Anyone who has been on the search for a compact, high-performance smartphone that can be comfortably used with just one hand knows that devices have been progressively growing in size. While the newest phone releases may no longer be as hugely oversized as they once were, there is certainly a lack of fresh alternatives for consumers who prefer a more pocket-friendly size. Even though there are some smaller phones still available within the budget price range, those who yearn for a small phone that packs power, features, and wide compatibility are left with exceedingly limited choices. ASUS has recently released a new phone model known as the Zenfone 10, claiming it to be more pocket-friendly compared to competing models.

The title of Best Small Phone of 2023 would go to the iPhone 15 or iPhone 15 Pro, sold at an exorbitant price of $1500 and $1850 respectively. Even though Apple ceased the production of its iPhone Mini, standing at an impressive 132 millimeters in height and being the smallest amongst the premium smartphones released from 2020 to 2021, the currently existing iPhones still rank as some of the smallest in the market, measuring at 148mm.

The iPhone 15 Pro's notable display, high-performance processors, and outstanding cameras easily justify it as the top small phone of the year, but its high pricing also makes it the most expensive. Among the Android alternatives, the Samsung Galaxy S23, priced at $1450 and standing at 146mm tall, along with the Google Pixel 8, priced at $1200 and standing at 151mm, are also considered some of the more compact high-end smartphones available.

Choosing between these Android devices ultimately boils down to a balance of a higher cost, superior performance and additional camera features offered by the Galaxy on one hand, versus greater simplicity and helpful artificial intelligence features offered by the Pixel on the other. Both these smartphones, however, reserve their most advanced characteristics for their pricier and considerably larger counterparts.

The Zenfone 10, when compared to the iPhone 15 and Pixel 8, brings into focus the most recent foray by ASUS into compact phone design. This phone warrants special consideration as it is effectively the sole phone released in 2023 that is unabashedly promoting its small size as a key selling point. With a narrow width of less than 70mm and a display size below 6 inches, the Zenfone 10 is slightly smaller than all previously mentioned phones.

Upon initial observation, the Zenfone 10 indeed gives off an impression of being smaller even though some of this effect can be attributed to its design, featuring large black rings surrounding its cameras and a black border framing its vibrant and colorfully curved rear. But concrete measurements corroborate the perception of its smaller size - the Zenfone 10 is barely a millimeter shorter in height compared to the iPhone 15, and only a few millimeters thicker. Notably, it's about three millimeters less in width, thereby facilitating an easier grip measured by being able to touch one's thumb and middle finger around its circumference, a feat relatively harder to achieve with an iPhone.