Size does matter — I think the iPhone 17 has the perfect dimensions

6.3 inches is perfect

20 Dec 2025, 11:30 · TechRadar

Opinion By Roland Moore-Colyer published 20 December 2025

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I’ve always liked a big flagship phone, having enjoyed ‘pro’ sized models like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra and iPhone 16 Pro Max. But recently I swapped from the latter to an iPhone 17, and within moments I was reminded of a strong opinion I’d sort of let wither.

The best phone size is around 6.3 inches.

By that I mean the display size, when the screen is pretty much bezel-free. This size, running along the diagonal, threads the sweet spot between offering enough screen space for web browsing, video watching, gaming, and general smartphone tasks to be very pleasant, while also allowing a phone that, at least in my case, can be used one-handed.

I’m reasonably good at multitasking, so I often find myself using a phone with one hand while I do other things, from eating and flicking the channels on my TV to lugging stuff around or vacuuming my apartment. With the iPhone 16 Pro Max and iPhone 15 Pro Max before it, such one-handed work required massive stretches with my fingers and often led to a mass of typos when texting or for the phones to slip out of my grasp and plunge to the ground; thankfully, titanium frames meant they could weather such gadget skydiving.

But aside from being easier to use, phones with 6.3-inch displays are simply neater than their bigger brethren. I’ve always turned my nose up at the iPhone Pro Max models, which looked a little off compared to their more compact non-Max counterparts.

And while I love the slab-like, pocket computer feel of the Galaxy S25 Ultra and its predecessor, it's not exactly a subtle phone to use or carry; it’s perfect for ruining the clean lines of a suit. Compared with the compact 6.2-inch display of the Samsung Galaxy S25, the phone slips into a pocket without any unsightly bulge.

Now, having gone down to the more compact iPhone 17 compared to the iPhone 16 Pro Max, I’m surprised at how long I put up with the large phone.

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