Ranking: Best compact smartphones reviewed by Notebookcheck

The iPhone 17 Pro comes with a variety of gen-to-gen improvements, scoring points with features such as its new, significantly brighter and more color-accurate OLED display, a larger and more enduring battery and the powerful A19 Pro chip with 12 GB of RAM. The latter ensure outstanding system performance; its battery life is great for the product category, too.

The iPhone 17 Pro is a powerful premium smartphone.

Its cameras have seen an improvement, too. In particular, the telephoto lens and the new "center stage" front camera are more versatile and deliver better quality in everyday life. Design-wise, the phone sports a sturdy, albeit more scratch-sensitive aluminum frame, and slim looks.

Wi-Fi 7, dual e-SIM and USB-C 3.2 are all onboard to round out the list of features nicely. No one is perfect; high-res Bluetooth codecs are missing and some new iOS 26 functionality is unavailable in the EU.

While the Xiaomi 17 does set new standards for compact smartphones with its huge 7,000 mAh battery and powerful Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, the model is not without its weaknesses. The enormous battery ensures runtimes better than most rival phones at the cost of the casing's weight and size, both on the larger side. So much so that the Xiaomi might be unsuitable for users who really want a slim phone and nothing else.

Xiaomi's 17 rocks thanks in no small part to its gigantic battery - that also makes it heavier.

Although the performance of the new Snapdragon chip is very good, thermals can get in the way. In particular, it's graphics performance that suffers when under longer loads. The 17's primary camera impresses with Leica optics and good low-light capabilities, even if shots can sometimes appears oversaturated and oversharpened in daylight. In addition, HyperOS 3 bears a lot of similarities to iOS, which may not appeal to every Android fan, and the Chinese-market version of the phone comes with limitations such as weaker software support and the lack of e-SIM.

All things considered, the Xiaomi 17 is a flawed option that is only available from overseas shops for customers in the EU, for example TradingShenzhen.

The Pixel 10 Pro has a high-quality glass and aluminum casing with IP68 certification. Powering it is the Tensor G5 processor with 16 GB of RAM, which runs smoothly in everyday use but lags behind the competition in benchmarks. Its internal storage can be as big as 1 TB, but is slower than expected despite being UFS 4.0-compliant.

Google's Pixel 10 Pro combines high-quality design and s bright OLED display with strong features, but falls short of expectations in terms of performance, storage and GPS accuracy.

Its 6.3-inch LTPO OLED display with 2,856 × 1,280 pixels achieves peak brightness of up to 3,200 cd/m² and a 120-Hz refresh rate, but also flickers at a low frequency. Features include Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0, UWB, NFC and dual-band GNSS. The latter is not very precise indoors, though.

The Pixel's 4,870-mAh battery can be charged at 30 W wired and 15 W wirelessly. The triple rear camera system with 50, 48 and 48 MP delivers impressive photos. The ultrasonic fingerprint sensor is quick and the vibration motor provides precise feedback.

The Galaxy S25 is a compact flagship smartphone with a screen size of 6.2 inches. It is equipped with the Snapdragon 8 Elite for Galaxy, which promises a significant increase in performance compared to the previous model. The device offers 12 GB of RAM and is available in storage variants of 128 GB, 256 GB and 512 GB.

Its AMOLED display sports an adaptive refresh rate of up to 120 Hz and offers a Full HD+ resolution. The rear camera is comprised of a primary sensor with optical image stabilization, a 12-megapixel ultra-wide-angle camera and a telephoto lens with triple optical zoom.

The Galaxy S25 is a powerful flagship smartphone with modern AI functions and is even more compact than its predecessor.

The 4,000-mAh battery supports wired charging at 25 watts as well as wireless charging via Fast Wireless Charging 2.0. The device is IP68-certified, which offers protection against water and dust. Despite its exquisite features, the Galaxy remains light and compact with a weight of 162 grams. The S25 also offers advanced AI features, including the Google Gemini Assistant.

The iPhone 17 comes closer to the Pro models than ever before with its high-quality, largely familiar design, larger and significantly improved 6.3-inch ProMotion OLED panel (finally with 120 Hz), the powerful Apple A19 SoC and as much as 256 GB of storage in the base SKU.

The iPhone 17 is the iPhone to buy.

It offers powerful cameras with two 48-MP sensors and a new 18-MP selfie shooter, very high everyday and gaming performance, longer battery life and modern connectivity with the N1 radio chip and Wi-Fi 7. It has weaknesses. too such as its slow USB-C 2.0 port, limited Bluetooth audio codecs, Wi-Fi 7 implementation limited to 160-MHz channel width, a limited warranty (by the EU standards) of 12 months and fast charging that, at 40 watts, is clearly not as fast as some Android-based rivals.

The Galaxy Z Flip7 is marketed as a high-quality foldable that has been improved in several ways. Thanks to Gorilla Glass Victus 2, a robust folding mechanism and IP48 certification, the casing is durable with a high-quality feel to it. With a 6.9-inch main OLED panel that is very bright and contrast-rich, as well as an upscale 4.1-inch external display, the product has no eye candy shortage and offers various usage options.

Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip7 is a high-quality flip smartphone with multi-year updates and good battery life. It loses some of its appeal due to limited outer display functions, slow charging and weaker performance.

The secondary panel is limited in its functionality and cannot fully replace the internal display. The update guarantee of seven years is long, the software is up-to-date with Android 16 and One UI 8, and the increased battery capacity of around 4,300 mAh delivers solid runtimes. Charging speeds aren't great, both wired and wirelessly, and neither is performance: in the EU, the smartphone comes with the Exynos 2500, which lags behind the Snapdragon version and noticeably throttles under load.

If you are interested in the cheaper entry-level model, the Galaxy Z Flip FE, you should also take a look at the Flip6 from the previous year, as the two devices are almost identical.

The Pixel 9 has a very bright 6.3-inch OLED display with a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz. A dual camera system on its back takes beautiful photos, but has no optical zoom.

The Pixel 9 offers a compact form factor and seven years of updates, among other benefits.

Further features are Wi-Fi 7 and 5G support - lots of bands, USB-C 3.2, wireless charging and IP68 certification.

Its SoC is very slow for a high-end product, and charging speeds leave a lot to be desired.

The X200 FE is a compact premium smartphone that impresses with its high-quality casing, IP68/IP69 certification and a very bright 6.31-inch LTPO OLED display. Thanks to the large battery, it offers excellent battery life, while naturally supporting fast charging and delivering strong performance with the MediaTek Dimensity 9300 Plus, despite some noticeable throttling under longer loads.

Vivo's X200 FE impresses with a strong display, long battery life and a good main camera sensor, but falls short when it comes to USB speeds, secondary cameras and performance sustainability.

The primary Zeiss-branded lens takes very good pictures, especially in daylight, while the ultra-wide-angle and telephoto cameras are less impressive due to having no image stabilization. Multiple modern standards such as Wi-Fi 7 are onboard, but the USB-C port is limited to 2.0 speeds.

The iPhone 16e is Apple's most affordable model, as of January 2026. Equipped with the powerful A18 chip, a 6.1-inch OLED display (60 Hz) and a 48-MP main camera, it is aimed at users who are looking for an up-to-date iPhone without paying extra for premium features. Its visual design is reminiscent of the iPhone 14, with a high-quality finish, compact size and limited weight. Features such as Dynamic Island, MagSafe, UWB or additional camera lenses are missing.

The iPhone 16e is a well-balanced offer with strong performance and long battery life, but with clear compromises in terms of features and display technology.

Its sole rear camera sensor delivers very good results in daylight, but can not do ultra-wide-angle, macro or cinema shots. The OLED display impresses with high brightness and color accuracy, its low refresh rate being the main downside. The 4,005-mAh internal battery ensures long runtimes, outperforming the regular iPhone 16.

The Apple smartphone's strengths also include 5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 and precise GPS. Apple Intelligence is supported, and software updates should be made available for at least 6 years.

The Pixel 9a aspires to be a strong mid-range smartphone with excellent battery life and a sophisticated design. Its 6.3-inch POLED display offers a refresh rate of up to 120 Hz and high brightness of up to 2,700 cd/m². With its impressive color fidelity, it's a real treat for the eyes.

In charge of its performance is the Google Tensor G4, 8 GB of RAM and either 128 GB or 256 GB of UFS 3.1 storage. In everyday use, the device performs well, even if graphics-heavy tasks can be a bit of an issue. The battery with 5,100 mAh enables exceptional runtimes.

The Pixel 9a is a balanced product offering strong battery life, a high-quality display, good cameras and long-term update security.

The camera system impresses with a 48-MP main sensor and 13-MP ultra-wide-angle lens, delivering detailed photos including macro and night shots. Selfies are all right, but are not flagship-grade. IP68 protection, wireless charging, e-SIM support and seven years of software updates come included. On the other hand, storage is not expandable here, charging times are relatively long and GNSS does not function great indoors.