Tiny phone for bike use

I’ve increasingly felt the need to carry a mobile phone while out on the bike, and particularly when out on the time trial bike. This is for two reasons - firstly the potential need in the event of a mechanical I cannot sort out and secondly because there are functions I use on my Garmin Edge 840 computer that require a mobile phone.

Problem is that mobile phones have got bigger and bigger and my current phone, a Samsung model, is really a bit unwieldy for carrying, even in a jersey pocket. And when wearing a skin suit, the only real solution I’ve found is to carry it in a sealed case and hang it round my neck on a lanyard. That’s pretty uncomfortable!

I did a Google search for ‘small Android phones’, and really found nothing. I shifted gear by searching on Amazon, and there I found a number of genuinely small phones. I ended up selecting a model by Unihertz, the JellyStar. 

This phone has a 3” screen and is really tiny - it’s a bit bigger than my Garmin, though somewhat thicker. It’s running Android 13, so a little dated. I have to confess that I do need reading glasses to deal with the tiny screen (but then I need reading lenses for reading my Garmin anyway). In use it’s like any other Android phone and connects fine with the Garmin Edge to deliver data, good for texting and phoning.

I’ve been popping it in a ziplock bag and tucking it under my base layer beneath a skinsuit, where it stays put through riding out to and through an event. This doesn’t appear to be terribly waterproof and I see condensation inside after a ride. I’ve now bought a properly waterproof bag for it.