That's literally my first requirement for a phone, that it be small and actually fit inside my hand without any straining. It gets harder everytime I need a replacement - like, dudes, if I wanted aa small tablet, I'd buy a small tablet. I want a phone.
Yeah, same here. Except it didn't get "harder" but simply impossible. There is not a single compact android phone on the market. You could get the iPhone se or the iPhone 13 Mini, but the compact iPhones are discontinued as well, so you'd switch ecosystems for a single generation of devices just to then be stranded again.
That is surprisingly passable. I have been disillusioned with Apple for so long that I somehow missed a phone I would actually upgrade into intentionally.
I have been kicking myself every since I went to a 7 after I got caught in the rain with my original SE.
Personally I don't have tiny baby hands, so I dont need to worry about that... but it would definitely be nice if there were more options to choose from.
While you're correct, my own anecdotal evidence says that it's still uncomfortable as fuck, and I'd rather have a smaller phone. I miss my Nexus One from way back in the day.
Small/thin phones are out there. Check out the Sony Xperia 5, I'm using the 5 IV and it's a brilliant wee phone and fits in your hand really nicely. Also has a headphone jack and notification LED.
The way I hold my phone I never have to use my pinky while typing and passively holding my phone I use my thumb along the bottom, forefinger up one side and balance the back with my middle finger.
Understandably lots of different shapes and sizes of hands means not everyone can do that but you should be able to find a grip that works for you.
That or buy one of the Sony phones. They are feature rich and offer small models.