Unihertz 8849 HiKE Review

Overview

When the map ends and the trail begins, you need a phone that feels like part tool, part survival kit - rugged by design, relentless in function. The Unihertz 8849 HiKE is an outdoor-ready smartphone that pairs rock-solid performance and long-range connectivity with power-efficient internals and a battery built to last days, not hours. Built-in ultra-bright torch and dedicated camping beam turn night into day, while configurable emergency lights give you a visible lifeline when it matters most. Add thunderous dual stereo speakers for clear alerts and soundtrack-ready volume, and you've got a single device that replaces half your pack and keeps you moving confidently off the grid. Here's our in-depth Unihertz 8849 HiKE review, starting with a presentation video, specifications overview, and unboxing photos.

Unihertz 8849 HiKE Specifications

Unihertz 8849 HiKE features a 6.79-inch in-cell IPS display with an FHD+ resolution of 1080 x 2460 px and a 120 Hz refresh rate. The device also boasts dual stereo speakers mounted on the rear shell for clear and powerful audio. Furthermore, it arrives with a 1200-Lumen dual-lamp torch that can light up an area up to 200 meters. There's also a bright camping light paired with red and blue warning lights.

The camera department is quite versatile and comprises a 32MP Samsung S5KGD1 selfie snapper, a 50MP Sony IMX766 main camera with an f/1.88 aperture, a 64MP OV64B40 Night Vision unit with four IR lights, and an 8MP SK Hynix Hi-847 telephoto lens with an f/2.4 aperture. Power is supplied by a 23800 mAh battery with 120W fast charging and 10W reverse wired charging support. A MediaTek Helio G200 chipset ticks under the hood. It combines a 2.2GHz octa-core CPU with a 1.1GHz dual-core Mali-G57 GPU, 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM, and 512GB of UFS 2.2 storage.

The HiKE has a triple-slot tray for two Nano-SIM cards and a microSD card. Both SIM cards support the following network bands: 2G GSM (B2, B3, B5, B8), 2.5G (BC0, BC1), 3G WCDMA (B1, B2, B4, B5, B8, B19), 4G TDD-LTE (B34, B38, B39, B40, B41), and 4G FDD-LTE (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, B8, B12, B13, B17, B18, B19, B20, B25, B26, B28A, B28B, B66). The wireless connectivity options of the model include Bluetooth 5.3, Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac), Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Hotspot, and Cast Display.

The smartphone also supports NFC and has an IR blaster. It works with GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, and Beidou and is fitted with a USB Type-C 2.0 port with OTG, a 3.5 mm jack, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. A cooling fan is also on board. The HiKE runs on stock Android 14 that will be updated to Android 15 and has an IP68 and MIL-STD-810H rating for being resistant to water, dust, dirt, drops, extreme temperatures, etc.

Complete Unihertz 8849 HiKE specifications.

Unihertz 8849 HiKE Unboxing

The 8849 HiKE is placed in a stylish black box with the brand and model names imprinted on top in silver color. The model name also appears on the sides. Inside the box, the smartphone is accompanied by the following items:

• 20V/6A (120W) charger (EU plug)
• USB Type-C to Type-C cable
• Hard screen protector
• SIM tray pick
• Paperwork