If the current trend of big, heavy smartphones has got you confused and frustrated, all hope is not lost yet...here are the best compact and easy to use smartphones that you can buy in India. Our picks for the best compact smartphones pan across a wide price range (Rs 9,999 to Rs 52,500), ensuring options for every budget. What's more, all of the phones recommended offer a very good quality, sharp display with a reasonably high pixel density!
The Sony Xperia Z3 compact is currently the best compact smartphone in the market today. The Z3 compact offers the same top-of-the-line specs as that of the current flagship, the Sony Xperia Z3, but in a much more compact package. The Sony Xperia Z3 compact is highly recommended for anyone looking for a flagship Android phone that is a far cry from the current crop of large and heavy Android flagships. Currently the Sony Xperia Z3 compact is selling for 40K in the market, if only the price was around the 35K mark!
Screen size: 4.65-inches, PPI: 319
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 35,000
Yes, the latest iPhone, the iPhone 6, is no longer a compact and easy to manage device. And that makes the iPhone 5s, a very good option for a premium smartphone buyer wanting a compact smartphone with 'premium' written all over it. iPhone 5s 32GB variant is cheaper than the 16GB iPhone 6 and dare we say, it looks a lot better than the iPhone 6!
Screen size: 4-inches, PPI: 326
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 36,000 for 16GB variant
The Samsung Galaxy Alpha is one of the latest premium Samsung smartphones on offer today. In theory, the Samsung Galaxy Alpha is very similar to the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact in terms of being a miniature version of their current flagship (the Samsung Galaxy S5). Samsung has added more drama to the Samsung Galaxy Alpha by giving it a high quality metal frame that goes very well with its slim, compact and light-weight body.
Screen size: 4.7-inches PPI: 312
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 27,000
The Nokia Lumia 730 is an excellent choice for Windows Phone users wanting a compact, light and well made device without breaking the bank. The 4.7-inch AMOLED screen is super bright and offers excellent touch response.
Screen size: 4.7-inches PPI: 316
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 14,000
The all new Redmi 2 is a refined version of the compact budget phone Xiaomi introduced last year in India.The smartphone gets a much needed upgrade in terms of hardware but Xiaomi hasn’t changed the recipe much. The phone still comes with a 4.7-inch 720p display at the front and an 8MP camera at the back.
Screen size: 4.7-inches, PPI: 312
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 6,999
The Sony Xperia Z1 Compact was the very first 'compact' phone from Sony's premium series of smartphones. The Z1 packs respectable specifications, offering the Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 SoC backed by 2GB RAM and a very capable 20MP shooter. The Xperia Z1 compact can be a good alternative to the Xperia Z3 compact if you don't mind sacrificing 10-15% performance and battery-life to save a good 10K over the Z3 compact.
Screen size: 4.3-inches, PPI: 342
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 24,000
The S3 Neo has just seen a substantial price drop, bringing it in the same price range as the Moto G second generation and the 16GB Asus Zenfone 5. In comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S3 Neo offers a better and sharper screen, thanks to the 720p AMOLED display. The S3 Neo comes with Snapdragon 400 processor supported with 1.5GB RAM.
Screen size: 4.8-inches, PPI: 306
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 12,500
The Lumia 925 offers an excellent looking design with a metal frame and a 4.5-inch AMOLED display making it more compact than the Lumia 830 and also priced less. If you are looking for compact Windows Phone don't want to spend a lot, then go for the Lumia 925. The smartphone runs on a Snapdragon S4 dual-core processor with 1GB of RAM.
Screen size: 4.5-inches, PPI: 323
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 25,900
The Microsoft Lumia 640 is one of the latest additions to the Lumia family in the budget segment. The compact phone has the same polycarbonate build and offers a 5-inch 720p display under the 10K price mark. It runs on Windows 8.1 and is powered by a newer Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 SoC.
Screen size: 5-inches, PPI: 294
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 9,999
Xiaomi unveiled the Mi 4i recently at a global launch event held in India. The aesthetically compact phone is Xiaomi’s salvo at the mid-range smartphone market. The phone features a 5-inch FHD display which is bright and laid out almost edge to edge. Under its hood, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 SoC is pretty new as well.
Screen size: 5-inches, PPI: 441
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 12,999
This isn't exactly a compact device, but it still is quite light in weight and also comes at very affordable price of just Rs. 6,990. It features the latest Snapdragon 410 SoC and is one of the most affordable smartphones in the country offering LTE.
Screen size: 5-inches, PPI: 294
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 6,999
If you want really good looking compact phone and you don't really have big budget constraints, then the A3 is a slick looking smartphone. The latest from Samsung's new design philiosophy, it features a 4.5-inch AMOLED display, a Snapdragon 415 processor and 1GB of RAM.
Screen size: 4.5-inches, PPI: 254
Lowest Online Price: Rs.20,000
Samsung has finally let go of the plastics in its flagship devices and its latest flagship, the Galaxy S6 is all glass and metal. The phone with its 5.1-inch Super AMOLED 2K display still maintains a screen to body ratio of 70.7%. It offers top of the line specs but it does compromise on external storage capabilities.
Screen size: 5.1-inches, PPI: 577
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 46,955 (for 32GB storage)
The latest Moto X is not a compact phone, but for 5.2-inch smartphone it offers really slim bezels and doesn't feel that big. The flagship smartphone also comes with a brilliant set of hardware including a Snapdragon 801 chip, 2GB of RAM and a super sharp and bright full HD AMOLED display.
Screen size: 5.2-inches, PPI: 424
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 29,999
Just like the Moto X, the LG G2 also has a much more compact design than a traditional 5.2-inch display equipped smartphone thanks to the slime bezels and 75.9% screen to body ratio. Being an old flagship smartphone, it also features a decent set of specs including a Snapdragon 800 processor, 2GB of RAM a 5.2-inch full HD display.
Screen size: 5.2-inches, PPI: 424
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 23,000 for 16GB
Compared to the new A and E series from Samsung, the Galaxy S4 is still a better and more compact smartphone. With a 5-inch display, it has 72% body to screen ratio and also has a full HD resolution. The handset, being a flagship, offers a commendable Exynos 5 octa-core processor at a value which is similar to most of the mid ranged smartphone.
Screen size: 5-inches, PPI: 441
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 19,999
The Blackberry Q5 is clearly one of the best QWERTY + Touch screen implementations on a smartphone. The Q5 is an excellent choice for hardcore Blackberry fans wanting a easy to use, compact Blackberry OS 10.xx smartphone. For Rs. 12,999, the Q5 is a better buy than the bulky, heavy Blackberry Z3.
Screen size: 3.1 inches, PPI: 328
Lowest Online Price: Rs. 13,990