Ulefone Armor 3WT - This is what happens if you combine a secure smartphone, a walkie-talkie and a power bank

Each of us, at least once in our lives, has dreamed of a smartphone that is not scary to drop and does not need to be charged every day. There is nothing simpler - dozens of Chinese manufacturers produce hundreds of devices protected from water, dirt and cold.

Alas, most of them have nothing to boast of except the parameters on the box. A capacious battery and a weak platform do not guarantee high autonomy, and the rubberized body can lead to even greater damage - some “defenders” jump well, ultimately becoming unusable.

I got Ulefone Armor 3. It’s a good replacement for my second device, Blackview, although not without questions.

I bought it myself on Aliexpress, so no advertising.

Highly protected housing

Rugged smartphones have become perhaps the most complex of all existing gadgets. Protecting fragile hardware from external influences is more difficult than adding a super processor, a hundred cameras or a screen the size of a stadium.

But it is precisely the “strength”, the resistance of the device to external influences that largely determines the user’s qualities.

Ulefone has been creating cool rugged smartphones for years, trying to combine modern technology and the utilitarian work appearance needed for protection. Some things are working out. For example, our hero today is Ulefone Armor 3 .

Designed specifically for harsh environments, it is covered on the sides with a thick rubber pad that protects both the sides and the main area, forming a lip.

As a result, falling flat on a flat surface will not lead to fatal consequences - everything will remain intact.

The metal inserts are not created for the sake of beauty: a compartment for SIM cards is hidden under the main one. To get there, you will need to unscrew the bolts with the included screwdriver.

Despite such a clumsy system, Armor 3 is completely protected from dust and moisture according to the IP68 standard thanks to rubber gaskets both along the contour and under each removable screw.

The back surface is covered with durable corrugated plastic (polycarbonate - does not flow, does not burn, does not melt), which improves the grip of this very large and heavy device.

Work gloves or winter mittens will also not be a serious obstacle - they are really comfortable to hold and do not slip.

In addition, the plastic can withstand impact: the smartphone complies with the MIL-STD and remains fully functional after being dropped from the height of a human palm.

That is, up to 1.4 meters on any surface.

Ulefone Armor 5 review: a modern rugged smartphone

Table of contents

• Introduction
• Specifications
• Packaging and equipment
• Appearance and design
• Display
• Hardware platform and performance
• Software and firmware
• Safety
• Multimedia
• Wireless Interfaces and Communications
• File system
• Battery life
• Camera
• Comparison with competitors
• Conclusion

Introduction

A number of companies from the Middle Kingdom produce rugged smartphones designed for use in harsh conditions.
Their main goal is not maximum performance or photography at the level of professional devices, but providing good protection and adequate autonomy. To achieve this, manufacturers develop protected cases and equip their new products with high-capacity batteries. Naturally, it is difficult to expect sophistication or grace from such models, because the main priority is given to functionality. However, sometimes developers also remember the aesthetic side of the issue.

In the summer of 2020, ]Ulefone[/anchor] presented a secure smartphone, during the development of which a lot of effort was devoted to design and support of modern technologies. The new device cannot offer flagship performance or record battery life, but it attracts attention with its appearance and is able to attract attention with IP-68 protection, an NFC module, a dual camera, wireless charging mode and much more...

We will look at the Ulefone Armor 5 model in more detail and try to understand what the manufacturer sacrificed to produce a stylish and secure smartphone, and did it have to be sacrificed at all?

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Ulefone Armor 5 review: technical specifications

*Price on Chinese Internet sites.
At first glance, the stated characteristics correspond to the cost. We note the presence of an NFC antenna with support for contactless payments and wireless charging mode. Perhaps the display resolution is not too high, but in the class of rugged smartphones this is not so important.

Ulefone Armor 5 review: packaging and accessories

The smartphone comes in a cardboard box decorated in a combination of black and yellow colors. The front side is decorated with the image of silhouettes of travelers, as if hinting at the purpose of the device. Here you can see the manufacturer's logo and model name.

The ends are designed as a continuation of the pattern on the front side. The lower end is occupied by identification information of a specific instance.

The back side is devoid of any design at all - just a white sticker with basic information about the characteristics of the model.

Inside we are greeted by the smartphone itself. It is protected by a shipping bag and protective film on both sides.

The scope of delivery is wide. Among the additional accessories, we note an adapter from USB Type C to a classic microUSB, a USB Type C OTG cable. A blue wand with a tip in the shape of a small spatula seemed like an incomprehensible accessory.

The only purpose that I could come up with was for hooking up the valves covering the connectors. However, in all such phones these covers can easily be opened with a fingernail, and our hero is no exception. One might assume that this was done with manicured girls taking care of their nails in mind. But personally, it’s very difficult for me to imagine a girl with such a smartphone in her hands...

The package includes:

• Power adapter;
• USB Type C cable;
• USB Type C – microUSB adapter;
• USB Type C OTG Cable
• A paperclip key for removing the SIM card slot and memory card.

The box is made of high-quality materials and is well assembled; you don’t have to worry about the safety of the contents during transportation. I would also like to note a fairly wide range of accessories included in the package.

Ulefone Armor 5 review: appearance and design

The smartphone is made of glass and plastic. There are thick rubber inserts for additional protection in case of falls. The front side is entirely covered with protective glass.

The glass is flat, without rounded edges. And for additional protection, it is barely noticeably recessed into the body.

The side frames can hardly be called narrow. Although by the standards of smartphones of this class they are by no means the largest. To maximize the use of bezel area at the top of the display. There is a standard set of elements here - earpiece, front camera and sensors.

The bottom frame is left free. The control keys are on-screen.

The ends of the case are united by a single plastic frame with rubber inserts. At the top there is an audio jack for connecting a wired headset, and at the bottom there is a USB Type C port. Each connector is securely closed with a special rubber plug.

The right side is reserved for mechanical power and volume control keys, and the slot for SIM cards and memory cards is placed on the left side.

The back side is covered with a glass panel. The solution is unusual by the standards of secure devices. There is no oleophobic coating; the surface quickly collects fingerprints.

At the top there is a dual main camera module and a fingerprint scanner. We also see an LED flash nearby.

There are no complaints about the build quality of the case; each element fits exactly into its place, there are no creaks or backlashes. However, this is not surprising, because the manufacturer claims resistance to dust and moisture according to the IP-68 standard, implying a high degree of protection.

Ulefone Armor 5 review: display test

The screen diagonal is 5.85 inches. The upper part has a “unibrow” to minimize the upper frame. The resolution is 1512 x 720 pixels. Thus, the pixel density is slightly more than 286 ppi.

The viewing angles are wide – traditional for IPS matrices. There are no noticeable changes in contrast or color rendition.

The white color looks natural, although slight darkening is noticeable at the corners of the screen.

But the black color looks more like gray with a bluish tint. Here you can also notice flare in the corners of the screen.

Using a colorimeter, the backlight brightness was measured and the quality of the factory color rendering calibration was tested.

The brightness range is quite wide. However, the serious black flare at the maximum backlight level attracts attention. An interesting situation emerged when adjusting the brightness of the backlight - there is no difference between an intensity of 100 and 75 percent. Even the colorimeter could not detect the difference, remaining within the margin of error.

The color graphs are located below the reference. The deviations are strong.

The indicators are stable throughout the graph. The red and green colors almost coincided with the reference, and the blue color was slightly higher.

Color temperature is slightly higher than the reference value. By the standards of modern smartphones, this figure can even be considered underestimated.

The color range almost coincides with the generally accepted RGB triangle. The largest deviation occurs in blue and green shades.

The points of the gray wedge are grouped near the boundaries of the delta - parasitic shades will not create discomfort for the user.

Overall, the quality of the display was not the best. There are serious questions about the display of black color and the operation of the backlight, and the quality of color rendering calibration is not of the highest level. This is a typical situation for “protected” smartphones - manufacturers do not bother installing high-quality displays, limiting themselves only to matching the resolution to modern trends and a reasonable margin of backlight brightness.

Ulefone Armor 5 review: hardware platform and performance

The hardware platform is based on the MediaTek MT6763 central processor. Another name for this chip is Helio P23. This is an eight-core processor with a maximum clock speed of up to 2 GHz. The Mali-G71 MP2 video adapter is responsible for video processing. The amount of RAM is 4 GB.

Using a series of synthetic benchmark tests, we will evaluate the performance level of our hero.

For everyday use, the capabilities of Ulefone Armor 5 will be enough. But for working in “heavy” applications, the performance reserve may no longer be enough.

You can form an opinion about the stability and tendency to heat up the case based on the results of testing in stress tests.

When working for a long time under load, the smartphone body heats up noticeably, and the processor frequencies begin to decrease. After reducing the load, the temperature quickly drops, and the processor frequencies return to normal.

Our hero's capabilities fully correspond to his cost. It would be unreasonable to expect flagship performance from a budget device, especially if it has a number of other distinctive features.

Ulefone Armor 5 review: software and firmware

The smartphone operates using the standard Android 8.1 operating system.

The interface remained standard, without any additional changes or innovations.

The settings menu is designed a little differently, but without global modifications.

Several sections have been added dedicated to controlling your smartphone using gestures and a fingerprint scanner. Although all sections are Russified, it is difficult to call the translation literate.

The application menu contains the Tools utility, which has a whole range of different functions that turn the smartphone into a simple measuring instrument.

The standard interface has the appropriate capabilities. It is familiar to everyone who has at least once encountered the Android operating system. Thanks to minimal interventions, it was possible to maintain the stability of the system. During testing, no serious freezes or glitches were noticed, and no reboot was required.

Ulefone Armor 5 review: security

Ulefone Armor 5 is equipped with a fingerprint scanner located on the back cover. It is round and can read a fingerprint from any angle. The location of the scanner is good from a design point of view. However, when searching for a scanner blindly, you can accidentally get your fingers on the main camera module and get it dirty.

The operation of the scanner did not cause any complaints. The fingerprint is read and recognized quickly, without failures. Although difficulties arose if the finger was dirty or wet.

There is also a facial recognition system. It is implemented using a front camera and works well in sufficient light. But in the dark, using this function becomes uncomfortable and it becomes easier to enter a password or put your finger on the scanner.

Among the data protection options available for the standard Android interface, we note the ability to prohibit the display of notifications or personal information on the lock screen. This function is not available in all shells and is often missing.

Ulefone Armor 5 review: multimedia

The list of video formats supported by the hardware capabilities of our hero can be clarified using the Antutu Video Tester application.

The list is wide, although not maximum. If you need to increase it, it will be enough to install a third-party video player with a software video decoding function.

By the way, the list of pre-installed applications does not include a music and video player - you are supposed to use the built-in file manager tools. So, most likely, the user will need to select the necessary software from the application store.

Our hero cannot be called a multimedia model. Yes, he doesn’t even try to appear to her. However, it can handle all the basic tasks most users need.

Ulefone Armor 5 review: wireless interfaces and communications

Our hero supports the installation of two SIM cards in nano-SIM format. They are installed in a special tray covered with a protective cover.

Controlling the operating mode of SIM cards pro in the standard menu. Here you can configure the use of a specific SIM card to perform various tasks.

Mobile communications are carried out in the GSM bands; WCDMA and LTE. There is full support for protocols and frequencies used in the Russian Federation.

There were no complaints about the stability of mobile communications, but the data transfer speed could have been higher.

There is an NFC antenna designed for data transmission and contactless payments using the Android Pay system.

Navigation testing was carried out in position determination mode using all sources.

The smartphone quickly detects and establishes a connection with a number of GPS and GLONASS satellites. There were no problems with the accuracy or speed of navigation.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules are also traditionally present. There were no complaints or complaints about their work.

Ulefone Armor 5 review: file system

The capacity of the built-in file storage is 64 GB. This volume can be expanded using a memory card. However, its installation is only possible instead of a second SIM card.

File system speed testing was carried out using the AndroBench application.

The pre-installed file manager is standard and has only basic functionality. But understanding the controls will not be difficult.

Ulefone Armor 5 review: battery life

The capacity of the built-in battery is 5,000 mAh. This is not the highest figure for smartphones of this level, however, it allows you to count on serious battery life, especially considering the “stuffing” of the new product.

Let's see what results Ulefone Armor 5 can achieve in synthetic tests.

When tested in our laboratory, the following indicators were obtained:

The graph shows the uniformity of battery discharge. You can see that throughout the test the load on the processor was not maximum, which is explained by the automatic adjustment of its operating modes.

An energy saving mode is available in the settings. This is a standard Android feature that makes adjustments to the operation of wireless modules and the hardware platform. No additional developments or manufacturer technologies are used.

The included power adapter produces a current of 2 A and does not support fast charging mode.

Among other features of the model, we mention wireless charging. However, you will have to purchase a charger for it separately. And this method of charging is no different in speed.

So, the autonomy of the review hero can be called his strong point. There is no need to talk about record figures, but you can count on several days of work at average loads.

Ulefone Armor 5 review: camera

The main camera is double. The main module has a resolution of 16.0 megapixels, the additional one – 5.0. The latter is used to create pictures with a bokeh effect. The front camera is more traditional - it has one module with a resolution of 13.0 megapixels.

The camera app has a clear interface with a range of different shooting modes. I am pleased with the complete and correct Russification.

One issue with slowdown was noticed in the operation of the application. Periodically, shooting occurs with a second delay after pressing the shutter key.

One unpleasant fact was also revealed. Following some other manufacturers, our hero is by default configured to add a stamp with information about the phone model to each photo. And in the settings you can disable this function, as in other smartphones. Only here it will be automatically activated every time the application is restarted. Over time, this can become very boring.

However, the main criterion for camera performance is the quality of the images. You can evaluate it using the sample pictures presented below.

Ulefone Armor 5 camera test

Example of a photo from the front camera:

Examples of pictures from the main camera (street):

Examples of pictures from the main camera (indoors):

Video example:

There were no special expectations from the cameras. Budget smartphones rarely surprise with this parameter, especially if they have a whole set of other distinctive features. We can say that they correspond to their price segment, and that’s all.

Ulefone Armor 5 review: comparison with competitors

There are quite interesting offers among secure smartphones and there is always a choice. True, this segment mainly features models from third-tier manufacturers (these include the Doogee S70, which recently visited the laboratory, and is positioned as a smartphone for the “survivalist” gamer).

Blackview BV5800 Pro is the most affordable device on our list. Moreover, this cost is relevant for offers in Russian retail. The smartphone is equipped with less expensive hardware and, accordingly, has a lower cost.

The user is offered a modest quad-core processor, a smaller display diagonal and smaller memory reserves. And the camera resolution is more modest. Is that the battery capacity is about 10% more. His younger brother - Blackview BV5800 - left a good impression on us at one time.

Second on our list is the Doogee S60 Lite. It is built on the basis of a less productive SoC, but it has the advantage of a high resolution display. And if in Russian retail it costs more, then on Chinese Internet sites its price tag is approximately the same as the new Ulefone product.

True, the display here is of a traditional shape with an aspect ratio of 16:9. As a result, despite the large dimensions of the case, the screen diagonal is only 5.2 inches. Other differences include half the amount of main memory and a single main camera, and among the advantages is a large battery capacity.

The last opponent will cost more when purchased from China. By paying several thousand rubles for the Oukitel WP5000, the user gets a more powerful processor and more RAM. There is 64 GB of built-in storage for storing personal files.

Unfortunately, the device cannot boast of an NFC module. This point may be decisive for a large number of Russian users, especially if there are competing gadgets with this technology.

Conclusion

Ulefone Armor 5 is a balanced and competitive offering in the rugged smartphone market, combining a stylish body with a high degree of protection, a powerful hardware platform and support for modern functions. There is an NFC module for contactless payments, support for wireless charging and a dual main camera. They didn’t forget about the elongated display and the modern USB Type C connector for charging.

By the standards of this segment, there are no serious miscalculations. However, protection of connectors using rubber plugs raises questions. With regular use, there is a risk that they will lose their seal, and then the moisture protection of the case will be in question. A number of competitors have a sealed charging connector (without the use of plugs). The manufacturer should take this possibility into account. All we can do is advise users to pay close attention to the condition of the stubs.

Pros of Ulefone Armor 5:

• Stylish and durable body;
• Sufficient level of performance;
• High degree of protection (IP-68);
• Availability of NFC antenna;
• Supports wireless charging.

Disadvantages of a smartphone:

• Use of non-hermetic connectors with rubber plugs.

May not suit:

• It is impossible to permanently disable the display of the stamp on photos.

Alexey Pashchuk

Good screen that is visible

If it doesn’t fall face down, there may be problems. Unfortunately, no one has come up with anything better than synthetic sapphire Gorilla Glass. Therefore, to protect Ulefone Armor 3, we chose it in the most stable third revision.

However, they did not deviate from current trends: instead of the more reliable technology with an air gap, a modern bright 5.7-inch IPS matrix with FullHD+ resolution (2160×1080), made using OGS technology, was used.

Contrary to the need to equip such smartphones with hardware control buttons, there are ordinary “on-screen” buttons on a vertically elongated matrix.

The brightness of 450 lumens is enough to work under bright sun. The color and contrast are normal - they don’t reach the flagship levels, but they don’t hurt the eyes either.

an oleophobic coating , but you can only notice it by removing the standard film. Besides, the quality is so-so.

Ulefone Armor X3: Performance Tests

I want to share with you not only my personal experience, but also synthetic performance tests.

Unfortunately, I was unable to run AnTuTu on Ulefone Armor X3. In the Play Store there is an error: “Your device is not compatible with this version.”

I also couldn't find the GeekBench 4 app in the Google Play Store. This means that the smartphone does not support the application.

However, you can see screenshots of 3DMark, AndroBench, SpeedTest and GPS tests.

Why “defenders” are not a panacea

Unlike earlier protected devices in the spirit of CAT S60, Ulefone Armor received less brutal equipment.

The hardware navigation buttons have been replaced by touch ones, the tray cover is insulated with thin gaskets on screws and along the contour, the plug for the only connector is quite modest, not reinforced.

But there is a spare one (spare screws are also included in the package).

And all because in reality internal protection plays a much larger role - even an open tray will not lead to serious problems if it does not fall under a stream of water or sand.

The metal frame will withstand even a serious blow, the rubber inserts will make it spring back. That is, it is virtually impossible to break Armor 3, as well as to spoil it with vibration (which ordinary smartphones are afraid of).

If you don’t hit the screen on a sharp protrusion, the only salvation will not be Gorilla Glass, but one of the supplied films (one is already on the screen, the second is included).

Otherwise, nothing good can be expected: a broken screen will allow water to pass through (protection only along the contour).

Ulefone Armor X3: Display

In fact, I don't have much to say about the display because it's typical of 2020 ultra-budget smartphones.

The Ulefone Armor X3 screen has a diagonal of 5.5 inches and HD+ resolution.

I didn't find any information about screen protection, but it is very important for a rugged smartphone. Most likely, the smartphone has Corning Gorilla Glass, but I don’t know what generation.

Overall the display is very bright. You can use it outdoors, and even in direct sunlight. The screen is very good for a smartphone costing $89.

Weak platform for the undemanding

As a platform, Ulefone's thrifty engineers chose for Armor 3 not the most popular and not the latest Mediatek Helio P23 (MTK6763T) with a MaliG71-MP2 .

Until recently, this processor was considered a direct competitor to mid-price Qualcomm processors, but today it is clearly inferior to its competitors in all respects except power consumption.

However, it is enough for the system, basic applications and simple tasks: surfing, reading documents, working as a navigator. (For aesthetes, there is a 3W version with a P70 for almost the same money.)

All of them are more sensitive to the amount and speed of memory (any version of the smartphone has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal memory) rather than to the speed of a single core. Therefore, there are no lags, interface slowdowns or problems with any applications.

You can also play, but overheating occurs quite quickly: the design is not optimized for long-term loads. In addition, in the most demanding games (PUBG, Asphalt) you have to reduce the graphics settings to medium.

Ulefone Armor X3: Battery

On the one hand, the battery of Ulefone Armor X3 is an advantage of this smartphone. The 5000 mAh battery offers very long battery life. The smartphone worked for about 4 days while I was testing it. If you are not a heavy user, you can count on 7 days of battery life.

The main problem is charging time. Fully charging the battery takes about 5 hours. It is too long! Of course, you can charge your smartphone at night and not have any problems. However, if you need to charge your smartphone urgently, then you should wait 1 hour to charge about 15%.

Full set of interfaces

With communications, the situation is exactly the opposite: despite the mass of shielding elements of the case, network reception is surprisingly tenacious and stable.

There are no fashionable calls via LTE, like the fastest 4th/5th generation protocols. However, Armor 3 makes the most of the supported gangs (all that are available in Russia, the CIS countries and Europe).

Only 1 SIM card works at a time, the second one is in standby mode (standard scheme). However, there is a separate slot for memory cards.

The smartphone is also equipped with NFC , which works in 2 directions - both for recording and receiving. All payment systems work, Troika is read and written.

Navigation capabilities are represented by a full set of GPS, GLONASS, Baidou. Works quickly and accurately.

Perhaps flagship devices can only envy the response speed: a cold start takes only 20 seconds.

Ulefone Armor X3: Camera

Ulefone Armor X3 has two sensors on the back: a 12MP primary sensor and a 2MP secondary sensor. The second sensor is supposed to be used for the bokeh effect, but it doesn't work.

On the front panel there is a 5-megapixel camera.

I took several photos and videos in different modes and weather conditions. I would like to say that the photo quality is acceptable for an $89 smartphone.

Autonomy that surprises

Ulefone Armor 3 boasts one of the longest batteries on the market. As much as 10,300 mAh , give or take a couple hundred. Record! That's just...

Well, as usual: small brands don’t know how to optimize, so we didn’t get amazing numbers. Either the processor has let us down, or there are problems with the modem, but Armor will only be seen by iPhone users.

In video playback mode over Wi-Fi at medium brightness, the battery runs out after 17 hours . Surfing on LTE spends it in 11-13 hours, depending on the quality of the coverage.

Games and other heavy graphics loads are the most painful: the battery runs out after 8-9 hours of continuous operation, even if you use external cooling (the processor is far away, almost useless).

However, a mixed load allows the device to survive more than 3 days away from a power outlet, of which at least 15 hours is screen time.

For fast charging, Mediatek Pump Express is used, which allows you to replenish reserves in 3 hours from the original charger, or half in an hour.

Ulefone Armor X3: Games

Ulefone Armor X3 has weak performance, but you can still play popular games.

I was able to run Asphalt 8 and PUBG Mobile Lite and I want to say that they work very well. Yes, the graphics are bad, but I'm very surprised that the smartphone managed to run these games.

Cameras and sound. Yes, okay

The developers did not fall for the multi-camera fashion, leaving a single 21-megapixel Sony IMX230 sensor with f/1.8 aperture. Well, the decision turned out to be correct: the pictures are bright and clear.

But only in the daytime or in good lighting. The software part let us down - no night mode, or any other delights of artificial intelligence.

But the double flash with colossal brightness shines better than a flashlight, and copes well with illumination at a distance of up to 10 meters.

The front camera also uses a single 13-megapixel module. Pretty good for an ordinary “Chinese”. “Semyashki” comes out worthy of social networks.

In addition to their regular purpose, the cameras “moonlight” as a measuring tool. So, with the help of the main smartphone, it turns into a square-level, and the front one can count the pulse.

She does this, however, not very accurately. But no worse than the average Chinese-made bracelets, even taking into account the first revisions of the Mi Band.

Ulefone Armor X3: Software

The budget rugged smartphone from Ulefone runs on Android 9.0 Pie. It has pre-installed Google apps like Play Store, YouTube, Maps, Music and other apps like Note, Wireless Emergency, Sound Recorder, FM Radio, etc.

As you understand, this is not “pure” Android, because the icons have been changed, and many applications from the Chinese manufacturer are installed.

However, the smartphone has several interesting features. The first function is face unlock. Of course, this is not uncommon for a smartphone in 2020, but I did not expect to see it in an $89 smartphone.

In Settings, you will find the Easy Key menu to assign a function to the button on the left side, such as SOS, Flash and PPT.

The smartphone also has an interesting “Underwater” mode. You can activate it in the quick settings menu. When you turn on underwater mode, the touch screen stops working. You cannot use any features other than photos and videos. To take a photo or video, you need to press the volume up/down button.

A week together. General impressions

I actually use the huge Blackview BV9600 as a secondary smartphone, so a heavyweight like the Ulefone Armor 3 doesn't seem new to me.

However, Armor 3 is one of the heaviest and largest devices in its class. The rather ordinary platform combined with an IPS matrix does not add to its attractiveness.

Therefore, after its installation, there was a clear downgrade. However, their prices are also very different - but actual use is almost equal.

A huge, heavy smartphone turns out to be quite convenient if you use additional accessories included in the package: a hand strap, a holder for a bicycle handlebar. In some cases, the box will please you with a brutal metal clip.

In the case of a secure smartphone, a side scanner Right under your middle finger. Fast and accurate. Just like the smartphone itself in class-appropriate tasks.

Same with everything else: Armor 3 is a pleasure to use. But not in ordinary life, only when a truly durable device is needed. He has nothing more to offer.

Ulefone Armor X3: Design

The design of Ulefone Armor X3 is typical for rugged smartphones in 2020. It has rubberized corners and a back panel, while the sides are made of metal.

However, I want to note that Ulefone Armor X3 is quite compact for a rugged smartphone. Sure, it's larger and heavier than a typical mobile device without any level of security, but it's smaller than most rugged devices of yesteryear.

By the way, did you notice that the protective film has a cutout for the bangs? In fact, the smartphone has thick bezels on the top and bottom. Most likely, the protective film is intended for another smartphone. Who knows!

On the back panel there is a dual camera, flash and company logo.

I think the most interesting thing is located on the side edges.

On the left we see a slot for a TF/SIM card and a customizable red button. The volume key and power button are on the right side.

I noticed screws on the right and left sides, but not sure if they can be removed. Most likely, they are only design elements.

The 3.5 mm audio jack and microUSB port have rubber plugs. You should close them before going swimming with your smartphone. It is very important!

This is not to say that Ulefone Armor X3 has a beautiful design, but for some reason I like it. It is small and light enough for a rugged smartphone. I think size is important to a lot of people. Nobody wants to carry around a brick that doesn't even fit in their jeans pocket.

Screen

The smartphone display has a diagonal of 6.3 inches with a resolution of 2340 by 1080 pixels. Dot density is 409 units per inch. Quite good for an armored device. Due to the large frames, the display occupies only 71% of the entire front surface. Not enough.

We liked the screen calibration. The color temperature, of course, is tilted towards shades of blue, but not as much as it happens in cheap smartphones with IPS displays. Comfortable to use. Also pleasing are the contrasting and rich colors, as well as maximum viewing angles.

As for the brightness reserve, as befits a device that is intended for users who spend a lot of time outdoors, it is enough to ensure that the content on the screen remains readable even on a sunny day.

Battery autonomy

The rugged Ulefone Armor 5 is equipped with a 5,000 mAh battery. The manufacturer claims that its full charge is enough for 10 hours of video viewing. In real testing, my phone lasted 7 hours and 30 minutes. You need to set up optimization to achieve the stated autonomy of this battery.

However, we have fast charging included, refilling the battery from 0 to 100% takes 3 hours, as stated. There is also support for fast wireless charging technology, which is rare even in flagship devices.

Price and main characteristics

Specifications:

• display: 6.3”, IPS 2340×1080 px (409 ppi);
• processor: Helio P90 (8×2.2 GHz) + PowerVR GM9446 video accelerator;
• RAM: 8 GB;
• internal memory: 128 GB + micro SD flash cards up to 2 TB;
• camera: main – quad module 64+8+2+2 MP, front – 8 MP;
• communications: 4G LTE, Wi-Fi (802.11 ac), Bluetooth 5.0 LE, GPS, NFC;
• battery: 6600 mAh;
• dimensions: 168.2x82x15 mm;
• weight: 320 g.

Ulefone Armor 9

You can buy the device on AliExpress. There the price of Ulefone Armor 9 is 39 thousand rubles.