Compact flagships phones stage a comeback
India, July 25 -- New Delhi: India's smartphone market is witnessing a compelling reversal as manufacturers embrace compact flagship devices, marking a departure from the supersized screens that dominated recent years.
Premium phones with 6.3-inch displays or smaller are now available from major brands including Xiaomi, OnePlus, Vivo, Apple and Samsung-a significant shift from the 6.7-inch norm that characterised flagship devices in recent years.
The Vivo X200 FE, launched this week, competes directly with the Xiaomi 15, OnePlus 13s, Samsung Galaxy S25 and iPhone 16e. Current market prices peg these between Rs.50,000 and Rs.80,000.
"Compact flagships are gaining priority in India as users often face challenges with large-screen smartphones, such as difficulty operating them with one hand and maintaining a secure grip, raising chances of accidental drops. This has made one-handed usability a key consideration for many consumers," said Tarun Pathak, research director at Counterpoint Research.
The firm's latest study reveals that 74% of young professionals based in India have a preference for compact smartphones.
This transformation represents the market coming full circle rather than a sudden disruption.
"This is not a sudden shift. Flagship portfolios have traditionally featured two size formats. Ten years ago, it was 5 inches and 5.5 inches. Today, it is closer to 6.3 inches and 6.7 inches," explained Anuj Sharma, chief marketing officer at Xiaomi India.
The evolution clearly reflects the needs of two distinct consumer groups-those focused on content creation and consumption, and those who prioritise mobility with one-handed usage.
However, industry analysts remain cautious about long-term adoption. "We are not expecting compact phones to be more than 5% of total sales this year," said Faisal Kawoosa, chief analyst and co-founder of Techarc. Content consumption trends and user age are primary reasons for this conservative projection.
There's an element of variety in smartphone portfolios, with focus presently on the premium bands. "While large-screen smartphones continue to dominate the market, phone makers are strategically positioning compact devices as differentiated offerings," noted Prabhu Ram, vice president of industry research group at CyberMedia Research.
Manufacturers have grappled with significant technical hurdles in delivering flagship performance within compact dimensions.
"Delivering true flagship performance in a compact size is not a small challenge. With limited internal space in compact devices, this often leads to trade-offs in performance, cooling and battery endurance. Still, we rose to the challenge," acknowledged Robin Liu, chief executive officer of OnePlus India.
Despite these constraints, current compact flagships retain specifications expected in top-tier phones, including the latest chips from Qualcomm and MediaTek, denser batteries with reconfigured composition for higher capacity, and top-tier cameras optimised by leading manufacturers-Xiaomi has Leica's expertise on its side, whilst Vivo relies on Zeiss for tuning.
"Foldable phones and compact form factors represent engineering milestones that resonate with distinct consumer profiles," added CMR's Ram....
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