If you want to operate your mobile phone with just one hand, you need a smartphone with a display size of less than 6 inches. The selection is very small, because manufacturers have been consistently enlarging the displays of their models for years – with one exception.
And this exception – how could it be otherwise – represents Apple. Since the twelfth generation of its iPhones, the manufacturer has also been offering mini versions of its various product generations. And that’s not all: the newer versions of his iPhone SE are also available in hand-friendly mini format.
Apple is thus one of the few manufacturers that fulfill consumers’ desire to be able to use their smartphone with just one hand. Android-powered smartphones under 6 inches, on the other hand, are rarely found. Especially if they should still have a lot of power under the hood.
iPhone 13 Mini: The top smartphone under 6 inches
Display: | 2340 x 1080 pixels, 13.7 cm (5.4 in) |
Processor: | Apple A15 Bionic |
Random access memory: | 4GB |
Storage: | 128, 256, 512GB |
Main camera: | 12 MP main camera, 12 MP ultra wide angle |
Front camera: | 12MP |
The top smartphone under 6 inches is without a doubt iPhone 13 mini. It extends over a hand-friendly diagonal of 5.4 inches and thus 13.7 centimeters. Apple’s latest smartphone chip, the Apple A15 Bionic, works in it. You won’t get more performance under 6 inches anywhere else.
Only the iPhone SE 2022 is on a par. The main difference between the current iPhone and its predecessor is the camera. Their sensors work a little faster than the iPhone 12, which allows for more detailed photos in poor lighting conditions.
The iPhone 13 Mini also offers a very special treat for smartphone videographers: cinema mode. This enables the focus to be shifted between people when filming and in post-processing with a bokeh effect. The bokeh effect is the blurred background in videos and photos when the object is in focus.
Otherwise, the iPhone 13 Mini offers better battery life compared to the iPhone 12 Mini, different colors of the case and of course a little more performance thanks to the newer chip.
Asus Zenfone 8: The top Android phone under 6 inches
Display: | 2400 x 1080 pixels, 15 cm (5.9 inches), 120 hertz |
Processor: | Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 |
Random access memory: | 8 or 16GB |
Storage: | 128GB |
Main camera: | 64 MP main camera, 12 MP wide angle |
Front camera: | 12MP |
If you rely on Android instead of Apple, you should Asus Zenfone 8 take a closer look. Its 5.9-inch display has a resolution of 2400 x 1080 pixels. But not only that: the refresh rate of the display is 120 Hertz. Especially those who gamble a lot on their smartphone will enjoy it. But 120 Hertz is also fun in everyday use. Scrolling movements are buttery soft on such a display.
Asus has installed two cameras on the back of the Zenfone. The main sensor has a resolution of 64 megapixels. In addition, the smartphone under 6 inches still offers a wide-angle lens with 12 megapixels. However, the camera does not match the photo quality of an iPhone 13. This is less due to the built-in sensors and more to the software that is used.
With smartphones, it decisively determines the photo quality and Apple is almost the undisputed leader. The manufacturer uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 888 processor for the processor. It is a top processor for Android smartphones that promises enough performance for the next few years.
The same applies to the main memory: buyers of a Zenfone 8 can choose between 8 or 16 gigabytes. Both storage variants should be large enough for the next four to five years. Unfortunately, Asus only gives its top smartphone a rather poor battery with 4000 mAh. With a 120 Hertz display, it could be empty faster than most users would like.
iPhone SE 2022: The affordable iPhone under 6 inches
Display: | 1334 x 750 pixels, 11.94 cm (4.7 in) |
Processor: | Apple A15 Bionic |
Random access memory: | 4GB |
Storage: | 64, 128, 256GB |
Main camera: | 12MP |
Front camera: | 7MP |
That iPhone SE traditionally offers the cheapest entry into the world of Apple smartphones. In 2022, the tech giant from Cupertino presented a new edition of the “cheap iPhone”. The iPhone SE could be just right for friends of small smartphones. Its display is a cute 4.7 inches. Unfortunately, the design now seems a bit old-fashioned.
The iPhone SE 2022 still wraps itself in the guise of the iPhone 8, which is now getting on in years. Compared to the top smartphones from Apple, buyers have to make some compromises. One thing in advance: Apple has given the iPhone SE the same processor that also works in the manufacturer’s current top smartphones. In terms of performance, buyers of the iPhone SE are on the safe side for the next four to five years.
However, prospective buyers accept cutbacks when it comes to convenience functions: the iPhone SE 2022 still does not offer FaceID. Apple has given its entry-level smartphone the tried and tested home button with a fingerprint sensor. There is also only one main camera on the back and it lacks the cinema mode that the iPhone 13 offers.
The iPhone SE 2022 takes photos quite well. Unfortunately, Apple does not allow the iPhone SE to have an OLED display, but instead relies on the older LCD technology. The display’s resolution of 1334 x 750 pixels is also slightly lower than that of comparable smartphones in this price category.
Fairphone 3+: The sustainable under 6 inches
Display: | 14.35 cm (5.65 in), 2160 x 1080 pixels |
Processor: | Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 |
Random access memory: | 4GB |
Storage: | 64GB |
Main camera: | 48MP |
Front camera: | 16MP |
Sustainability and smartphones are actually a contradiction in terms, after all there are rare ores in the devices, some of which are mined under conditions that are inhuman and inhuman to nature. In addition, it is extremely difficult to recycle smartphones. The Dutch company Fairphone wants to prove the opposite. That’s why it makes sure that its products are particularly easy to repair thanks to the modular system and are therefore more durable than normal smartphones. In addition, the manufacturer attaches particular importance to fairly mined and recycled raw materials.
If you attach particular importance to a sustainable lifestyle, use the Fairphone. Lucky for ecos with small hands: At 5.65 inches, the display of the Fairphone 3+ falls into the category of smartphones under 6 inches. Bad luck for ecos with small hands: The specifications of the Fairphone 3+ only partially convincing. In terms of performance, the smartphone was already in the lower middle class when it was launched in 2020.
In 2022, there can at best be talk of an entry-level smartphone – and buyers can usually get that much cheaper. Sustainability has its price. After all, the display has a sharper resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels than the iPhone SE 2022. The built-in Qualcomm Snapdragon 632 processor offers enough power to chat and surf with the smartphone.
Buyers should not expect great gaming performance. On the back is a camera with a 48-megapixel sensor. Nice: You can expand the internal memory via a microSD card slot. The Fairphone 3+ also offers dual SIM, an NFC chip and a jack for headphones.
Caterpilar S62 Pro: The workphone under 6 inches
Display: | 14.478 cm (5.7 in), 2160 x 1080 pixels |
Processor: | Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 |
Random access memory: | 6GB |
Storage: | 128GB |
Main camera: | 12 MP, thermal imaging camera |
Front camera: | 8MP |
Do-it-yourselfers, craftsmen, gardeners and outdoor fanatics demand a little more from their smartphones than normal consumers do. If you work outside or indulge in your favorite hobby, you have to expect your smartphone to fall unintentionally in the mud, in water or on the hard floor.
It is precisely such falls that so-called outdoor smartphones and work phones survive. Their case is particularly robust, the battery is usually larger and very special representatives of their type even offer functions that normal smartphones only dream of. One of those under 6-inch workphones that can do this is this Caterpilar S62 Pro. What makes it special is undoubtedly its thermal imaging camera, which should make DIY enthusiasts happy.
According to the manufacturer, the smartphone survives falls on hard floors from a height of 1.8 meters. In addition, the touch function of the display differs from conventional smartphones, because it still works when the display is wet or the smartphone user is wearing gloves. With a resolution of 2160 x 1080 pixels, the 5.7-inch display is sharp enough.
The Caterpilar S62 Pro is only suitable for photographers to a limited extent: The main camera on the back shoots photos with a resolution of 12 megapixels, but it does not come close to the quality of iPhone photos. And the built-in Qualcomm Snapdragon 660 processor is no longer one of the fastest smartphone processors on the market and is more in the lower mid-range. It is assisted by 6 gigabytes of RAM, which is not particularly large either.
Wiko Y52: The cheapest smartphone under 6 inches
Display: | 12.7 cm (5″), 854 x 480 pixels |
Processor: | Unisoc SC9832E |
Random access memory: | 1GB |
Storage: | 16 GB |
Main camera: | 5MP |
Front camera: | 0.3MP |
If you only use your smartphone for chatting and surfing, you don’t have to dig deep into your pocket if you want a device under 6 inches for it. This is one of the cheapest smartphones on the market Wiko Y52. You shell out just 70 euros for the smartphone with a 5-inch screen. But buyers really shouldn’t expect much in return. In bare data, this is a 5-inch display with a resolution of 480 x 854 pixels, paired with – attention – 1 gigabyte of RAM and a quad-core processor. You can’t do less.
The internal memory is 16 gigabytes, which is not a problem because the rear camera has a resolution of 5 megapixels. So you can take photos, but what you see on them is (to put it bluntly) left to the imagination. This smartphone is only suitable for making calls and chatting with it. And even that shouldn’t be a lot of fun given the resolution of the display.
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