UNIHERTZ JELLY STAR – The smallest and most powerful Android smartphone in the world
We are now used to seeing smartphones with ever smaller dimensions, justified by high definition displays and increasingly powerful hardware. Yet there are many users who crave compact smartphones, but without sacrificing performance. Well, the Unihertz company has launched a Kickstarter project since June 13, which features a smartphone that is decidedly contained in terms of size and weight, but which, due to the components used, winks at the high-end but with an unbeatable cost. So let's find out the Unihertz Jelly Star together in our full review.
Topics of this article:
unboxing
Although it is a "small" smartphone, the unboxing experience is complete, having everything you need to start using the device. The sales box appears elegant due to a silver color inside which we can find:
- Unihertz Jelly Star;
- Multilingual user manual (absent Italian);
- Warranty leaflet;
- SIM tray removal pin;
- Plastic film for display protection already pre-applied;
- Second plastic film for display protection (replacement);
- Black branded strap for wrist anchoring;
- 90° USB Type-C charging and data transfer cable;
- Mains charger with European connection with 5V – 1.5A – 7.5W output.
CONSTRUCTION AND MATERIALS
The first thing you appreciate about Jelly Star are the small dimensions, equal to 95.1 x 49.6 x 18.7 mm and a weight of only 116 grams, such as to be able to exchange the device for a TWS earphone case. Apart from this, the company has been able to capture the attention of users also for the use of a semi-transparent body on the rear, allowing the components to be viewed, available in blue or red.
Compact size but without giving up anything, indeed with Unihertz Jelly Star we have something you don't expect on ordinary smartphones, but let's start step by step. On the back we find the main camera accompanied by a Dual Tone LED flash and then the classic fingerprint sensor, which was not very fast but reliable. What is surprising is the presence of two LEDs reminiscent of those seen on the Nothing Phone, which in addition to giving the terminal a tamarro look, allow it to be used for app and call notifications, alarm clocks, reminders of appointments or to turn them on to the rhythm of music or simply to use them as a torch. A special widget is available in the telephone home, which summarizes what you will find available in the telephone settings, with which to enable the functions just mentioned with a simple touch.
As I said, nothing is missing and in fact on the upper profile we find the secondary microphone for noise reduction in calls, IR transmitter and 3,5 mm jack to use wired earphones, while on the lower frame we have the main microphone and the mono speaker , which offers a good listening volume as well as a good equalization between medium/high and low tones. A good audio not excellent but that can be improved precisely with the use of wired headphones, essential for listening to the FM Radio that Unihertz Jelly Star integrates among its features.
On the left side we have the volume rocker alone while the right side is particularly populated, finding the on / off button and an additional button (which stands out for its red color) which is programmable, as through the action of a single / double / triple pressure or long press, you can call up a specific app or action, such as activating the flashlight, taking a screenshot, opening the email, etc. Then we have the SIM slot, which can accommodate 2 in nano format with 4G connectivity (the 20 band is present) on both slots, or by renouncing the Dual SIM Dual Standby function, we can use a slot for inserting a micro SD card (support up to 256 GB) to expand the memory integrated. Finally we find the USB Type-C port for recharging the device, with support up to 10W, which also supports the OTG function.
DISPLAY
The front gives even more emphasis to the compactness of the Unihertz jelly Star, as a 3-inch IPS LCD display with 480 x 854 pixel resolution with 60 Hz refresh rate is used. There is no shortage of sensors dedicated to automatic and proximity lighting , moreover of a physical type with excellent functioning, but we also have a small RGB LED for app notifications and charge status, if we do not want to take advantage of the powerful LEDs on the rear and the selfie camera. The ear capsule offers clear and crystalline audio despite its small size while both gestures and soft touch buttons are present to recall the classic Android actions.
Returning to the display, the 3 inches may seem small, but for viewing multimedia content when we want to get away from the rest of the world they are sufficient also because the panel calibration is very good, being able to fully enjoy videos and photos in general. Widevine L1 certification is missing, but it could not be otherwise considering the resolution of the panel, just as HDR support is missing. However, I can say that my eyesight has never tired even in direct sunlight, as the panel used was quite bright. There is no IPXX certification and although it cannot be defined as a rugged phone, I can say Jelly Star was resistant to falls on the ground, as it happened to me and the phone has not suffered any damage and / or scratches.
HARDWARE AND PERFORMANCE
But all this takes a back seat if we begin to analyze the hardware this little beast boasts of, boasting the MediaTek Helio G99 CPU under the hood, a 6nm octacore solution clocked at 2.2 GHz, which is flanked by the Mali GPU -G57 MC2, 8 GB of LPDDR4X RAM memory and 256 GB of expandable UFS 2.2 internal storage. And the performances are the best thing about this smartphone, which has always proved to be snappy in every situation. Unihertz Jelly Star can easily compete with medium/high ranges and you won't regret the purchase. Daily use is guaranteed but even under stress I have never encountered particular overheating and the gaming experience was beyond expectations and fully satisfactory.
To all this we add a complete connectivity characterized by the presence of a dual band WiFi 802.11a / b / g / n / ac (2.4 / 5 GHz), with WiFi Direct/WifI Display/WiFi Hotspot functions, Bluetooth 5.3, GPS / GLONASS / Beidou / Galileo, NFC chip for mobile payments and FM radio. In terms of connectivity we have support for Dual 4G and which overall has proved to be problem-free, reaching peak speeds of over 100 Mbps. I have never suffered signal loss or headaches indoors or in rural areas, on the contrary I was pleasantly surprised by the general quality of the call signal and the always fluid navigation.
AUTONOMY
Unihertz Jelly Star has a 2000 mAh battery which, judging the performance, seems to have a larger capacity. I'm just saying that on a standard day I arrived in the evening with 25% remaining charge and 5 hours and 27 minutes of active screen. It all depends on the actual use you make of a smartphone, but with it you could even go as far as not having to recharge for two whole days. Unfortunately the charging power stops at 10W.
SOFTWARE
The good performance of the phone is due not only to the good hardware used but also to the software, which on Jelly Star is an almost stock version of Android 13 with the April 2023 security patch. As I mentioned, the smartphone is not yet officially on the market and to win it you will have to promote the Kickstarter project, but the OS version is already a good starting point and considering the many users who are supporting the project, I'm sure that Unihertz in the future will not disappoint in terms of system updates and security releases . In any case we find some software gems, such as a comfortable toolbox typical of rugged smartphones, including pendulum, SOS signal, speed recorder, sound level meter, level, etc.. but above all we can count on a dialer that allows you to record calls without using the feature of Google and therefore without the annoying voice that warns the user of the registration in progress.
PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPARTMENT
And as planned I left the camera for last. Unihertz Jelly Star can count on a single 48 MP, f/1.75 rear lens while for the selfie camera we rely on an 8 MP, f/2.0 sensor. I don't dwell much on the system software, because this is too basic, in fact we have neither HDR function nor the possibility of night shooting or portrait mode, but on this smartphone you can benefit from the potential of the modded GCam, which will give you what is absent i just listed. So portrait photos, HDR, night mode and even videos are slightly stabilized.
The quality of photos and videos is also significantly improved, resulting even better than many recently tested smartphones. Of course we're not talking about camera phones, but I was pleasantly surprised even in this area from which I really didn't expect anything.
PROJECTED IMPACT
The price at which this super compact smartphone is offered is undoubtedly interesting and then you will be part of a revolutionary project, as the purchase is currently only possible through a crowdfunding campaign available on the Kickstarter platform. The price is 139 dollars, very few considering a respectable hardware and a fluidity and speed that make this smartphone one of the best in the price range in which it fits, but above all that will allow you to boast the title of owner of the most small and mighty in the world. In short, I cannot define it as a best buy, but neither can I discount it, certainly a must-have if you love the particularities of the case. On the other hand, the Nothing Phone has built its initial small fortune on this aspect and certainly not on the real concreteness of the device.
