 "Top Compact Phones in India in 2025 from Apple, Samsung, OnePlus and More")
Over the years, the size of smartphones has gone out of hand - figuratively and literally. We definitely sensed the need for a compact phone all this while but most manufacturers, barring a couple, thought otherwise. Something changed in 2025 and we have witnessed the arrival of more than a few smaller phones over and above the usual suspects. Though it is hard to put a finger on what triggered it, the change is welcome and I hope it stays and blossoms further.
Ironically, what we call a compact phone today would have been a full sized phone five years ago, but we will take it. By commercial logic, there are over a dozen compact phones in India currently. However, we have put certain restrictions on their dimensions and weight as the eligibility criteria for this article. Each phone needs to be less than 155 mm in height, not more than 8.5 mm in thickness and should weigh less than 200 grams. Let’s find out which present phones in India meet these criteria.
Compact phones from Apple in India in 2025
Practically all Apple iPhones without a suffix after the number qualify as compact phones. So everything from iPhone 13 to iPhone 17 can be considered for purchase if you are looking for a compact phone. However, we would recommend opting for an iPhone 15 or newer for not just the extra processing power and better cameras but also for the USB-C charging port. And one with 256 GB storage ideally, as 128 GB has a weird habit of filling up too quickly, while Apple gets too greedy with the 512 GB pricing.
With A16 Bionic chip or better for ample processing power and competent cameras in a compact body, these iPhones are worth buying whenever you spot them for a good price. And there’s never a better time than the festive sales that have just begun to get a good deal on one.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsPrice: Rs 58,499 onwards for Apple iPhone 15 256 GB variant
Compact phones from Samsung in India in 2025
Among the OGs, the Samsung Galaxy S24 and S25 are great options in the compact phones category. The phones are identical on most fronts barring the processing power. While the S25 is powered by Qualcomm’s current flagship Snapdragon 8 Elite chip, the S24 gets its previous flagship, Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 - which is still incredibly powerful for almost any task you throw at it. They run Android 15 with OneUI 7 with 7 years of software support expected from their respective launch dates.
Both have similar camera setup with a 50MP primary camera with dual pixel PDAF and OIS, a 12MP ultra-wide camera with Super Steady video support and a 10MP telephoto camera with OIS for 3X optical zoom. Add to that a 4,000 mAh battery in the slimmest, lightest and most compact body among the lot. Despite being compact, they are quite sturdy with an IP68 rated dust and water resistance and an Armor Aluminium frame.
Price: Rs 44,999 for Samsung Galaxy S24 with 8 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage; Rs 74,999 for Samsung Galaxy S25 with 12 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage
Compact phones from Google in India in 2025
All phones from the Google Pixel 10 lineup missed out on our qualification criteria by the slimmest of margins, either on weight or thickness. But the Pixel 9 and Pixel 9 Pro make the cut by equally slim margins. The Pixel 9 series is still good enough on most fronts, be it camera quality to processing power for AI tasks to the latest version of Android with a clean UI and another 6 years of software updates at least.
While the Pixel 9 has very good cameras that hold their own even in low light, the Pro variant goes a step further by adding an excellent telephoto lens that provides 5X optical zoom. Their build quality and finish is premium too and with IP68 ingress protection. You will just have to put up with slow charging for today’s standards.
Price: Rs 54,999 for Google Pixel 9 with 12 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage; Rs 89,999 for Google Pixel 9 Pro with 16 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage
Compact phones from OnePlus in India in 2025
There’s only one from OnePlus currently and it is arguably their most interesting phone in years. The OnePlus 13s offers a unique combination of power and battery backup in a small package. Typically, compact phones choose to be conservative about the battery reserves because of limited real estate, but not the 13s, despite being powered by the most powerful chip around at the moment, the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite. The phone’s battery lasts for two full days of moderate use and that is better than a lot of much larger phones too.
It does sacrifice a bit in the photography department by excluding an ultra-wide camera. And even the main camera, though competent, isn’t exactly flagship grade. So this may not be a phone for photography enthusiasts, but there’s a lot to like about it. The size and weight are just perfect, and it’s a powerful phone with a smooth UI and a full spectrum of AI tricks in addition to a great battery backup around the 50K mark.
Price: Rs 50,999 onwards for 12 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage variant
Compact phones from Xiaomi in India in 2025
To Xiaomi’s credit, they have been dipping their toes in compact phones since Xiaomi 14, and its successor, the Xiaomi 15 adds more power and juice to it. Just like the OnePlus 13s, this too is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite SoC, and even better, it has a fully stacked camera department designed in collaboration with Leica. You get three 50MP modules at the back, with the primary camera flaunting a Light Fusion 900 image sensor, Leica Summilux optics and OIS. You also get an ultra-wide shooter with 115-degrees FOV and a 60 mm floating telephoto camera with OIS that provides up to 2.6X optical zoom.
Battery life, though not as good as the 13s, is good enough for a compact phone at close to a day and a half of moderate use. The bundled 90W fast charger promises to juice it up fully in about 45 minutes. The Xiaomi 15 also supports 50W fast wireless charging. It also offers a generous 512 GB UFS 4.0 storage and a sharp and vibrant 6.36-inch LTPO AMOLED display with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision compliance.
Price: Rs 64,999 for 12 GB RAM/ 512 GB storage
Compact phones from Vivo in India in 2025
Last but not the least, let’s not forget the fairly new Vivo X200 FE, which though similar in size and weight to the OnePlus 13s, manages to pack one extra camera and even more battery reserves. It does go a little light on processing power but I will quickly add that the Mediatek Dimensity 9300+ chip that powers it is no slouch either. The phone’s 6500 mAh battery can go on for over two days of moderate use and supports 90W fast charging.
The Vivo X200 FE has three cameras at the back that incorporate Zeiss optics. You get a 50MP primary with a Sony IMX921 sensor and OIS, a 50MP telephoto camera with Sony IMX882 sensor and OIS that provides 3X optical zoom and an 8MP ultra-wide camera. The 50MP front camera will appeal to the selfie enthusiasts for sure. Add to that a compact but high quality 6.31-inch LTPO AMOLED display and you have a well-rounded phone in a compact form factor.
Price: Rs 54,999 onwards for 12 GB RAM/ 256 GB storage variant
I sincerely hope the category of compact phones is here to stay and we get a lot more of them going ahead and at more affordable price points too.
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