Unihertz Jelly series

Transparent blue Jelly Star with quarter for scale

The Unihertz Jelly is a series of compact Android smartphones developed by Unihertz. The line is characterized by its unique tiny-sized smartphones. It debuted in 2017 with the original Unihertz Jelly and Jelly Pro, which were marketed as "the smallest 4G smartphones" available at the time. Since then, Unihertz has released several successors and variants, the Jelly 2, Jelly Star, and Jelly Max. The Jelly Max has been marketed as the "world's smallest 5g phone." ^{[1] [2]}

As well as its unusual form compared to typical smartphones, the Jelly series has also attracted attention as a means of reducing problematic smartphone use. Reviews mention that the small display makes it less comfortable to use for games or extended scrolling, while still having full functionality as a smartphone. ^[3]

The Jelly phones also have an additional programmable button in addition to the standard power and volume switches. ^{[4] [5]}

History

The original Unihertz Jelly was initially developed through a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2017, which reached its US$30,000 funding goal within 57 minutes and ultimately raised over US$1.25 million. ^[6]

Following the campaign's success, Unihertz continued developing new Jelly-branded devices, releasing updated models with newer processors, larger displays, and later-generation cellular support. ^{[7] [8]}

Unihertz was associated with a previous very small 3G smartphone, the Posh Micro X, which launched in 2015. ^[9]

Models

Jelly and Jelly Pro (2017)

The original Unihertz Jelly and the enhanced Jelly Pro were released in 2017. Both devices featured a 2.45-inch display, ran Android 7.0, and supported 4G LTE networks in a device weighing approximately 60 grams. The Jelly Pro offered increased RAM and storage compared to the base model.

Reviews of Jelly and Jelly Pro were mixed, ^{[10] [11] [12]} but it drew international attention. ^[13] There have been accusations of poor battery performance, and network traffic possibly sending personal data to China. Responses claim the network traffic is to speed up apps, and the company has been updating the phone software to improve performance. However, others have disputed this claim. It has received mixed reviews, with some critics calling it "innovative", praising it for its capabilities at such a small size. ^{[14] [15] [16]}

Jelly 2 (2020)

In 2020, Unihertz released the Jelly 2, which introduced a slightly larger display and updated internal hardware. ^{[17] [18]}

Jelly Star

The Jelly Star was introduced in 2023 as an updated version, and was recognized as one of Time magazine’s Best Inventions of 2025. ^[19]

Jelly Max

The Jelly Max is the first model to incorporate 5G connectivity, as well as being larger, with a five-inch screen, compared to the previous 3-inch screens. It was positioned as the "world’s smallest 5G smartphone" at the time of its announcement. ^{[20] [21]}

Specifications

Software

	Jelly/Jelly Pro [15]	Jelly 2e [22]	Jelly Star [23]	Jelly Max [24]
Operating System	Android 7.0 "Nougat"	Android 12	Android 13	Android 15
Processor	Mediatek MT6737T Quad-core, 1.1 GHz	Helio A20 Quad-core, 1.8 GHz	Helio G99 Octa-core, 2.0–2.2 GHz	Dimensity 7300 Octa-core, 2.0–2.6 GHz
Storage	32 GB microSD	64 GB eMMC + microSD	256 GB UFS 2.2 + microSD	256 GB UFS 3.1 + microSD
RAM	1/2 GB	4 GB	8 GB	12 GB
Sensors	G-Sensor, Glonass GPS, Proximity, E-compass, Gyro	Fingerprint, G-Sensor, Gyroscope, Proximity, Ambient Light, Compass	Fingerprint, G-Sensor, Compass, Gyroscope, Proximity, Ambient Light	Fingerprint, G-Sensor, Compass, Gyroscope, Proximity, Ambient Light
Connectivity	4G LTE, Bluetooth 4.2 low energy WLAN 802.11 b/g/n (2.4 GHz), dual removable Nano-SIM	2G / 3G / 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.2, WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), Dual Nano-SIM	2G / 3G / 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5.3, WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (2.4/5 GHz), Dual Nano-SIM	2G / 3G / 4G LTE / 5G NR, Bluetooth 5.4, WLAN 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4/5 GHz), Dual Nano-SIM

Hardware

	Jelly/Jelly Pro [15]	Jelly 2e [25]	Jelly Star [26]	Jelly Max [27]
Display	2.45" 432×240, TFT LCD	3.0" 480×854, LCD	3.0" 480×854, LCD	5.05" 720×1520, LCD÷
Rear camera	8 MP	16 MP AF	48 MP AF	100 MP main + 8 MP telephoto
Front camera	2 MP	8 MP FF	8 MP FF	32 MP
Battery	950 mAh removable battery	2000 mAh non-removable	2000 mAh non-removable	4000 mAh non-removable
SIM	Removable Dual Nano-SIM	Dual Nano-SIM (hybrid)	Dual Nano-SIM (hybrid)	Dual Nano-SIM (hybrid)
Size	92.4 × 43 × 13 mm	95 × 49.4 × 16.5 mm	95.1 × 49.6 × 18.7 mm	128.7 × 62.7 × 16.3 mm
Weight	60 grams	110 g	116 g	180 g
Colors	White, blue or black	Silver	Red, Blue, Black	Black

References

1. "Unihertz products at Amazon". Amazon.
2. "Unihertz products at NewEgg". NewEgg.
3. "Smartphone alternatives designed to reduce screen time". Fast Company.
4. "Unihertz Jelly Star". Time.
5. "Unihertz Jelly Star Review". PCMag.
6. "Jelly is a 2.45" Smartphone that Runs Android Nougat". XDA Developers. 2 May 2017.
7. "Unihertz Surpasses Funding Goal on Kickstarter with the Latest 5G Small Smartphone, Jelly Max".
8. "Unihertz products at NewEgg". NewEgg.
9. "UNIHERTZ PHONES". ndtv.com.
10. "The Jelly Pro, Hands On with the Worlds Smallest 4G Android Smartphone". techrepublic.com. 27 March 2023.
11. "Unihertz Jelly Pro". pcmag.com. 7 December 2017.
12. "Unihertz Jelly Phone Kickstarter Worlds Smallest 4G smartphone". businessinsider.com.
13. "Why did a small screen / low resolution smartphone new model that goes against the era appeared?". trendy.nikeibp.co.jp. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
14. "Frequent network accesses by DuraSpeed". unihertz.com.
15. "Unihertz Jelly Versus Unihertz Jelly Pro". www.sotophone.com. Retrieved 2019-01-23.
16. Apuzzo, Matt; Schmidt, Michael S. (15 November 2016). "Secret Back Door in Some U.S. Phones Sent Data to China, Analysts Say". The New York Times.
17. "If you really want a smaller phone, try the tiny Jelly 2". 21 July 2020.
18. "Unihertz Jelly 2 Review". PCMag.
19. "Unihertz Jelly Star". Time.
20. "Here comes the world's smallest 5G smartphone". TechRadar.
21. "Unihertz Jelly Max review". Android Police.
22. https://www.unihertz.com/products/jelly-2e
23. https://www.unihertz.com/products/jelly-star
24. https://www.unihertz.com/products/jelly-max
25. https://www.unihertz.com/products/jelly-2e
26. https://www.unihertz.com/products/jelly-star
27. https://www.unihertz.com/products/jelly-max