Unihertz rugged phones with a walkie-talkie

At a glance

Who makes Unihertz phones?

Unihertz is a Chinese phone brand with its headquarters in Shanghai and an office in Hong Kong. It makes small, keyboard and rugged Android phones for niche buyers, has launched 11 Kickstarter campaigns since 2017 with more than 40,000 backers, and says it runs its own phone factory.12

The company's line has four series: Jelly (very small phones), Titan (phones with a QWERTY keyboard), Tank and Luna, and Atom (small rugged phones).1 Unihertz sells through its own online store, with prices in US dollars.3

Only one phone in the line carries a radio: the Atom XL, which the store calls a "4-Inch Walkie-Talkie Rugged Smartphone".4

Which Unihertz phone has a walkie-talkie?

The Unihertz Atom XL is the only one. It is a 4-inch rugged Android 11 phone with a built-in DMR and analog radio, a detachable radio antenna and a red key on the left side that works as its push-to-talk key. The Atom L shares its body without the radio.345

Sources: Unihertz's Atom XL and Atom L pages and Atom series listing.354

Unihertz published its walkie-talkie guide for the Atom XL on 30 August 2021.6 The phone runs a MediaTek Helio P60 with 6 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, and Unihertz notes that it cannot receive further Android upgrades because MediaTek no longer supports the platform.3

How does the Atom XL walkie-talkie work?

The Atom XL radio talks directly to other radios on the same frequency, with no network or SIM card. It covers UHF 400–480 MHz in DMR Tier 1 and Tier 2 or analog, transmits at 2 W or 0.5 W, and Unihertz gives a range of up to 2 km depending on the terrain.3

The radio runs in the built-in Intercom app. The manual describes how it works:7

• Channels. 16 preset channels, up to 48 in total, each digital or analog, with its own send and receive frequency, power, color code and contact.
• PTT key. In Settings, under Smart Assistant and Shortcut settings, the red programmable key on the left side becomes the PTT key of the Intercom app.
• Contacts. Private contacts and group IDs on digital channels; only members of the same group hear each other.
• Messages and recording. Text messages on digital channels, and an option that records calls for replay.
• Antenna. The radio antenna must be fitted before use; the manual warns that the radio module can be damaged without it.
• Side effects. The USB port is switched off and charging slows down while the radio is in use.

Unihertz's own guide says the Atom XL talks to another Atom XL and to a regular walkie-talkie, and gives 8 km in obstacle-free conditions, against the 2 km on the product page.63 For how DMR time slots, color codes and talk groups work, see what DMR is; for the radio-versus-network trade-off, see PoC vs DMR.

Do you need a license to use the Atom XL radio?

In most countries, yes, unless the frequency and the radio fit a license-free service. The Atom XL transmits at up to 2 W through a detachable antenna, while license-free PMR446 in Europe allows 0.5 W e.r.p. from radios with an integral antenna only.83

• Europe. PMR446 on 446.0–446.2 MHz is exempt from individual licensing for equipment that meets ECC/DEC/(15)05: at most 500 mW e.r.p. and an integral antenna that a user cannot remove.8 Other UHF frequencies are licensed business radio in most countries; see PMR446 and two-way radio licensing.
• United States. Business radio on UHF falls under Part 90 of the FCC rules, open to commercial users, schools, churches and hospitals, with a $105 fee for a new site-based license.910 GMRS needs an individual license from the FCC.11
• Ham radio. The UHF amateur band inside this range needs an amateur license and a call sign.

The license checker shows the rules for each country, and the frequency charts show which UHF bands belong to which service.

Does the Atom XL work as a push-to-talk-over-cellular phone?

The Atom XL is an Android phone with a cellular side and a separate radio. It runs Google Play apps on Android 11; its radio and red PTT key are set up for the built-in Intercom app, which works without a network.37

The cellular side covers 18 LTE FDD bands and 5 LTE TDD bands, including band 20 at 800 MHz and band 28 at 700 MHz, plus two nano-SIM slots, the second shared with a microSD card.3 Check it against your operator in the LTE band checker.

Phones that PoC platforms do list, from Sonim, Samsung and Hytera, are covered in push-to-talk phones, and the app compatibility tool shows which radios and phones each service names.

Where can you buy a Unihertz Atom XL?

Unihertz sells the Atom XL in its own online store, in regional variants for the US, the EU, Canada, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Asia under one band list. In October 2026 the store showed every variant sold out, listed at $289.99 against a regular $329.99.34

• Atom L instead. The same body without the radio was listed at $199.99 and could be added to the cart.54
• Accessories. The store sells holsters, armbands and replacement parts for its phones.41
• Carrier fit. Unihertz publishes a compatibility list by country and carrier and says it does not accept returns for carrier compatibility issues.3

Unihertz push-to-talk phones in our catalogue

Unihertz

Atom XL

Android 11 · IP68

Questions

Sources

1. About Unihertz · Unihertz
2. Contact information · Unihertz
3. Atom XL · Unihertz
4. Atom series · Unihertz
5. Atom L · Unihertz
6. Atom XL: how to use it as a walkie-talkie · Unihertz
7. Atom XL/L user manual V1.0 · Unihertz
8. ECC/DEC/(15)05 on PMR 446 · CEPT ECC
9. 47 CFR 90.35, Industrial/Business Pool · eCFR
10. 47 CFR 1.1102, wireless telecommunication services fees · eCFR