are there any new-ish phones that are small?

Yo, you can play with the sliders in gsmarena
https://m.gsmarena.com/search.php3?nYearMin=2024&fDisplayInchesMax=6.3&s4Gs=0&sFormFactors=1
I did some preconfiguring, but you can adjust the sliders. You can also pick the phone dimensions apart from the phone display:)
- wow thanks! this is the perfect site!

Pretty sure 4g was widely supported starting like 15 years ago, so newish doesn't seem the right word.

Not really, and the reason is very simple. Ordinary folks don't buy computers any more. A mobile device is all they need. So might as well get one with as big a screen as possible.
There are a handful of niche brands that make small models for weird people like us, including Cubot and Unihertz. I have one of the former, it's tiny and works fine.
Clarification. I have a Cubot King Kong Mini. 3.5in screen or thereabouts, standard 2 cameras (i.e. as many as you need), NFC, unskinned stock Android latest version. People assume its a dumbphone although really it's not. But I don't use it for much, intentionally.
- This probably also driving the demand for folding phones. Carry a phone, unfold it into a tablet.
  
  I first read that as "unfold on the toilet"

The asus zenphone 10 is a 5.9" Phone relased in july 2023.
Here's some info:
https://m.gsmarena.com/asus_zenfone_10-12380.php
- We arrived at a time where 5.9" is considered small...
  
  The number alone means nothing. Ratios and bezels can and do make a difference.
  
  We arrived at a time where 5.9" is considered small…
  I see you've met my girlfriend.
- Read this as 5'9"
- My main issue with that phone is the abysmal software support. Asus promised 2 years of OS support and 4 years of security updates. So its OS updates are going to stop soon and you get 2 years of security updates if you buy the phone today.
  
  I have a samsung s9 running android 10. Everything works, so it's probably not a critical issue. Still, I got android 14 running with noble rom and it worked perfectly, besides banking apps.

Isn't there always one Google Pixel model and one iPhone, that's a bit smaller than the average? I mean there has to be a list of small phones somewhere on the internet.
- The iPhone 13 mini was discontinued in 2023, I think.
  Now you can choose the smallest “big” phone, but it’s still big.
  
  I hate this.
  I just bought a new battery for my 12 mini, I’m not going to upgrade until small phones are back.
  But also this phone still works perfectly, it’s like the day I bought it after the new battery.
- 2022 iPhone SE Gen 3 will be the last 4.7 inch screen. Gen 4 is rumored to be a 6.1 inch.
  
  Oh wow, that's small. I've had a Pixel 4a for the last few years and that was already small at 5.8 inches, compared to what other people carry around... Idk what OP's use case is... My Pixel was great, but I'd advise against buying a phone that doesn't get the security vulnerabilities fixed any more... And the successors have become larger and heavier. Idk maybe one if the flip-phones?
- those are the 2 phones I will never wanna touch again, but thanks.
  
  Why

nice cam
headphone jack
removable storage
That's it.
- Removable battery too, while we're at it! Lol
- literally!

Asus zenphones are good size. I went with S23 since it was nearly exact same size as my S9 I used for 7 years. So no change.

My Samsung S10e is 5.8", has most modern features (minus dumb AI), and if you prefer you might be able to find a new one still.
- What OS are you running on that?
  
  Android 12.
- I loved my S10e, but upgraded recently to the S24 (the normal sized one) and it's been smooth sailing.
- I'm still rocking one of these bad boys. Love the small form factor.

this is my main reason why I don't want to switch to a new flagship from the Google pixel 4a. It's not supported by google anymore, but it still runs smoothly with GrapheneOS (custom ROM), and I swapped the battery for a new one from iFixit and it just works! Maybe you can consider a Google Pixel 8a, at least it's not as huge as other flagships
- In December I finally bought a phone to replace my 3a. I did it mostly for the battery life, although I did actually buy a replacement battery for the 3a and have all the necessary tools to install it. It wouldn't be my first time replacing a cellphone battery.
  I was window shopping and the Oneplus 12 became fairly discounted at the end of last year.
  Honestly, the overall experience really isn't that different than my old 3a. It's not like newer versions of Android are adding revolutionary features these days and if you're running a custom ROM, odds are you're on a newer version of Android anyway.
  Nice things:
  Two days worth of battery life with my usage patterns. Even with a fresh battery, my 3a wouldn't last this long
  Something like 4x more RAM means that apps are usually in the state I left them in when I come back to them, whereas on the 3a they had usually been forced to free up resources and not all apps deal with that well
  The telephoto lens is nice to have, but none of the built in cameras are a substitute for my dedicated camera for things that are moving and/or things are far away
  The screen mounted fingerprint sensor is very convenient, but that's a placement thing. Some people liked the 3a location, but I didn't personally
  Unless you are taxing your processor, an upgrade will be incremental. At least that was my experience.
  I somewhat regret the larger phone in that it's a bit harder to handle one handed, but most on screen keyboards have a one handed mode to deal with this. I had a pop/ring type holder on my 3a, so gripping one handed isn't that big of a deal.
- Also writing from a pixel 4a... Where you get that rom from bro? By the time I heard of the project, they didn't have roms for the 4a on their website.
  
  https://grapheneos.org/releases#sunfish
- i got a 3a, I hate it.

Not really there's the Unihertz ones that seem more novelty to be honest I think the one called Jelly Max is the newest one. Specs wise they don't seem awful or anything but I've never seen one in person to be honest.
Apart from them Sony maybe but you'll pay a lot.

Jelly star 2

How big we talking?
- like iPod size
  
  The only phone that has a screen that small is the Unihertz Jelly Star

Asus Zenfone 10
iPhone 13 mini (refurbished)
Samsung ZFlip6

Sony has their Xperia Compact series.
Sony Xperia XZ1 Compact - 129x65x9.3mm
Sony Xperia XZ2 Compact - 135x65x12.1mm
- I wasn't aware they still made those in 2025
  Edit: they don't, got fooled by the prices chart
  
  Ah, sorry. Turns out the one I got two years ago isn't a Compact either. (I had Compacts previously, and didn't want a big phone then either.)
  The 10 V I got is not as big as some of the other big phones, but it is a bit bigger and significantly longer than Compact was previously. 155x68x8.3mm
- Sony also at least used to make phones that are more tall and narrow. For some people complaining about having to hold a wide phone night find that's good enough.

I'm an Android person (P9PXL) but I'm in a mixed marriage with an Apple person. Lol. The iPhone SE 3rd generation only has a 4.7" screen and it's 5G.

FairPhone ?
- Fairphones are still relatively big, especially fairphone 5 ( I have 3+ and my partner 5)

Apparently oneplus is planning to launch a mini version of their latest phone.
- "Mini". With a 6.3 inch screen this is like calling Shaq small because he's shorter than Yao Ming.
  
  Well relatively small compared to their normal model which is unusable single handed. (Buyer remorse kicking in already)

I'm also holding out for a compact flagship (with a headphone jack and SD card slot) but things have been pretty bleak. Settled on the Sony Xperia 5 line. While it's not small, it's narrow enough to be used with one hand and checks all the other boxes.
Other models I've looked at were the Asus Zenfone 10, Jelly Max, and Galaxy.

There are, but you typically have to sacrifice on things like camera.
\ I was just complaining about it yesterday

CMF phone 1
Super affordable so far as smartphones go. Might be a little bare bones, check for exactly what you want. I ended up getting something else for some extra water resistance.