How to pick the perfect smartphone size for you

Buying a new phone should be like shopping for new shoes. There’s no one-size-fits-all.

The history of phones started from a massive brick of electronics in the 1970s. Then, it started shrinking during the 2000s, some even smaller than your palm. Eventually, the first iPhone appeared, which revolutionized the industry, leading to more functionalities. Soon, phones started getting larger screens again.

If you remember, the original iPhone only had a 3.5-inch display because Steve Jobs said it fits “beautifully in the palm of your hand,” and stayed that way until he died in 2011. In the subsequent years, the iPhone screen has continuously gotten bigger. Today, we have a massive 6.9-inch screen with the latest iPhone 16 Pro Max.

There was also a time when a smartphone with a display of 5.5 or more was considered a “phablet” or a portmanteau of “phone” and “tablet.” Today, everything is simply called a smartphone, as screen sizes continue to get bigger.

When it comes to phone sizes, each person has their own preferences, balancing their purpose, functionality, aesthetics, and comfort.

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What are the typical smartphone sizes?

While there are no universal standards on phone size categories, here are some quick tips when choosing a smartphone size:

Compact/small smartphone (<=5.8 inches)

A small smartphone is compact, lightweight, and usually cheaper. It is perfect for most basic activities, like texting, calling, social media, reading, and more. This also fits smaller hands better, ensuring maximum reach and comfort.

Medium size smartphone (6.1 to 6.7 inches)

A mid-sized phone brings the balance between portability, size, weight, and features that most people need, and according to The Verge, the ideal smartphone size is 6.1”, which falls under the mid-size because it gets the balance of both worlds.

Large screen phones (>=6.8 inches)

Large-screen phones are perfect for video streaming and mobile gaming. It gives you the maximum viewing experience when watching movies and series and better gaming. It also contains larger batteries to support power-hungry screens.

Things to consider when choosing a smartphone size

1. Hand size

An old video from the Wall Street Journal showed how your hand size is to your phone as to how your foot size is to your shoes. 

One of the most important considerations when choosing your phone should be your hand size, as it determines how comfortable and secure your hand wraps around your phone. The size of your hand could help you choose the appropriate height, width, and depth of your phone.

Can you imagine 6’6” basketball players with big hands owning an iPhone 13 mini? It would be too small. Now, imagine 4-foot-8 Olympic gymnast Simone Biles owning an iPhone 16 Pro Max. Would her flexibility help her fingers extend around a big screen?

2. Thumb range

Besides the size of your hand, your thumb’s range of motion is also an important consideration. Since most users primarily use their thumb to navigate their smartphone, you should also test your preferred smartphone to see if you can work around it comfortably.

I emphasized comfort because research conducted in Saudi Arabia found the relative prevalence of wrist and thumb pain among smartphone users. So, even with the improvements in how phone UIs are designed today compared to ten years ago, it’s still a good consideration.

If you have small hands, your thumb range would also be smaller, and navigating your screen would be more challenging, so consider a smaller phone. On the other hand, a person with big hands may have difficulties on a small screen and should consider larger phones.

3. Usage habits

Are you a single-hand user or a double-hand user? Holding and using your phone should also help you decide your phone size.

For instance, I like using my phone on one hand, so I want a smaller screen because it’s easier to reach and operate and much lighter. While some larger phones added a reachability function or one-hand mode, you’ll know the difference. If you’re more accustomed to using both hands often, a larger screen would be more comfortable. 

If you also prefer keeping your phone in your pocket, a smaller phone will be more convenient. Pickpockets would also not be attracted. The next time you go to a phone shop, you may want to wear your favorite pants to the store.

4. Preferred weight

The bigger the phone, the bigger the screen, the bigger the battery, and the heavier it gets, which only means one thing – it will be uncomfortable in prolonged usage. 

For instance, the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra is 218 grams, the iPhone 16 Pro Max is 227 grams, and the Google Pixel 9 Pro XL is 221 grams. Then, when foldable phones become the norm, phones will only get a little bit heavier.

While each person’s preferences on their mobile phone’s weight differ, it’s important to consider that while a heavier phone typically has a longer battery life, it can affect its portability and your comfort for prolonged usage.

5. Task priorities

You should also consider the tasks you typically do with your phone. For instance:

• Basic texting and calling – you can opt for a smaller phone size because you won’t need most of the phone’s functionalities.
• Reading, social media, and browsing – a mid-size phone can give the balance of size for most activities.
• Gaming and watching videos – if you plan to use your phone to play games or watch videos, a larger screen size would be appropriate for you. 
• Multitasking – A larger screen would be better if you love multitasking with your phone.

Think of what you typically do with your phone to help you choose the perfect smartphone size.

As you can see, the perfect smartphone size is not the same for everyone. Some may like smaller handsets, while some prefer those with larger screens. At the end of the day, it all boils down to personal priorities.

How about you? What’s the best smartphone size for you?

This article, How to pick the perfect smartphone size for you, was originally published at NoypiGeeks | Philippines Technology News, Reviews and How to's.