuck with a tried and tested method that just works, you can feel where it is and it works every single time.
I haven't bothered with the face unlock at this time and doubt that I will.
I think it's both. Your finger has to cover the entire power button and it sometimes rejects my fingerprint scan. My case makes it easier to find the power button, but it also might make it where you can't identify it properly.
I really want to force the S10e situation to work, but I don't think it's worth the hassle. I was content with the iPhone XS Max until the S10 was announced. Maybe a part of me was just magnifying the problems I had with iOS and wanted a quicker solution than waiting till iOS 13 is unveiled.
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Let me know how it goes. I just feel all the more comfortable with the iPhone's FaceID feature which is pushing me away from an otherwise awesome phone.
I can tell you now its great. If you had the regular 10 and were saying you had difficulty with the fingerprint scanner I would understand but since it's the "e" I can't.
I too have a case on my S10e so it doesn't get any easier to identify the scanner, when I do I rest my finger on it and voila, it unlocks. Like you I do prefer the Face ID method of security but I'm not averse to a fingerprint scanner. I'm not going to pass up the perfect sized phone with everything it has going for it because I prefer one method of security over another. That's just me though.
What the S10e lacks in biometrics it makes up for in many other areas, size, screen, speed to name but a few.
I am very tempted by the Google Pixel 3… Pure Android, no bloatware. Speedy updates etc.
Had the use of one the other day and… even though I like small phones, if Apple don't deliver an iPhone SE, that might pull me away…
Had the use of one the other day and… even though I like small phones, if Apple don't deliver an iPhone SE, that might pull me away…
Are the bezels of the regular Pixel 3 still huge like the first 2? I was tempted to switch to the 2 but the bezels are a waste of space
Sony put out a well reviewed small phone with decent specs last year. The Xperia XZ2 Compact has the Snapdragon 845, full hill high def, HDR, 4 gb RAM, 5 inch screen. Looks like the perfect sized phone. I don’t think you’ll find anything under 5 inches that isn’t a budget piece of crap and even then the pickings are probably slim to none.
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It was also 12mm thick and had thee most awkwardly placed fingerprint scanner ever(smack bang in the middle of the phone on the back).
A part of me wants to use the phone, but I just can't stand how high it's placed. I just put my finger flat on the sensor, yet it gave me a rejection. I think I would've been better off with an under the display sensor, but I cannot afford that type of phone. I am going back to my iPhone.
I've been very happy overall with the LG Aristo 2. It has a very nice 5 inch screen, decently fast, headhone jack, swapable battery, SD card slot to cheaply add as much storage as you like, great OS implementation, and lots more. Plus it's suuuupper cheap. The only downside is an only okay camera.
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