Who Needs 3-inch Smartphone In 2023? Unihertz Jelly 2E REVIEW

Some weeks ago, I tested a rugged smartphone with 4.5-inch screen, and I was very surprised to see such a compact mobile device in 2022.

Now, I have even smaller smartphone with 3-inch display.

You know, this phone looks like from 2014, but it has a fingerprint reader, Android 12 operating system, 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage, 16MP camera and other features.

By the way, the name of this smartphone is Unihertz Jelly 2E, and today we will do a full review of it. Let’s start with unboxing.

Unboxing

So, the box of the new smartphone has a very minimalist design. There is only a company logo on the top and a model name on the side.

We can also read some specifications of the mobile device on the back.

Inside the box, there is a smartphone, transparent protective case, screen protector, USB Type-C charging cable, lanyard, user manual and warranty card.

Like the latest iPhones, the power adapter is not included. However, it looks like there is a place for it in a box, but the manufacturer forgot to put it.

Design

The design is definitely the main feature of this phone, because it is probably the smallest smartphone in 2022. The dimensions are 95 x 49 x 16.5 mm. The weight is only 110 grams.

Unihertz Jelly 2E is almost three times smaller than iPhone 12.

You know, the body of the new smartphone is gray, and it looks like metal, but actually, it is made of plastic.

There is Unihertz logo on the rear panel, as well as main camera, flashlight and fingerprint reader. Most smartphones in 2022 have fingerprint scanners on the side face or even under the display, but here it is located on the back. Anyway, I am glad it is available, and it works very well.

Unihertz Jelly 2E has 3.5mm audio jack, IR blaster and microphone on the top.

There is a speaker grill and another microphone on the bottom.

If you are looking for charging port, USB Type-C is located on the right side, next to the hybrid slot for dual SIM and microSD memory card, customizable button and power button.

On the left side, there is only volume rocker.

So, this is one of the most unique smartphones in 2022, because of its small display. Now, let’s take a look at the front panel.

Display

You know, one of the reasons why this mobile device looks old is the bezels around the screen, especially above and below.

Unihertz Jelly 2E even has home, back and recent keys under the screen. The most other smartphones in 2022 use the on-screen buttons.

We can see a front camera, receiver, ambient light sensor and proximity sensor above the display.

As I already said, the screen has a diagonal of 3 inches, and resolution of 480 × 854 pixels. Don’t be afraid of the low resolution, because it is OK for the small screen.

I don’t see pixels or any problems with this display. The brightness and colors are good.

By the way, the aspect ratio is 16:9, so it is comfortable to watch videos on YouTube, unlike the previous compact smartphone I have tested before.

Did I just say comfortable? Perhaps that’s not quite the right word. The aspect ratio is good for watching videos, but a 3-inch display is too small for that. I think this smartphone is not designed for watching videos.

For comparison, I want to show you iPhone 12 and Unihertz Jelly 2E.

Speaker

By the way, the speaker of the new Unihertz smartphone is very good. It is single, but it has a good volume and quality.

Software

Now, let’s talk about software of the new smartphone.

As I already said, Unihertz Jelly 2E runs on Android 12 operating system. This is a stock Android, because there no pre-installed apps, instead of Google apps.

The screen fits a row of three applications, so it is not a problem to tap on them.

The quick settings menu looks so tiny. However, you can select the functions without any problems.

The settings menu is standard for the Android devices. There are network settings, connected devices, apps, intelligent assistance, notifications, battery, storage, sound, display, etc.

By the way, you can add a fingerprint and even face lock in a security menu.

Hardware

Talking about hardware of the new Unihertz smartphone, it is powered by Helio A20 chipset.

There is 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage available. You can use a microSD memory card instead of the second SIM card.

Benchmarks

Helio A20 is an entry-level processor from 2022, so we need to run benchmarks and play games.

You know, I have tried to launch AnTuTu, but I couldn’t do that. I don’t know if the smartphone has a very small display for this benchmark, or it has a weak performance. Nevertheless, I cannot show you AnTuTu result.

If we talk about GeekBench 5, then the new Unihertz smartphone has 138 points in single core test and 439 points in multi core test. This is a very low result for the 2022 smartphone.

The overall score in 3DMark and Sling Shot Extreme test is 238 points.

So, Unihertz Jelly 2E cannot run AnTuTu benchmark, and it has very low results in GeekBench 5 and 3DMark. What about games? Can we play something? Let’s try.

Games

You know, I don’t even want to download Genshin Impact, because I know that this smartphone cannot run it.

However, I have tried to play PUBG Mobile. The graphics settings and FPS are low.

As you can see, the game is glitchy.

I also tried to play Call of Duty Mobile. The game launches well, but because of the small screen, it is very uncomfortable to play.

I think this smartphone for more simple games, such as Subway Surf.

Unihertz Jelly 2E is definitely not a gaming smartphone, because it has a low performance, and because of a very small display, it is very uncomfortable to play games.

Camera

I have already told you that the new Unihertz smartphone has 16MP main camera.

There is also 8MP camera on the front panel.

Camera App

In a camera app, we have some shooting modes, such as timelapse, video, normal and Pro. The mobile device has a single main camera, so there is no ultra-wide angle, portrait or macro modes in the camera app.

However, in the photo settings, we can enable anti-shake function, turn on/off self-timer, choose a picture size, and other options.

I am surprised to see electronic image stabilization in the video settings. You can also select a scene mode, turn on/off microphone, and choose a video quality.

The maximum video quality is Full HD.

Sample Photos and Videos

Overall, the photos quality on Unihertz Jelly 2E are very decent.

I had a cloudy weather when I tested a camera of this smartphone, but you can see that the photos have very good details. In a sunny weather, they would be much brighter and rich of colors.

The smartphone really has a video stabilization, but it is better not to walk when you record a video. If you stand and move a camera, the video footage is quite smooth.

Unihertz Jelly 2E doesn’t have a night shooting mode, but the pictures and videos in low light conditions are also good for a budget phone.

Battery

The battery of the new Unihertz smartphone has a capacity of only 2000mAh. However, this is not surprising, given the compact size of the phone.

Let’s test a screen on time and charging time of Unihertz Jelly 2E.

So, the screen on time of this smartphone is 6 hours 39 minutes.

The full battery charge takes 2 hours 38 minutes.

Connectivity

Finally, I want to talk with you about connectivity of the new Unihertz smartphone. As I already said, it has a hybrid slot for dual SIM and microSD memory card.

Both SIM cards support 4G LTE networks.

The new mobile device also supports Bluetooth, dual-band Wi-Fi, and GPS.

However, there is no NFC support, so you cannot use the phone for contactless payments.

Pros and Cons

So, you have been reading this article for about 5 minutes, but I have been testing the smartphone for almost a week. Now, I can tell you the pros and cons of Unihertz Jelly 2E.

Pros

Compact Size

The main feature of this smartphone is a compact size. This is the smallest mobile device that I have seen in recent years. It is very comfortable to hold in one hand, and carry in a jeans pocket.

Design

Despite a plastic body, the smartphone has a high quality build. You know, this is a modern smartphone from 2022, so it has a fingerprint reader, 3.5mm audio jack and even customizable button.

Display

The screen resolution is quite low, but this is enough for a diagonal of 3 inches.

Overall, I am happy with display of this smartphone, because it is bright and contrast.

Android 12

Unihertz Jelly 2E runs on the stock Android 12 operating system, and the user interface is smooth enough. Although, it is not very fast, because of the weak hardware and low performance, but I didn’t have any big problems with user interface.

Memory

I think this is because a smartphone has 4GB of RAM. This is enough for smooth performance of Android operating system.

Unihertz Jelly 2E also has 64GB of internal memory, and you can use the microSD memory card instead of the second SIM card to expand the storage.

Camera

You know, I am surprised by the camera of this phone, because it takes really good photos, and it even has video stabilization. That’s very good for a budget smartphone.

Connectivity

The new Unihertz smartphone supports dual SIM with 4G LTE networks.

It also has infrared blaster, so you can use a mobile device to control TV, and other home appliances.

Cons

Now, let’s talk about cons of this smartphone.

Small Display

I have told you that a compact size is a feature of Unihertz Jelly 2E, but because of a very small display with a diagonal of 3 inches, it is not convenient to watch videos on YouTube or play games.

Weak performance

In fact, this smartphone is not for games, because it also has the entry-level processor with very low performance.

You can play simple games, such as Subway Surf, but it is difficult to play PUBG MOBILE.

No NFC

Unfortunately, Unihertz Jelly 2E doesn’t have NFC support, but this is very important thing for many people, including me.

Battery

The smartphone has a very small battery with a capacity of 2000mAh, and the battery life is quite short.

In addition, the battery takes a very long time to charge for its capacity. I don’t think it even supports 10W charging.

Price

Finally, the price of Unihertz Jelly 2E is $159, and I think it is quite expensive for this phone. If you can buy it for about 100-120$, it might be a good deal.

By the way, Unihertz Jelly 2E is a simplified version of Unihertz Jelly 2. If you have $179, I think it is better to buy Jelly 2, because it has a better chipset Helio P60, 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, and NFC support.