[Sudarshan42]

Looks like I'm on the other end of the spectrum- I like big bulky cases and I cannot lie.

Just bought an S23FE (6.4 inch screen) with a Spigen Tough Armour case to protect it from drops and from vibrations on the bike. Not going back size wise- this is the ideal screen size for my browsing and reading needs.

[NiInJa]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Are there any decently specced compact Androids that DON'T have a glass back?

I don't put phones in cases, and while I'm not the drops-it-often kind, I don't want a delicate darling device.

My reference phone is a Pixel 4a.

The Asus Zenfone 10 is perhaps the perfect one that matches your requirements, but I am not sure if it is sold in India. I literally ordered one, till I realized I am just buying it for no apparent reason when my current phone is working just fine, then cancelled it I will miss this one as the Zenfone 11 is a properly tall brick.

Not getting into the usual tests and specifications, but Asus got the basics right with good battery, great audio signal processing and a decent camera on this. The only problem is the small screen, which can be a necessity in some cases.

https://www.asus.com/mobile-handheld...ne/zenfone-10/

Going against the tide and putting a rather unpopular opinion out here, if one really wants a secondary phone which has extremely small footprint and is not going to do a lot of screen-time on it, the iphone SE can be good choice. The good part is Google apps run nicely on iOS, so its not like you miss out on a lot of android stuff, you can back up photos from device on google, use google drive, docs etc on it easily. The speakers, camera, mic quality is top notch. The fingerprint sensor can be a boon sometimes. Only the display is ancient.

[Chetan_Rao]

Originally Posted by NiInJa

... iphone SE...

I actually bought one to try for a week, but couldn't live with iOS quirks (general usability, the extra clicks for everything compared to Android annoyed me a bit too much). Which is a shame and a bit strange, because I love MacOS on my laptop! The form factor is perfect, I don't mind the 'ancient' bits, and I actually prefer TouchID over FaceID.

I passed the iPhone on to someone in the family and got the Pixel instead.

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by GoBabyGo

Galaxy S23 is a solid phone and will not break easily on drops. However, I am not satisfied with it battery life. In my typical normal usage its battery come down from 100% to 40%, from 8.30am to 5.30pm. I am not a heavy user of my phone between 10am to 6pm. I mostly use my laptop during this period for everything, including WhatsApp, Twitter and reading Team-BHP forum and I watch YouTube after reaching home.

The S23 (like any other modern glass phones) will chip or crack easily on dropping. It probably won’t shatter but quite easy to scratch or dent. Even the aluminum frame can easily get damaged. On the other hand, battery life is quite brilliant for its size – easily a whole day phone.

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

I actually bought one to try for a week, but couldn't live with iOS quirks (general usability, the extra clicks for everything compared to Android annoyed me a bit too much).

I passed the iPhone on to someone in the family and got the Pixel instead.

The usual iOS vs Android dilemma. Like I mentioned earlier, the Pixel 9 / 9 Pro will be your ideal option – the build quality is so good; its almost like an iPhone made by Google

And do not discount the Samsung S series. The S24 (or S23) are very capable devices. Samsung is very prompt with updates, One UI is much more fluid and you can use standard google apps (clock, messaging etc.), and park the Samsung apps in a folder and forget about them.

And on the weight side – the S23 with a Spigen thin fit case (and a screen protector) is only 201 gms

[tbppjpr]

Pixels are going to remain Exynos fry-pans till Pixel 10.

Though Tensor G6 in the Pixel 11 is rumored to be manufactured by TSMC so hope that will be new beginning for the Pixels.

The Pixel 10 isn't out yet but we've already got a Pixel 11 chip leak

Even Galaxy S26 to go full Snapdragon; Exynos to return with Galaxy S27

Couple of years back Qualcomm started losing their reputation when their top of the line 8 series Snapdragons were also made by Samsung resulting into more heat with little to no gains over the previous generation chipsets.

Later Qualcomm switched back to TSMC for the manufacturing of Snapdragons and they got back into the game.

[Candy$Cars]

Originally Posted by vb-saan

And on the weight side – the S23 with a Spigen thin fit case (and a screen protector) is only 201 gms

Attachment 2672837

Hello vb-saan sir,
Which screen protector have you got on your s23? Is it glass or film? Does the fingerprint sensor work properly with it?

[vb-saan]

Originally Posted by Candy$Cars

Which screen protector have you got on your s23? Is it glass or film? Does the fingerprint sensor work properly with it?

What I have is the tempered glass protector from a brand called Anank. Its pretty awesome with the touch sensitivity (for the fingerprint sensor) and clarity. If I remember correctly, it was around SGD 50 (~INR 3000) when I put it on back in April 2023. It was hard to get a suitable glass screen with good touch sensitivity for the Pixel 9 Pro XL (due to the lack of popularity in this region), and I ordered one from UAG.

Originally Posted by tbppjpr

Pixels are going to remain Exynos fry-pans till Pixel 10

Did not notice any sort of heating issue with the Pixel 9 Pro XL, with pretty high screen-on-time. In comparison my 15 Pro gave up a couple of times during the summer (camera shut off for a few minutes).

[SmartCat]

A company called TheGiftKart makes the cheapest (Rs. 200 to Rs. 600) and best smartphone cases:
https://www.amazon.in/s?i=merchant-i...A3RU4MEDJKV1YX

- Backside is transparent. So if your phone is Barbie Pink, it will show
- Very very thoughtfully designed. On all 4 sides, there is enough elevation so that the screen is unharmed even if the phone falls flat. There is no need for a screen protector.
- And at the 4 edges of the smartphone, there is extra padding.



While all cases claim to the have the above 'features', it is execution that is the problem with many of them.

[fiat_tarun]

Originally Posted by tbppjpr

Pixels are going to remain Exynos fry-pans till Pixel 10.

...

Honestly, for daily use the Exynos phones are not bad at all. I used a Galaxy Note 10 Lite for 2.5 years without any lag / heating issues. Am now using a Pixel 8 for the past 11 months and again absolutely no heating, performance or battery issues. Had a Flip 4 in between with a Snapdragon 8+ Gen.1, so have experienced enough of both worlds.

My use case is web browsing, social media and the usual photos, video calls, etc. with quite a lot of multitasking. I do not game on my phone and hence am probably not maxing out the processor where the differences will start to show up.

[DetectiveMiles]

Originally Posted by fiat_tarun

Honestly, for daily use the Exynos phones are not bad at all. I used a Galaxy Note 10 Lite for 2.5 years without any lag / heating issues.

Agree with you, I was using Exynos S10 Plus for 4 years, since it launched, befre upgrading to S23 Ultra, the phone is still with me and is still smoth to operate.

[HereticHermit]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Thanks for the responses gentlemen. But I should've probably highlighted COMPACT, a deal-breaker requirement. I switched from a OnePlus 7T to the Pixel 4a specifically for the size. Not going back.

I hate tablet size phones with equal zeal that I can't stand cars with sunroof in Rajasthan. My pixel 4a was goto phone after BlackBerry z10 died to logical end but pixel 4a got water damaged few months ago and repair quote is equal to the original cost. So I get it where you are coming from. I looked high and low but nothing fits to my single point deal breaker demand of lightweight and under 6 inch modern phone.
In premium segment only Sony 6.1 screen is there. Costing North of 1 Lakh.
Asus 10 is 5.9 screen for around 70 grand but not easy to procure.
If you are willing to live with cheap end phones, some Indian brands do offer under 6 inch screens. Try Amazon filters.
After 4a died I bummed my wife's pixel 7a. It has a non glass back, made from clear polycarbonate, moderate weight and not over the top size.
Waiting for sensible times to come back or Steve Jobs to take charge again because he once said, most ideal phone size is the one that fits inside the palm.

[meerkat]

Originally Posted by HereticHermit

.....
Waiting for sensible times to come back or Steve Jobs to take charge again because he once said, most ideal phone size is the one that fits inside the palm.

Isn't he already in charge in the other world where most of the sensibly-sized phones also went? :-)
.

[harry10]

My father broke his phone.
With a budget of 20k and after a lot of research I zeroed in for Iqoo Z9 5g. He was using a Vivo phone itself since last 4 years so experience was quite good.

I am honestly surprised by this device. Haven't used any android phone for couple of years. This is blazingly fast for a phone under 20k. Dimensity 7200 is a very good chipset. Battery is also good. Plus 44W charger in the box( shame on you Samsung and Apple). Even comes with a screen protector installed. Camera was a surprise. Sony IMX882 sensor with OIS. Good pictures in this segment. Plus 120 hz Amoled screen which is quite bright. This is a full package.

Got it for 15750 from Amazon. Ordered at 2pm and it was in my hand at 8 pm. What more can one ask. Only bummer is this will only get 2 years Android update and 3 Years security update. Highly recommended phone from my side.

Ps- Samsung M35 was cheaper. But it's bulky and at 222g quite heavy. This is 180gm and really sleek so suitable for senior citizens.

[Joe367]

Originally Posted by Chetan_Rao

Are there any decently specced compact Androids that DON'T have a glass back?

I don't put phones in cases, and while I'm not the drops-it-often kind, I don't want a delicate darling device.

My reference phone is a Pixel 4a.

Sadly they don't make compact phones like the 4a anymore. The 5 was never released in India and 6a (which I'm using now) is nowhere near as compact as the 4a. Having said that the 8a will be the closest phone that will fit your description. Put on a skin for protection from scratches.

Originally Posted by Fuldagap

MIL-STD-810H is a US Military standard, among a host of other standards.
Motorola's efforts to bring, really bring and match those standards for such cheap phones is really commendable.

The various standards and what they stand for, how devices are certified against them or tested can be read online.
When it is Motorola, it is not just a marketing gimmick.

This is quite misleading actually. I was also quite excited to see some budget phones with the same certification like some of the Oppo K series phones. Turns out it is quite easy to get this certification and unlike IP certification there is no standards set for MIL certification. Manufacturers can decide on what tests to include, which lab to test etc. that is the reason why we see everything from ordinary glass sandwiche to the rugged phones like Kryocera all having the same certificattion. Doesn't mean they have the same durability.

Originally Posted by nova.19_exe

Not a compact, but rugged yes.

CMF by Nothing Phone (1). It's a well specced phone for its price, with the option of either plastic back (Black and Light Green) or leather which I have (Blue and Orange). You can change the back plate if it gets damaged or so!

This is one of the biggest phones released so far - it is quite big even by todays standards

[yedukrishnan199]

Originally Posted by Joe367

Sadly they don't make compact phones like the 4a anymore. The 5 was never released in India and 6a (which I'm using now) is nowhere near as compact as the 4a. Having said that the 8a will be the closest phone that will fit your description. Put on a skin for protection from scratches.


This is quite misleading actually. I was also quite excited to see some budget phones with the same certification like some of the Oppo K series phones. Turns out it is quite easy to get this certification and unlike IP certification there is no standards set for MIL certification. Manufacturers can decide on what tests to include, which lab to test etc. that is the reason why we see everything from ordinary glass sandwiche to the rugged phones like Kryocera all having the same certificattion. Doesn't mean they have the same durability.


This is one of the biggest phones released so far - it is quite big even by todays standards

I completely agree with you on this one, the Pixel 8a is perhaps the best bet until the 9a arrives for a compact phone (by today's standards) without a glass back,

Now the MIL-STD-810H compliance by Motorola has a disclaimer saying that it "does not guarantee ruggedness or use in extreme conditions", so you shouldn't compare it with other rugged phones as such. Even the Oppo A3X and my LG Wing (most LG flagships) had this standard compliance, but it surely doesn't guarantee its ruggedness. However, there are some MIL-STD 810H compliant phones which certify other forms of ruggedness such as Drop-to-concrete resistance from up to 1.5m or 10m and so on, which gives a much clearer indication of durability and ruggedness.

Now the CMF Phone 1 by Nothing is in no way a compact phone and it is evident from its size, 164 x 77 x 8.2 mm (6.46 x 3.03 x 0.32 in), weighing 202g and with a 6.67-inch display. So not something you could recommend to someone who owns a Pixel 4a