SmartphoneAwards

MKBHD Award

Best compact smartphone 2025: Best Small Phone

The best compact smartphone — for users who prefer pocketable devices without sacrificing performance.

8 Years
4 Brands
5× Apple

2025 Champion — Best compact smartphone

⭐ Featured Winner 2025
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7

The best flip foldable ever made, with a massive 4.1-inch cover screen and refined hinge design.

Display 6.9-inch main AMOLED, 4.1-inch cover display
Camera 50MP main + 12MP ultrawide + 10MP front
Battery 4,000 mAh
Launch Price $999
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Compare Best Small Phone Winners

How does the 2025 best compact smartphone stack up against previous champions? Key display specs side by side.

Current
2025
Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7
Display
6.9-inch main AMOLED, 4.1-inch cover display
4.1-inch cover screen usable as a standalone and 6.9-inch display when open. The best flip phone ever.
2024
iPhone 16
Display
6.1-inch OLED, 60Hz
Action Button, camera button, and A18 chip in a compact $799 package.
2023
Google Pixel 8
Display
6.2-inch OLED, 120Hz
5.0-inch display with Tensor G3, clean software, and 7 years of guaranteed updates.
2022
ASUS Zenfone 9
Display
5.9-inch AMOLED, 120Hz
Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 in a 5.9-inch body. The only truly premium compact Android phone.
2021
iPhone 13 mini
Display
5.4-inch Super Retina XDR OLED, 60Hz
The best small phone ever made — compact, powerful, with ProMotion in the Pro for the first time.

Showing last 5 winners with available data. Specs from manufacturer listings.

Which Brand Dominates Best Small Phone?

Apple
5 wins (63%)
Samsung
1 win (13%)
Google
1 win (13%)
ASUS
1 win (13%)

All-Time Best Small Phone Winners (2014–2025)

Year Winner
2025 Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 — Samsung
2024 iPhone 16 — Apple
2023 Google Pixel 8 — Google
2022 ASUS Zenfone 9 — ASUS
2021 iPhone 13 mini — Apple
2020 iPhone 12 mini — Apple
2018 iPhone XS — Apple
2017 iPhone 8 — Apple

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best compact smartphone in 2025? ▼

According to MKBHD's 2025 Smartphone Awards, the best compact smartphone is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 by Samsung. 4.1-inch cover screen usable as a standalone and 6.9-inch display when open. The best flip phone ever. The best flip foldable ever made, with a massive 4.1-inch cover screen and refined hinge design.

Who won MKBHD Best Small Phone in 2025? ▼

The MKBHD Best Small Phone winner for 2025 is the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 by Samsung. 4.1-inch cover screen usable as a standalone and 6.9-inch display when open. The best flip phone ever.

What phone won MKBHD Best Small Phone in 2024? ▼

The 2024 MKBHD Best Small Phone went to the iPhone 16 by Apple. Action Button, camera button, and A18 chip in a compact $799 package.

Which brand makes the best compact smartphone? ▼

Apple has won the MKBHD Best Small Phone award 5 times — more than any other brand. 4 different brands have won this award since 2014.

What is the MKBHD Best Small Phone award? ▼

The best compact smartphone — for users who prefer pocketable devices without sacrificing performance. It is one of several annual awards given by Marques Brownlee (MKBHD) in his yearly Smartphone Awards video, which he has published on YouTube since 2014.

Has any phone won MKBHD Best Small Phone more than once? ▼

No single phone model has won the MKBHD Best Small Phone award more than once. However, Apple have had multiple winning devices across different years.

Other MKBHD Award Categories

Phone of the Year Best Camera Best Battery Best Design Best Value Best Big Phone
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