I’ve complained more than once about the death of the small smartphone. My tiny hands, my busy schedule, my constant real-life multitasking, and my skinny jeans are all just not enough room for the phablets that dominate the Android market today. And while smaller phones are great devices, they’re not really what I’d call a small phone.
So I decided to put my money where my mouth is and see what the world’s smallest full-featured Android phone (by a long shot) could do. Having lived with the Unihertz Jelly Star for a few weeks, it’s better and easier to use than many people expected, though it’s still a niche device that you either love or don’t want to do anything with at all.
Unihertz Jelly Star
Most people have never seen, let alone used, a phone like the 3-inch Unihertz Jelly Star. Despite being no bigger than a candy bar, it can do almost everything any other Android phone can, though the screen size and low-midrange hardware may be a dealbreaker for many.
- Lightweight, compact and transparent design with rear-mounted LED lights
- Versatile physical shortcut button
- Headphone jack and dual hybrid SIM/microSD card support
- Ideal for reducing daily screen time.
- The slippery, small design takes some time to adjust to.
- There is almost no software (or plugin) support.
- Camera performance is poor in low light.
Price, availability and specifications
The smallest and weirdest Android 13 phone was originally backed by crowdfunding, and comes in a single storage unit for around $200. It’s typically priced at $230 from the manufacturer, $220 from Amazon, and $250 from AliExpress, but sees small discounts relatively frequently. All models support the same wide range of popular global frequency bands, and Unihertz appears to be shipping from warehouses in the US, EU, and China.
In the US, this program works right away on T-Mobile’s network, though it lacks the extended n71 range that many rural customers rely on. It does support Verizon’s network, but Verizon doesn’t officially support it, so you’ll need to activate your SIM card on a Verizon-certified device. It doesn’t work with AT&T at all, and as you might expect, no carrier sells it.
What I love about Unihertz Jelly Star
The list is longer than I expected.
The best part and biggest reason to buy it is the ultra-compact design. Despite researching the specs before it arrived, I wasn’t prepared for how small it would be. At the same time, it looks less And It looks more like a phone than any other phone, probably because my last phone before switching to a smartphone was a similar sized phone.
I’ve talked about my smartphone usage before; I rarely watch videos and never play games on my phone. Since these are the biggest weaknesses of the form factor, all the Jelly Star has to do is not mess up the basic functionality of the smartphone, and I’m basically convinced of that.
The 3-inch screen certainly wasn’t what I had envisioned when I was begging the industry over and over for a smaller smartphone. The experience—especially typing—was a bit awkward when I turned the device on, but increasing font sizes, changing the keyboard size, and adjusting the backlight all made things smoother.
Although there is a learning curve to using something so small, I found it surprisingly easy to use after about a week. Its thick body makes it comfortable to hold and use with one hand – if it was about 1cm thick like everything else, it would be almost impossible to use.
Speaking of ergonomics, there’s a bright red button below the power button, which is technically for push-to-talk functionality, but is actually a programmable shortcut key that lets you customize the action of one short press, two short presses, or one long press.
There’s a simple list of preset functions, like opening an app, taking a screenshot, or recording a call. But in Code Key mode alongside an app like Key Mapper, you can program it to do just about anything, including mapping up to three alternate layers of complex OS controls that can be accessed by short, long, or double-pressing the hotkey. That’s a total of 15 possible two-step shortcuts available using the volume and home keys along with the red button.
Every phone needs this. Its small size and instant versatility make it easy to capture spontaneous moments, archive a conversation, and access your favorite audio. In fact, I take photos more often than I do on other phones because of how easy it is.
In fact, the uninspiring Mediatek MT6789 never lags or takes too long to load anything, though the form factor essentially prohibits more resource-intensive use cases. The 256GB storage and 8GB of RAM give you plenty of room for whatever its tiny screen is really up to. Even the battery lasts a decently long time, easily lasting all day and routinely charging from 45% to nearly 70% in under 20 minutes when plugged in.
It’s also impressively comprehensive for something roughly the size of a Snickers bar, with a nano-SIM/microSD expansion slot, a headphone jack, NFC, Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 5, an IR sensor, and an FM radio, giving you more versatility than most devices released in the last couple of years. Face unlock and fingerprint unlock work great too, and in good lighting conditions, photos look good too, especially if you install GCam as a replacement for the stock camera app.
Aside from the practicality, this thing is salary. People keep asking what I’m seeing and typing on it. The clear case that comes with it shows a bit of the semi-transparent body and exposed internals, but if you’re brave enough to wear it without a case, it’ll feel like you’re using a Nothing Phone. Really, there’s a lot to like about this little device.
Related
Unihertz Jelly 2 Review: Size Matters
I was explicitly told that I can’t make any jokes about putting that phone up your ass.
If the Jelly Star had any other real competitor, I might not rate this product as highly. But the only comparable offerings are the previous versions, the Unihertz Jelly 2 and 2E, which are already outdated.
What I don’t like about the Jelly Star
There are no major obstacles to completing the deal, but there are some clear compromises.
The clear case may turn slightly yellow over time.
First, it’s extremely slippery. I rarely use phone cases, but the low-friction construction forced me to stick with the included case, which is just as slippery as the phone. With almost no additional accessories, there’s no real solution unless you design a 3D-printed version.
I would also welcome a bit more screen real estate, as the keyboard extends to a decent size and covers most of the display. It’s also a bit dull and blueish (although using the always-on night mode helps), which is a double whammy against any kind of long-form visual media consumption. And to be honest, the dull UI of Android doesn’t help with usability or looks, leading some of Jelly Star’s biggest fans to use third-party launchers (or even Lineage OS).
Unfortunately, Android 14 is pretty much dead in terms of software. Maintaining constant security updates (especially new versions of Android) costs money, and Unihertz is essentially a crowdfunding smartphone maker that releases most of its devices. Security updates are few and far between, and Android 14 is a dream that Jelly Star will likely never come true. While I’ve never had my devices hacked due to slow or non-existent security updates, it only takes one.
The second two photos show a good but slightly bloated selfie camera; the last two photos show subpar night photography.
The camera hardware is acceptable (previous ones were pretty much useless), but its core software struggles badly in anything but good lighting. I tested about a dozen Gcam (a Pixel Camera clone) apps, and managed to find one from developer BSG (version 8.5. 300 if you’re keeping track) that helps a little with low-light detail, and a little with smaller issues like white balance and a crappy core software interface.
Unfortunately, the low-light limitations of the average sensor and its noisy, yellowish night photos can’t be overcome.
Its network connectivity isn’t great either. My average connection speed from my office is about 40Mbps, which is much slower than the iPhone SE, its only other device of its size. That also means its hotspot — which is a battery hog — isn’t ideal for, say, working remotely outdoors.
.JPG?q=49&fit=crop&w=440&h=280&dpr=2)
Related
iPhone SE (2022) Review: An Easy Way Out to Android
But there are better mid-range Android phones than the new iPhone SE for the same (or less) price.
Finally, there are minor software issues. The ambient light and fingerprint sensors didn’t work for two days, until a complete power-off solved the problem. A special battery protection app also caused Musicolet, my favorite music player on Android, to repeatedly shut down during long walks to save battery until I tracked down a little hidden option to prevent that from happening. So, in the end, all the software bugs were sorted out in a short period.
Should you buy Unihertz Jelly Star?
Some people will never bother trying to make the jump to a 3-inch screen. Others will be happy to know that the Jelly Star is a surprisingly effective solution to practical phone usage. If you don’t already use a lot of visual media on your phone, or want to drastically cut down on screen time, unstructured browsing, and social media addiction, it’s a pretty great deal. It’s also great for any type of exercise other than swimming.
Many of its users love it, and a fair number of Android fans choose it as a secondary device due to its price. Overall, this device does a good job of everything I need from a smartphone on a daily basis. If you’re looking for something new, powerful, and cheap, this is an excellent little device.
Unihertz Jelly Star
There are no other phones like the Unihertz Jelly Star today. While it’s not very useful for media consumption, it’s a fully-fledged Android 13 device at a low price and a very comfortable form factor with no major drawbacks, as long as you’re willing to deal with the small screen.
Related
Best Dual SIM Phones in 2024
Best phones that support two physical SIM cards
