aruneshdutta wrote:can the same be stripped down to only memory and needed IO pin?
It depends on what your needs are. An ESP-01 has the minimum as far as IO pins but I normally need more.
I kind of like the ESP-M3 but I wish they put GPIO-0 in place of EN on the through hole connector position. This module is a little smaller than the ESP-12 but not much.
There are smaller modules but they do not have a built in antenna and I don't see that as being practical for most people's uses.
ESP-01F is available with a wire antenna. That worries me because it likely will not be tuned right. I don't know how well it will work, maybe I will order one to try.
The ESP-05