Unihertz 8849 Tank Pad Review

OS, UI and software

The Unihertz 8849 Tank Pad runs on Android 14 optimized for the tablet form factor. The Lock Screen is dominated by a very big and centrally positioned Clock widget with a tiny Date widget in the top left. The Home Screen comprises a search bar with voice search and Lens integrated. The projector apps takes a central place in the row of favorite apps, while there are six docked apps at the bottom. Desktop shortcuts are supported. By default, the apps appear on successive desktops but from the Home settings, you can switch the menu mode and activate a launcher with an app drawer. Google Discoer is on by default listing the latest news in two columns. The Task Manager tiles the app previews vertically in two columns as well. For each app, you get access to its info, the option to enter split-screen mode, or activate its freeform. The latter means the app appears as a smaller window on the desktop. The Notifications shade and the Quick Settings have a standard Android 14 layout and design. Unihertz 8849 Tank Pad arrives with a standard set of pre-installed apps - Assistant, Calculator, Calendar, Camera, Chrome, Clock, Contacts, Drive, Files, FM Radio, Game Mode, Gmail, Google Discover, Keep Notes, Maps, Meet, Messages, Phone, Photos, Play Store, Safety, Settings, Sound Recorder, Studen Mode, Toolbox, YouTube, and YT Music. In addition, you also get the ZaZa Remote that works with the IR blaster and can turn the tablet into a convenient tool for managing household electronics. There's also a Mobile Manager app with a link to the Battery Saver, Traffic Management, Garbage Cleaner, App Blocker, App Lock, and Freezer. The Toolbox contains several useful tools such as a water and dust cleaner, fan cooling, warning simulator, underwater camera, camping lamp, barometer, pedometer, speedometer, alarm, compass, etc. The Settings app is the one that demonstrates the tablet-centric UI in general. The list of menus with the search bar on top appears on the left side of the screen at all times. The submenus and options expand on the right side of the screen. This results in a more compact layout and provides quicker access to the various settings. The Settings app contains 22 menus listed in six groups. The first group contains the "My Device" menu as well as the "Network & internet" and "Connected devices" menus. The "My Device" one lists roughly the same information as the "About tablet" menu but it is from here that you should check for software updates. The other two menus are described in detail in the Connectivity section of this review. The second group contains four menus. "Apps" is the first and has a standard set of options for managing the on-device applications. The second menu is dubbed "Projector" and it is used to setup and switch on/off the built-in projector. "Intelligent Assistance" is next with four features - a locked status bar on the Lock Screen, a smart small window toggle, memory expansion by up to 16GB, and a call recorder - a standard for Unihertz smartphones. "Smart Small Window" is a vertical overlay with shortcuts to preferred apps, which you can activate by sliding your finger from the right edge of the screen and stopping. The "Notifications" menu is the last in the group and contains all the standard Android settings for managing the device and app notifications. The third group comprises the "Shortcut settings", "Battery", and "Storage" menus. While the latter pair is self-explanatory, the "Shortcut settings" menu allows you to customize the two physical buttons on the left frame and assign actions to a single press, a double press, or a long press on each. "Sound & Vibration" is the first menu in the fourth group and it includes all the standard options you're used to on an Android device. The "Display" menu is next with options to set the refresh rate, brightness level, font size, screen saver, body font, etc. The "Wallpaper & style" menu follows with a standard set of options for customizing the Lock Screen and Home screen, the theme, the color palette, and others. The "Accessibility" menu closes off the fourth group, comprising the usual options for assisted app management, viewing/hearing content, etc. It is here that you will find the "System controls". These comprise the system navigation - the place where you select on-screen gestures or virtual buttons for navigation and customize them. The same feature is to be found in System => Gestures. The "Security & Privacy" menu heads the fifth menu and is accompanied by the "Location", "Safety & Emergency", and "Passwords & Accounts" menus. The last group comprises the standard "Digital Wellbeing & parental controls", "Google", "System", and "About tablet". "System" is about managing your languages and keyboard, gestures settings including the system navigation options, finger gesture settings, date and time, backing up data, resetting the device, managing multiple users' access to the device, and checking for updates.