Our 4yo T1D son, Sam, needs to carry a phone everywhere he goes to act as his pancreas. This phone needs to:
- run Android APS and a few other apps which need Android 11 or above (14 is preferred).
- have good bluetooth, Wifi and cell signal. It needs to have constant communication with his Omnipod pump, Dexcom G7 and remote systems like NightScout.
- be sturdy, light and small. It is strapped to a very active 4yo.
- be easy to use. Clicking the wrong button can be pretty dangerous.
- be very cheap. Things break, buy a couple phones as backups.
The phone doesn’t need fast graphics, large battery, big screen or good camera; the things most phones are marketed on. It just needs to work and not break when a 4yo falls off their bike.
In this post I am comparing Sam’s past phones with phones he may have in the future.
Sam with his Phone in his colourful belt
Pixel 4a 5G
When Sam was diagnosed he didn’t move around a lot, so we could just put the phone near where he was playing. We chose the Pixel 4a 5g mostly because it had a large OLED screen making it a good way to display his BGL from across a room.
The Pixel 4a is an excellent phone, but once Sam started to move around more we needed to strap a smaller phone to him.
Cubot King Kong Mini 3
The King Kong Mini 3 (KKM3) was the recommendation from Bionic Wookie post “Pancreas Phone”.
The KKM3 has been Sam’s pancreas phone for the last 2+ years, and the only reason we are thinking of changing (and the reason for this post) is that we can’t buy them any more. Although they are tough, Sam is getting through them; one had its screen smashed and one drowned in the ocean. When Sam breaks his last KKM3, we will need to pick a new phone.
Smart E25
When Sam drowned his previous KKM3 we were on Christmas holiday at my parents. I did not pack a spare phone, so I had to quickly buy a new phone off the shelf.
The cheapest phone in NZ is the Smart E25 ($80). It is some white-label generic locked phone. Everything about it is a bit crap, but for $80 it worked for a few weeks.#### Unihertz Jelly 2E
The Jelly 2E is the more limited version of the Jelly Star, which has good reviews for running AAPS. The Jelly 2E has lower specs than the Star (camera, RAM, storage) making it $100 cheaper.
Doogee S Mini
The Doogee S Mini looks and feels like an upgraded Cubot KKM3. It has the features of the KKM3 that I like. It is a bit bigger and a bit more upgraded.
PhoneMax Q9 Mini
There is not too much info about the PhoneMax Q9 mini online. A few posts including a review and a rumour it is a rebranded Foneopia phone. What I know is it is very cheap, very light, and has a plastic body that feels cheap.#### Comparison
Pixel 4a 5G, KKM3, Smart E25, Jelly 2E, S Mini, Q9 Mini
All prices are in $NZD including shipping, measurements in mm, and CPU Score is from GeekBench where higher means a faster phone. `
Phone Price Weight Dimensions Version CPU Score
Pixel 4a 5g
$300
174.1g 154 x 74 x 8.2 Android 14 1797
Cubot KKM3
$250
149.8g 131 x 58 x 13.4 Android 12 1358
Smart E25
$80
156.5g 147 x 72 x 8.5 Android 14 N/A
Unihertz Jelly 2E
$300
123.3g 95 x 49 x 16.5 Android 12 525
Doogee S Mini
$300
156.1g 133 x 60 x 13.5 Android 13 2025
PhoneMax Q9 Mini
$182
112.2g 114 x 54 x 11.9 Android 14 1370
`Sam’s Next Phone
The Jelly 2E feels rugged, but is a bit thick so will bulge in Sam’s belt. This might be uncomfortable sitting down. I am also worried that the screen is so small that it might make it difficult to use.
The Doogee S Mini is basically an upgraded KKM3. That makes is a solid, safe choice if I were trying to replace Sam’s existing phone.
The PhoneMax Q9 Mini is sitting in a sweet spot; it is cheap, it is light, it is fast and has Android 14. It is not as rugged as the other phones, so I am most worried about this breaking, but hopefully the price being 60% the other two makes it worth the risk.The biggest problem with all the options is that we have to ship them from overseas because apparently wanting a small, strong phone is a niche product. What I would like is at least one large manufacturer to build such a phone. Who knows? Maybe the folding phone trend will give us that option.