On Thursday, Unihertz launched a campaign on Kickstarter for Jelly, the smallest 4G smartphone powered by Android Nougat 7.0. The startup quickly met its $30,000 goal, and it is well on its way to collect ten times that amount. First units start shipping in August for $59.
While the smartphone market is currently concerned with getting bigger and bigger displays, the Jelly wants to go back to a time when phones were practical, and size didn’t matter so much. Its screen is just 2.45 inches tall, while the next iPhone and Samsung Galaxy Note could have around 8 inches.
Unihertz has previously demonstrated it is capable of delivering on its promises with the Posh Micro X, a similar mini-sized smartphone launched a couple of years ago. The Jelly borrows several aspects of its design and improves on them to meet next-gen standards.
The Jelly is solidly built and has an outstanding battery life
Ironically yet obviously, the most innovative aspect of the Jelly is its small size. It packs a 2.45-inch screen with 240 x 432 resolutions, and it comes in three different colors: Pearl White, Space Black, and Sky Blue.
There are two versions of the little phone: the standard Jelly and the Jelly Pro, the latter of which responds to consumer requests for more capable specifications. Both phones support 4G LTE connectivity and run Android Nougat 7.0 out of the box.
The two models also share the same unspecified quad-core, 1.1 GHz processor, dual Nano SIM slots, Bluetooth 4.0, built-in GPS, and other mobile sensors and chips.
However, the base Jelly comes with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage, whereas the Jelly Pro supports twice as much memory on both fronts. Either model can have up to 32 GB of storage with a microSD card.
Unihertz’ Jelly runs all the traditional Android apps and social media services on its tiny touchscreen. Its 950 mAh battery stands up to three days of regular use and up to a week in standby mode.
The Jelly will cost $109 from select retailers
The Kickstarter campaign is far from finished, as it is scheduled to end on June 6. Judging by the current rate pledges are coming in, it might not be far-fetched to think the Jelly could reach $1 million in funding to exceed its original $30,000 goal vastly.
Early birds who backed the project through its crowdfunding campaign will get a Jelly or Jelly Pro in August at the earliest. The first backers got a chance to snatch the mini Android phone for $59 or $75 for the Pro version.
Unihertz’ suggested retail price for the Jelly starts at $109, and the company has yet to disclose availability beyond online sales. Shipping destination for Kickstarter units covers the entire world, although additional fees may be required depending on your location.
Source: Kickstarter
