Manufacturers want you to say goodbye to small phones once and for all

The most compact Android phones typically have 6.3-inch screens, but we haven’t seen smaller phones from major brands in a long time now. Samsung previously explained why it’s not making truly small phones, and other brands may have quietly chimed in.

Tipster Digital Chat Station recently asked the top five smartphone makers in China about the lack of 6-inch smartphones. The leaker didn’t specify these brands, but we’re guessing it’s OPPO, vivo, HUAWEI, HONOR, and Xiaomi. The answers won’t please people who miss small Android phones.

The first reason why smartphone makers aren’t making 6-inch phones is that they apparently feel this screen size isn’t ideal for content consumption. The makers cited user surveys, showing that a 6.5-inch screen is the most popular size. In fact, the tipster says some smaller phones will go from 6.3-inch screens to 6.4-inch panels by the end of the year.

The second reason cited by mobile manufacturers is that small phones simply can’t tick all the boxes for battery life, cameras, and performance. The small size means there’s less space for components, while rounded corners adopted by many manufacturers also “compress internal space and reduce battery capacity.”

It’s worth noting that we’ve seen some technically impressive 6.3-inch phones in the last couple of years. This includes the Xiaomi 17, OnePlus 15T, and vivo X300. All three phones offer large silicon-carbon batteries, ranging from 5,360mAh to 7,500mAh. These phones also have powerful processors and great screens. The Xiaomi 17 and vivo X300 also offer flexible triple rear cameras that don’t look out of place on a larger handset, although the OnePlus 15T has a less ambitious dual-camera system. So I don’t expect huge compromises with a slightly smaller form factor.

Digital Chat Station concludes that there are no current plans for a 6-inch phone. That’s a real shame, and means you’ll either have to hold on to your aging small phone or switch to a slightly larger, 6.3-inch phone like the Pixel 10 or Galaxy S26.

This news also comes a few days after a Samsung representative addressed the issue of small phones. The employee told Redditors that the most popular smartphone use cases benefit from having a larger screen, while directing small phone fans to its Galaxy Z Flip series. It’s also worth noting that Apple previously offered its mini iPhones, but eventually discontinued them due to apparent poor sales.