Samsung finally explains why it stopped making small phones — and has a suggestion for fans of compact handsets

• A Samsung exec just took part in a Reddit AMA, where they explained why the company stopped making small phones
• Their "honest answer" is that most people use phones in ways that benefit from bigger screens
• But for fans of small phones, they suggested the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip series

There was a time when you could find quite a lot of compact phones, from brands like Apple, Sony, Asus, and — yes — Samsung, but these days they’ve become a rarity. Now, though, Samsung has explained why it has largely stopped making them.

In a Reddit AMA, Annika Bizon, VP of Product and Marketing for Mobile Experience at Samsung Electronics UK and Ireland, was asked why the company no longer makes small phones, and they claimed that the “honest answer” is that it’s driven by what the majority of people want to do on their devices.

They explained that "these days people use them for work, for streaming, for gaming, for content creation… all these benefit from bigger screens.” However, Bizon did also have a suggestion, adding that “if compact is your priority, the Galaxy Z Flip range is worth a look. It's genuinely pocket-friendly when folded, with a full-size display when you need it.”

And that’s a fair point — clamshell foldables like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Galaxy Z Flip 7 FE are actually very small until you unfold them. They’re quite thick, but the overall dimensions should easily fit in a small pocket or tiny bag.

A partial solution

So, if easy storage is your main reason for wanting a small phone, flip-style foldables should suit, and you can use their cover screens for some things too, meaning you don’t necessarily always have to unfold them to use them.

That said, for full functionality, you will need to unfold them, and then you’re left with a more conventionally sized smartphone. So if your desire for a small phone stems specifically from it having a small screen or being something you can easily use one-handed, then the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip line is less suitable.

So, the Galaxy Z Flip 7 and Z Flip 7 FE aren't a perfect solution, but for the most part, clamshell foldables are the next best thing to a truly compact phone, and it looks like they'll remain the only small option from Samsung and other brands for the foreseeable future.

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