8849’s Tank Pad’s 100-lumen projector won’t replace your TV, but it shows that hybrid tech can make a comeback.
Is tech feeling too samey? Does the bright, tandem-OLED display on the new iPad Pro feel too dull? Perhaps this “TANK Pad” hybrid tablet projector will get your imagination spinning. Is it better as a tablet or projector? The “Tank Pad” asks if it’s time to return to when we smushed two distinct devices into a single, Frankenstein-like creation.
The Chinese brand 8849’s “TANK Pad” tablet is a rugged Android tablet marketed for engineers going out on a job or people at home who want to project Netflix onto their kitchen wall. The device’s top edge has a 100-lumen projector. Otherwise, it sports a 10.95-inch FHD (1920 by 1080) display up to 120 Hz.
That’s not bad, but if all you wanted were a tablet, the MSRP of $1,000 would certainly push it. Then again, it’s on sale for $800, and you can get it for a little more than $500 on AliExpress. At least it supports a 5G base and includes a SIM card slot.
The Tank pad uses a DLP short-range projector, and with those relatively low lumens compared to small-scale projectors, it won’t have the brightness you’ll need to replace your TV. Especially not because it doesn’t include a built-in kickstand, and there’s no way to rotate the projector other than angling it in the right direction.
Its other specs are a mixed bag. The device is powered with a Dimensity 8200, a mid-range processor released earlier this year, plus 16 GB of RAM. The device claims it has 32 GB of RAM, but 16 GB of that total is “extended RAM,” which is essentially repurposed storage for handling some multitasking tasks. Otherwise, it has a 512 GB SSD and a large, 21000 mAh battery. If you truly think it’s necessary, there’s the 50 MP main sensor for taking quick tablet pics. That last feature may be useful for those in hard hats when they are out on their latest construction job.
It’s not the only tablet with a built-in projector but the chunkiest of its kind. Lenovo once sold the Yoga Tab 3 Pro with its rotating pico projector. That also had the benefit of a built-in kickstand. The projector-tablet and projector-PC design have taken a backseat in recent years. Nowadays, small-scale projectors are their own class of viewing experience, even if they can never offer the picture quality of a modern IPS LCD or a mini-LED TV. You have plenty of soda can-sized projectors from XGIMI and Anker. Budget-minded brand TCL also has an upcoming mini projector that can shoot a 100-inch screen onto your wall or ceiling.
With a relatively humdrum main display with large bezels and rear-facing speakers, the only thing that could tip the device over the edge is its projector. Yes, it’s brighter than 2015’s Yoga Tab 3 Pro, but it’s likely not bright enough to compete with your dedicated projector.
But maybe it’s time we return to weird tech hybrids. I would like to see the return of projector phones. Maybe we could use more dumb concepts to make it to market. I know I could actually get use out of Acer’s Dual Play laptop with a built-in controller. Remember when Alienware made a gaming handheld before the Steam Deck and never released it? Maybe tech “concepts” need to be less “concepts.”
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