Exactly how versatile do you need your smartphone to be? If your requirements include a full 1080p projector, the 8849 Tank X might be just what you’ve always been dreaming of. The brand, which has several Tank and Shark models in its rugged roster, includes just that feature in its latest handset. Plus, a massive battery so you can actually use the thing away from a wall socket.
Tank X projector
The rest of the Tank X lives up to the name. The phone weighs in at 750 grams, so it’s not intended for casual carrying around. Inside its hefty, 3.19cm-thick frame is a MediaTek Dimensity 8200, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage. Much of that helps to power the 1080p, 220-lumen projector the phone hosts, but the gigantic battery is also handy.
Tank phones have actually included projectors for some time, but this is the first instance of the company producing a handset capable of full 1080p. It’s obviously designed for camping, where you’re more likely to project downloaded Netflix episodes on a sheet, but whipping one out in a board meeting will probably also make an impression.
Also part of the Tank X is a 1,200-lumen flashlight, which will make the wrong kind of impression if you’re pointing it at your boss. Best to stick to the great outdoors (at night) or landing planes on runways when the power is out. An IP68 rating means you can do these things even if it’s wet outside. Or while standing in a river at night, dodging hippos.
If you’re thinking that the company has skimped elsewhere to make this 0.75kg smartphone, think again. The rear camera setup is actually fairly decent, with a 50MP main (which uses Sony’s IMX766 sensor), a 64MP night vision sensor (the Omnivision OV64B1B), and an 8MP 3x telephoto doing duty on the phone’s rear. Up front? A 50MP sensor.
You won’t be able to buy the Tank X here, but it’s set to go live on the company’s website from 1 February this year. It may be worth checking out when it does. Pricing should be announced at about that time, but don’t expect it to be cheaper than the R10,500 Tank 4 Pro, which launched at R15,000. That handset packs a 720p projector. This one’s upgrade will make it a costlier affair to purchase.
