2199 yuan! The 8849 mobile phone is too strange: it can be used in water, and it comes with a flashlight and a rangefinder

Ray Technology

2024-05-27 09:09Posted in Guangdong science and technology creators

With its high-end luxury positioning and resounding name, 8848 once earned enough eyeballs in the mobile phone market. However, the 8848 mobile phone failed to succeed after all, and in just a few years, it went from being popular to being unpopular. But even so, the residual value of the signboard of 8848 is still being targeted by people for a wave of popularity.

A few days ago, a three-proof mobile phone called 8849 appeared on the domestic e-commerce platform, which has nothing to do with 8848 mobile phones, the brand and product positioning are completely different, and the naming is estimated to be for traffic. The reshuffle of the mobile phone market in 2024 is coming to an end, and 8849 is trying to take a share of the smartphone market through rugged mobile phones, is it feasible?

(Source: Unihertz)

8849 rugged mobile phone, born for the outdoors

8849 is not the real brand of this mobile phone manufacturer, its real trademark is "Unihertz". Unihertz mobile phones have been active in overseas markets for a long time, so many people mistakenly think that they are overseas brands.

But in fact, Unihertz is an authentic "Made in Shenzhen", and the company behind this brand is Shenzhen Dongfang Blue Communication Technology. Unihertz, which sells overseas, has taken the typical path of Chinese companies going overseas: seizing the market with price advantages – among which Transsion has been a big success and has attracted wide attention.

The 8849 rugged mobile phone released this time, the specific model name is Unihertz Tank Mini 1, and the main selling points include the rugged features, the built-in flashlight and the rangefinder.

Specifically, the Unihertz Tank Mini 1 comes with a small 4.3-inch screen, which is indeed small compared to a regular smartphone. However, due to the three-proof attributes, it needs to be stacked desperately on the protective structure and materials, which leads to its thickness of more than 2 centimeters and its weight of 240 grams, which is absolutely not sticky to the lightness.

(Source: Unihertz)

Interestingly, it comes with an 800-lumen flashlight and supports 40-meter laser ranging, which is obviously aimed at outdoor scenes such as camping.

Other configurations are more general, the chip equipped with is MediaTek Helio G99, the performance is entry-level, and it can only be enough for daily use; The 12+256GB storage combination is quite sincere, but the phone does not support 5G, and can only use the 4G network; The battery capacity is 5800mAh and the fast charging is 33W, which is a relatively mainstream level.

(Source: Unihertz)

Overall, the Unihertz Tank Mini 1 is a regular rugged mobile phone that focuses on outdoor scenes, and the pricing of 2199 yuan makes it quite cost-effective. It can be considered a good choice for those who have the corresponding needs.

(Source: Unihertz)

The big factory rolls up against falling and waterproof, and the professional three-proof mobile phone is under pressure

In Xiaolei's impression, there are not many brands that specialize in rugged mobile phones, in addition to Unihertz, there are also AGM, MANN, SONIM, etc. The rugged machine belongs to a very subdivided field in the mobile phone industry, and the volume of the corresponding brands is generally small. However, the rugged machine itself is aimed at a small target user, so it usually does not have direct competition with mainstream mobile phone brands.

However, in recent years, under the increasing pressure of competition, mainstream mobile phone manufacturers have gradually increased the reliability of their products, and they are trying to enhance the attractiveness of their products to consumers through the blessing of drop resistance, waterproof and other characteristics.

For example, the Xiaomi 14 Pro released in 2023 uses a more drop-resistant and wear-resistant "dragon crystal glass". The Huawei Mate50 series launched in 2022 uses "Kunlun glass" with higher hardness. Apple's iPhone 15 Pro, released last year, also uses a stronger titanium alloy material.

This year, OPPO has taken it a step further and made the mid-range positioning A3 Pro into a product with ultra-waterproof, super drop resistance, and durability as its core selling points. It supports both IP69 and IP66, and its protection capability even exceeds that of most rugged machines. Moreover, during the warranty period, the OPPO A3 Pro offers a free warranty for models that have entered the water, turning the waterproof characteristics from a promotional gimmick into a real guarantee.

(Source: Produced by Lei Technology)

In addition, the OPPO A3 Pro uses "crystal shield glass" to enhance drop resistance, and uses "long-life battery" to solve the problem that the battery is easy to wear and decay after long-term use.

In this case, "regular" smartphones, which have greatly enhanced reliability, will inevitably pose a threat to the rugged device. The two mobile phone categories that originally did not interfere with each other now compete with each other, just like Huawei and other brands will inevitably impact professional satellite handheld phones if they increase the size of "satellite calls".

Products like the OPPO A3 Pro are still not specialized three-proof machines, and the comprehensive protection capability is definitely not as good as the Unihertz Tank Mini 1. However, once the head brand is eyeing the dividends brought by the reliability selling point, then the weaker three-proof brand will inevitably be affected, and such a story has happened once in the game mobile phone market.

Years ago, gaming phones were a popular sub-category, attracting a large number of users with their stronger performance release and better gaming experience. However, with the substantial enhancement of the performance of conventional flagship mobile phones and the general optimization of game scenes, the living space of game phones has been seized in an instant, and the game phone brands that were in full swing in the past have been eliminated in an instant.

Nowadays, rugged mobile phones are facing a similar situation. Take the two mobile phones mentioned above as an example, the OPPO A3 Pro and the Unihertz Tank Mini 1 are similar in price, but in terms of configuration and design, the OPPO model is obviously superior, it supports 5G, has a bigger and better screen, and the image, fast charging power and other aspects are even more comprehensive.

Moreover, the A3 Pro, despite putting a lot of effort into its protective characteristics, does not sacrifice its appearance. For most users, it is a mid-range mobile phone with good looks and acceptable thinness and high reliability selling points. The Unihertz Tank Mini 1 is a "wonderful" and "niche" product with three-proof and outdoor functions as the core selling points.

The leading manufacturer will undertake the "legacy" of rugged mobile phones

Focusing on outdoor scenes, the main functions of Unihertz Tank Mini 1 include three proofs, flashlight, and rangefinder. In the wild, where the environment and conditions are extreme, these features can sometimes be of critical help to the user. However, it seems to be missing an important feature – satellite communications.

Shortly after the Huawei Mate60 Pro goes on sale in 2023, Xiaolei found a professional satellite phone LeSat F2 for comparison. LeSat F2 is also a product full of outdoor attributes, in addition to supporting satellite calls, it also supports IP68 level protection, and the body is protected against drops, which can cope with all kinds of extreme environments.

(Source: Produced by Lei Technology)

For a long time in the past, satellite communication has been a standard feature of high-end rugged mobile phones. Therefore, in scenarios such as wild adventures and outdoor travel, this type of mobile phone can be called a must-have. However, as the head mobile phone manufacturers gradually launched products that support satellite calls, the competitiveness of traditional rugged mobile phones has been reduced. Large mobile phone manufacturers such as Huawei and OPPO can also use their technical advantages in the field of communication to provide higher-quality satellite calls, which has formed a technical crush on traditional rugged brands.

The mobile phone industry has always been a highly competitive and ever-changing field, and we've seen too many brands rise and fall. At the same time, in the mobile phone industry, the experience and lessons of the losers will be absorbed by the winners and become the common wealth of the industry.

Just as WebOS failed to quit the game, but features such as gesture operation, card background, and multi-device linkage were later inherited by Android and iOS devices; After the game phone has fallen silent, the game image quality enhancement, high frame rate mode, touch optimization and other functions built around the game scene have gradually become the standard configuration of conventional smartphones, and the support for game scenes is actually strengthened for e-sports phones, game phones, and performance phones.

In Xiaolei's view, the traditional three-proof mobile phone brand and even the entire subdivision may be further marginalized under the pressure of the mobile phone manufacturers, but the special value of the three-proof mobile phone itself will be transferred to the conventional mobile phone. For the average user, it's a good thing that features and functionality that used to be available through the purchase of specialized products will now be available on regular devices.

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