Will there ever be a smaller Android with flagship features again?

I am still using my almost 4 year old Nexus 5. I have a pretty decent case of carpal (umbral whatever) tunnel in my right wrist, which means I am a complete pussy and heavier phones really irritate my wrist.

There seems to be a lot of cool stuff coming out like the almost edge-less displays and Snapdragon 835, but I dont see a 4.8-5.2", 4 oz smart phone on anyone's roadmap.

Is this a complete pipe dream? It looks like devices running Android 6.0 are still only roughly 30% of total, so maybe the Nexus will continue to run apps and get security updates for several more years.

I've got a Nexus 5X that I still love. Everything I've heard and seen from Google's roadmaps for Pixel is "bigger, faster, more expensive". They don't want to be in the mid-range business anymore. Most other companies are going the same route.

That being said, if you can't find a Nexus 5X, One Plus has the 3T out which has some great reviews as a mid-range smaller phone. That'll be my replacement when my 5X dies.

If anybody puts out such a device I would expect it to come from Sony in the form of an Xperia Compact or something of that nature, but other companies have held off on the "big phone" 5.5" or larger side of things for a while but that's slowly coming to a close as more and more large devices become "the standard" if there is such a thing in the smartphone industry. There's always the iPhone SE which will probably get an update this year of some kind and keep the form factor and size because it's proven to be a huge seller for Apple as well, but on the Android side of things I'd bet on Sony first to do a smaller device if they choose to stay in the smartphone business.

Even though it's almost 3 solid years old now the Sony Xperia Z3 Compact is a great piece of hardware overall and has a decent community of mod support behind it as well.

There's always the Nokia 3310, of course, not a smartphone but a damned good cellphone.

I had the first Moto x and loved it's size. When it came time to buy a new phone in 2015, there were no mid to high end phones smaller than the Galaxy s6.

I gave in and bought the new 5.7" Moto x. I loved everything about it, except the size. Stereo front facing speakers and unobtrusive software. I ended up selling it after a month and bought the Nexus 5x because I couldn't stand the size of the phone.

The 5x is still a compromise because I still think the it is still too big.

If there are no new high end small phones coming out this year, I'll probably end up with a pixel 2.

The Galaxy S7 is the only good small phone I found recently. Were you aware that it is similar in size to the Nexus 5?
I am considering upgrading to it, but I'm hesitant because it's samsung and I don't want the bloatware. So, I'm still using my Nexus 5.

Size comparison for Nexus 5, 5x and S7:
http://www.phonearena.com/phones/si...laxy-S7,Google-Nexus-5X/phones/8148,9817,9593

if you're used to the size of the 5X, then the G5 Plus could be an option, though it doesn't have the fastest bleed-edge cpu. I do not want a phone as big as that, so it's either hang on to the old Nexus 5 or get an S7.

The Huawei Nova is the only other decent phone I could find with a newer mid-high end processor and 5.0" screen.

Sony and maybe the new black berry devices.

I have Verizon service, so that rules out Sony. Black berry would be a "wait for reviews" situation.

QuiteSufficient's Nexus 5 was probably the pinnacle of this size (not including iPhones). Sadly, I don't see handset makers going back to this size anytime soon.

I also prefer a smaller phone.. And I dont see it being done again in a high end device anytime soon. However the new 18:9 & 18.5:9 displays from the g6 & the s8 really do shrink the phone even though the screen's are bigger. I loved my Nexus 5, but I couldnt take its poor performance (battery & camera were my biggest gripes). Almost 2 years ago I ditched it & broke down & got a big phone (the g4).. ever since I have been looking for that unicorn of a device to give me all the power in a smaller phone & I finally feel that I have a phone that meets that in my new LG G6. The only other device that was close was the iphone 7, but its screen was tiny and I dont like the ios restrictions, still though I used it since release up until a little over a week ago when I got my g6.

http://www.phonearena.com/phones/size#/phones/size/LG-G6,Google-Nexus-5/phones/10379,8148

Seriously though.. Look at the size when you compare direct.. Its definitely a noticeable amount taller, and just a little wider, but its got all the bells & whistles I want/need & its not huge like we have been seeing for a while now.

The regular s8 is actually slightly narrower than the Nexus 5, but weighs 20% more

I have a regular 5" pixel and it is a little smaller than the 5X. I'd recommend that if you can't wait for pixel 2.