On a fairly regular basis, we get someone who asks, “Wouldn’t it be great if we got a small phone again?” shortly after someone else has recently announced a new device line-up. It could be when Google unveils a new Pixel or two or Samsung a new foldable series. We likely get this conversation so often because most phones are huge, heavy, and a pain to use with a single hand. While it is clear that people love their massive devices, we love to entertain the idea (and conversation) around a throwback to the times when we had one-handed phones.
As an example, here’s a reddit thread from today with almost 700 upvotes and almost as many comments that asks, “Am I the only one who wants a small Pixel?” That’s such a silly question, knowing that no, buddy, you can’t believe you are really the only one, but also, NO, you are not the only one.
Most of the early conversation surrounding this topic involved the Pixel 5 and how many people (at least on reddit) loved it. We were a part of that crowd, as was my brother and several other family members. Some even brought up the original Pixel 4a for its size. The Nexus 4 got a shout out too.
Seeing so many old Pixel and Nexus phones got me wondering what sizing has been like for the past several years and why aren’t all of these folks jumping on the newly released Pixel 7a, a phone that has essentially made the Pixel 7 a phone to avoid and is (in my opinion) on the smaller side.
So here are dimensions for the smallest of the Pixel phones going back through the original in order by size:
- Pixel: 143.8 x 69.5 x 7.3 (mm)
- Pixel 4a: 144 x 69.4 x 8.2 (mm)
- Pixel 5: 144.7 x 70.4 x 8.0 (mm)
- Pixel 3: 145.6 x 68.2 x 7.9 (mm)
- Pixel 2: 145.7 x 69.7 x 7.8 (mm)
- Pixel 4: 147.1 x 68.8 x 8.2 (mm)
- Pixel 3a: 151.3 x 70.1 x 8.2 (mm)
- Pixel 7a: 152 x 72.9 x 9.0 (mm)
- Pixel 6a: 152.2 x 71.8 x 8.9 (mm)
- Pixel 4a 5G: 153.9 x 74 x 8.2 (mm)
- Pixel 7: 155.6 x 73.2 x 8.7 (mm)
- Pixel 6: 158.6 x 74.8 x 8.9 (mm)
Looking at that list, people are indeed correct in pointing out that the Pixel 5 and Pixel 4a are small, as they take up 2 of the top 3 spots. When comparing to the Pixel 7a and Pixel 6a, you’d have to want to take on another 8mm in height, which is more in the hand than it reads on paper.
I guess there really hasn’t been another “small” Pixel in the last few years. But do you really want one of those again? What does it need to be in order to win you over?
Does it need to be a phone without cuts and is as good as the Pro line of Pixel phones? If you loved the Pixel 5, my guess is you don’t need Pro. Does it just need to be like the 7a only even smaller? Is the Pixel 5 the base for what you consider small, as well as the rest of its features? Why aren’t you emailing Google every day to request this?