Unihertz Jelly Max Review

OS, UI and software

Unihertz Jelly Max runs on stock Android 14 and during our time with the device, we haven't experienced any software issues with the UI, software, or apps. The Lock Screen has the usual huge Time widget and a tiny Date widget. The Home Screen comprises the Google search bar with Voice search and Lens embedded, one row with favorite apps (four per row), and a docked row of apps at the bottom. Desktop shortcuts are supported. By default, the Jelly Max arrives with the app drawer on. You can switch to the launcher with successive desktops from the Home Settings. The latter is accessed from the Customization Picker and allows you to set the default screen, home screen layout, the notification dots, toggle on/off Google Discover, and change the icon size. The Task Manager tiles the app previews horizontally with options for entering the app info or the split-screen mode. A "Clear all" icon is placed conveniently at the bottom of the screen. The Notifications shade and the Quick Settings layouts are also traditional, with options to move, remove, and add toggles. The list of pre-installed applications on the Jelly Max is quite standard and includes Assistant, Calculator, Calendar, Camera, Chrome, Clock, Contacts, Drive, Files, FM Radio, Gmail, Google Discover, Keep Notes, Maps, Meet, Messages, Phone, Photos, Play Store, Safety, Settings, Sound Recorder, YouTube, and YT Music. There are also additional applications such as Mobile Manager which comprises the Battery Saver, Network Manager, Garbage Cleaner, Appl Blocker, App Lock, and a Freezer for apps. A Toolbox is also present with a noise meter, compass, flashlight, alarm, pedometer, and other useful tools. The Student mode comes in handy when your phone will be used by a kid or a student and you want to manage the content they access. The Remote app uses the IR blaster and can be set up as a remote control for home electronics such as TVs and appliances such as air conditioners. There's a dedicated app in which you can add your cards that will use NFC - either for payment or public transport. The Settings app is quite minimalistic and straightforward. It begins with a settings search bar and the first menu on the list is always "My Device". It provides all the basic data about the smartphone, including the main parameters, software version, hardware status, etc. The next two menus are about connectivity. The first is "Network & Internet" which lets you manage your mobile connections, SIM cards, mobile data, Wi-Fi connections and preferences, Wi-Fi hotspots, and Wi-Fi Direct. The "Connected devices" menu is third and manages your Bluetooth connections, Cast display, NFC, Printing services, Quick Share, Android Auto, etc. The fourth menu contains options to manage each app on the device, including the per-app screen time, cloud media app, app battery usage, and special access. "Intelligent Assistance" follows and contains features such as a locked notifications shade on a lock screen, call recorder, memory extension, and LED notification light options. The "Notifications" menu is quite standard and lets you manage app-specific notifications, history, conversations, bubbles, notifications privacy, and DND mode. It also includes the wireless emergency alerts settings which can be found under the Safety app as well. "Shortcut settings" is the seventh menu and allows you to set various functions and services to the customizable button on the right frame of the device. The "Battery" and "Storage" menus are next followed by the "Sound & vibration" one. The "Sound & Vibration" menu is tenth and remains unchanged with its four volume-level bars, DND mode, ringtones, Live Caption, vibration and haptics, and various specific toggles. The "Display" menu is next with MiraVision settings, toggles for the adaptive brightness, night light, dark theme, auto-rotate, and lift-to-wake. You can also change the brightness level, lock screen notifications, screen timeout, font size and type, and icon shape. The "Wallpaper & style" menu is at the twelfth menu allowing you to customize the wallpapers, UI colors, theme icons, etc. These options can also be accessed from the Customization Picker. The "Accessibility" options are next including, among all else, "System controls" for the system navigation. The same feature is to be found in System => Gestures. "Live Caption", "Vibration & haptics", "Extra dim", and other useful features are also present. In Android 14 the "Security % privacy" menu combines these two features and the various sub-menus are re-designed and re-named. Moreover, the system issues a security warning, if you don't have a screen lock setup. This is done from the Device Unlock option. When you set up a screen lock and manage the Lock Screen settings to your preference, you can also set a fingerprint ID and a Face ID. Account Security is the option that contains the Google Account security checkup and the Password Checkup. These options are in a way doubled in the Passwords & Accounts menu which follows the Security & Privacy one. The Privacy Menu is now listed under the Security one. It contains the usual permission manager, privacy dashboard, ads management, health connect, and activity controls. The More Security & Privacy options include Lock Screen Notifications, App Content, Android System Intelligence, Autofill Service from Google, Extend Unlock, and others. Extend Unlock is the Smart Unlock feature renamed. The "Location" menu is next followed by several other standard options - "Safety & Emergency", "Passwords & Accounts", "Digital Wellbeing & Parental Controls" and "Google". "System" and "About Phone" are the last two groups of settings. The "System" one is about managing your languages and input, which on Android 14 are separated in two sub-menus, gestures settings including the system navigation options, date and time, backing up data, resetting the device, managing multiple users' access to the device, and checking for updates. The "About Phone" menu contains another system update option and all other info that can be accessed from the "My Device" menu.