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**The Evolution of the Smartphone: Introducing the Unihertz 8849 Tank 4 Pro**
Smartphones have steadily evolved beyond their initial purpose, absorbing functions once performed by MP3 players, GPS devices, and more. However, the Unihertz 8849 Tank 4 Pro pushes the boundaries even further by integrating features rarely seen in a phone—most notably, a built-in projector.
The Tank 4 Pro is marketed as the world’s first rugged smartphone to include a 720p Digital Light Processing (DLP) projector. Its specifications and design are tailored for users who need extreme durability and utility, even if that comes at the cost of portability. The device is massive by smartphone standards, measuring 174.9 x 87 x 22.5 mm and tipping the scales at a hefty 530 grams (over a pound). Built to withstand harsh environments, the Tank 4 Pro boasts high shock resistance and is certified water- and dust-proof to IP68 and IP69 standards.
**Display and Performance**
The phone is equipped with a large, 6.73-inch AMOLED display featuring a 3K resolution (1440 x 3200 pixels), a 20:9 aspect ratio, and a 120Hz refresh rate. This combination delivers smooth graphics and excellent visibility, even in bright sunlight, thanks to its impressive 1,800 nits of brightness.
Under the hood, the Tank 4 Pro is powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 octa-core processor clocked at 3.35GHz, paired with a Mali-G615 MP6 GPU. Out of the box, it runs Android 14, but an upgrade to Android 15 is available and reportedly installs without issue. While the processor is not the fastest on the market, the generous RAM configurations—either 16GB (with an
