I miss small phones, and the Galaxy S26 doesn’t count

Samsung launched the Galaxy S26 collection again in February, and the base Galaxy S26 is one in all the greatest smaller Android telephones on the market. I say “smaller,” since you and I each know that this isn’t really a small telephone.

In actual fact, it’s nearly unimaginable to discover a legitimately small telephone from a significant producer in 2026. Right here’s why I miss them and actually need them to make a comeback in the close to future.

When I’m speaking a couple of small telephone, I usually imply a tool with a sub-6-inch display, although I’m additionally superb with a 6.1-inch show. Against this, the base Galaxy S26 is definitely bigger than earlier entries and now has a 6.3-inch show. That’s nonetheless small, proper?

Sadly, my time with 6.3-inch telephones in 2026 has satisfied me that whereas they’re smaller than at the moment’s common telephones, they’re nonetheless not really small. I extensively used the vivo X300 and Xiaomi 17, and briefly used the Galaxy S26. Sadly, these telephones all have side ratios that make it somewhat powerful to succeed in the high of the show. Moreover, these gadgets don’t fairly disappear into your pocket like legitimately small telephones.

When I consider small telephones, I instantly consider gadgets like the ASUS Zenfone 9 (5.99-inch show), the Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact collection (5-inch display), and Samsung Galaxy S10e (5.8-inch). While you ignore the precise display sizes, which may be clouded by various side ratios, you’ve received telephones that fluctuate in peak from 135mm to ~146mm. Even the Galaxy S25 counts in my e book, though it’s only a hair beneath 147mm.

A Samsung consultant just lately claimed that the firm doesn’t make small telephones anymore as a result of the hottest use instances all profit from a bigger display. Moreover, leaker Digital Chat Station beforehand requested representatives from high Chinese language producers why they didn’t make small telephones. These reps apparently attributed the lack of small telephones to bigger screens being extra widespread, whereas claiming that 6-inch telephones can’t tick all main bins (i.e., efficiency, digicam, battery life).

Regardless of these claims, I imagine that, from a technological perspective, there’s by no means been a greater time for producers to make legitimately small telephones. And that’s largely because of the arrival of silicon-carbon batteries. This tech lets you squeeze the similar capability right into a bodily smaller battery, or extra capability into the similar bodily battery measurement.

This tech has already resulted in smaller (however not small) telephones with stupendously massive batteries. For instance, the OnePlus 15T has a 7,500mAh battery regardless of a 6.32-inch show and ~150mm peak. In the meantime, the Chinese language Xiaomi 17 has a 7,000mAh battery packed into its 151mm body.

Smartphone makers don’t even have to supply ridiculously large silicon-carbon batteries of their smaller telephones. They will as an alternative provide a bodily smaller battery whereas nonetheless providing loads of juice. This manner, they will provide a small telephone with out essentially compromising on battery capability, efficiency, and different {hardware}.

We’ve additionally seen different {hardware} improvements over the years that may make small telephones a actuality as soon as once more. For one, Samsung’s ALoP telephoto digicam modules are smaller than standard periscope cameras. This implies a smaller digicam bump whereas releasing up inside area. Take a look at the picture under for a greater thought.

There’s additionally much less stress to supply a huge battery in 2026, as at the moment’s telephones are considerably extra environment friendly in comparison with older gadgets. A giant cause for that is that at the moment’s chips are fairly frugal. Qualcomm says the present Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 provides 16% decrease energy consumption typically and a 35% extra environment friendly CPU than the Snapdragon 8 Elite. However even the 8 Elite introduced a claimed 45% extra environment friendly CPU than its predecessor. In actual fact, we discovered that telephones with the Snapdragon 8 Elite chip had been considerably extra environment friendly than earlier flagships.

So if Google can provide a smaller telephone like the Pixel 10 Professional, which provides good (however not wonderful) efficiency, a big lithium-ion battery, and a full suite of versatile cameras, I’m certain it may launch a legitimately small telephone by harnessing a silicon-carbon battery and different technological developments. And if OnePlus may provide the 6.3-inch OnePlus 15T with a ridiculous 7,500mAh battery, what’s stopping it from releasing a sub-6-inch telephone with a 5,500mAh or 6,000mAh battery?

The smartphone business is making an attempt to reframe what constitutes a small telephone, as the Galaxy S26, Pixel 10 Professional, and Xiaomi 17 all provide ~6.3-inch screens. And these corporations are undoubtedly searching for reward for providing this smaller measurement.

Nonetheless, I’d like to see these similar manufacturers collect up the braveness to supply legitimately small telephones in 2026. As a result of the technological substances are lastly right here for a compact telephone that doesn’t make vital compromises. Will it really occur, although? Properly, let’s simply hope Apple resurrects the iPhone Mini, so Samsung can undoubtedly comply with go well with.