Small (<4") smartphone with 4G

Question

I nearly always have my smartphone with me, but hardly ever use it, I prefer my 10" tablet. However I sometimes want to check calendar, mail, banking, weather radar and such. I use a belt holster and so the smaller the better.

At present I use an LG-D160 3.5" model which runs Android 4.4.2 (KitKat) and only has 2G/3G reception. The smallest modern phone I could find is the Sony Xperia Compact, but that is 4.5" and I regard that as too big. Wiko and Alcatel make 4" models but they are 3G (and slow).

Price is not a problem (within reason, say under 1000 €/$/£) and battery life of 6 hours is enough (my LG gives me 48 hours, because I hardly ever turn it on).

I prefer not to use Apple because [1] I don't want to pay Steve Jobs' premium (20% more quality for 80% more price) and [2] I am used to Android's flexibility.

Does anybody make a small, functional phone?

Answer 1

I like "small" phones too, mine is a 4G / 4GB / 64GB 5' Redmi with Android. Couldn't find smaller that fits my needs. It's powerful, reliable, paid $120 for it, even if too big for you. But a quick search where I bought mine brought the following:

• Melrose - 3.4" - Android 8 1
• SOYES XS - 3" - 4G LTE - Android 6.0 - 2GB / 16GB
• U2 - 4G Lte - 3.15" - 1GB / 8GB - Android 8.1

All these are around < $100.

(note: if links are not allowed, please tell me - I'll edit - or remove them directly)

Answer 2

Most smartphones brands are making phones bigger and even Samsung phones, they're all 5 inches or bigger.

With that said, you have a Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact which costs about 430 EUR. It's a compact phone with a 5-inch display.

You also have the Palm Phone which is a 3.3-inch screen; it got Android and it's functional for your needs but the Palm Phone has limited buy options and you can only buy in some countries. This phone costs about 350 EUR.

Although I recommended the Palm Phone, it's actually a phone with a lot of flaws and for the retail price it's not very worth it. Go for the XZ2 phone or the one you already saw from Sony, it's not that big of a phone.

Answer 3

In your budget, if you are alright with clamshell and bleeding edge: you might want to wait for the new Moto Razr. It is still a few months away, but it incorporates what you care about the most - it will be tiny when folded (as compared to modern phones). It will likely be released before the end of the year, next year MWC should be the latest (end of February 2020).