Ulefone Armor 9 Review

Overview

The Ulefone Armor 9 is the latest and current top model from Ulefone's Armor series of ruggedized smartphones. The manufacturer is not only trying to offer significant upgrades to every following model but also trying to diversify their model-specific features. In the Armor 9 context, these more-specific features include a FLIR Lepton thermal imaging camera with MSX technology. As an optional accessory, you can also get a detachable 3-in-1 endoscope. Full rugged qualities are also in place. On top of that, the Armor 9 arrives with a 64MP Samsung main camera, a capable processor, and a big battery that offers good autonomy. In this review, we examine in detail every aspect of the smartphone and as usual, let's begin with an overview of the specifications.

Specifications

The Ulefone Armor 9 has a 6.3-inch in-cell IPS display with an FHD+ resolution (1080 x 2340 pixels). The display is protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 3 with fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating. The rest of the body is a combination of metal, tough polycarbonate, silicone, and rubber to ensure all sensitive parts of the body are protected. The device has a MIL-STD-810G certification for resistance to drops, shock, pressure, humidity, acidic atmosphere, temperature extremes, etc. The SIM tray, 3.5 mm jack, USB-C port, speaker, and other sensitive areas are protected to ensure the IP68 and IP69K requirements are met.

The processing power of the Armor 9 depends on a MediaTek Helio P90 (MT6779V/CE) system-on-chip. Built on TSMC's 12 nm process, it packs an octa-core CPU with 2x 2.2GHz Cortex-A75 cores and 6x 2GHz Cortex-A55 cores. An IMG 9XM-HP8 (PowerVR GM9446) GPU clocked 970 MHz manages the graphics department. The chipset is paired to 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 128GB of UFS 2.1 storage. The latter can be expanded. A 6600 mAh battery with 18W fast charging support keeps the lights on.

A waterdrop notch above the display houses the 8MP front-facing camera with an f/2.2 aperture. On the back, there are four cameras which, however, form two camera modules. One is for general shooting, comprising of a 64MP Samsung ISOCELL Bright GW1 main shooter with an f/1.89 aperture and a 2MP depth-sensing unit. The second camera module is for thermal imaging and consists of the FLIR Lepton main shooter with a 5MP auxiliary one. The rear cameras are aided by a quad-LED flash. The whole module is water- and dust-proof as well, enabling underwater photography.

The Armor 9 has a hybrid, dual Nano-SIM tray with both SIM cards supporting 4G VoLTE simultaneously. The network bands supported by both cards are as follows: 2G GSM (2/3/5/8), 2.5G CDMA (BC0/BC1), 3G WCDMA (1/2/4/5/8), 3G TD-SCDMA (34/39), 4G TDD-LTE (34/38/39/40/41) and 4G FDD-LTE (1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/25/28A/28B/32). The wireless connectivity options of the Ulefone Armor 9 include Bluetooth 5, dual-band Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Wi-Fi Direct, Wi-Fi Hotspot, Wi-Fi Display. The smartphone also supports NFC and works with GPS, GLONASS and Beidou.

The model is equipped with a USB Type-C 2.0 port with OTG support, a 3.5 mm jack, and a side-mounted fingerprint sensor. The Armor 9 runs on slightly customized Android 10.

Complete Ulefone Armor 9 specifications.

What's in the box

We purchased our Armor 9 unit from Amazon UK and here we will describe what came as a package. The device was placed in an update box for the Armor smartphones. Yellow and black are still preserved but the silhouette of a mountain hill with trekkers is replaced by another print that conveys the idea of toughness. The brand and model names are imprinted on the lid with the IP69K and IP68 rating icons. On the back, the usual data about main specs, features and certifications are provided. In addition to the phone, which sits on top of everything, the box contains:

• 5V/2A~7V/2A~9V/2A~12V/1.5A charger (EU plug)
• USB Type-C data cable
• OTG cable
• Handling string
• Mini-USB to Type-C adapter
• Screen protector
• SIM-tray pin
• User manual in several languages
• Warranty card