Ulefone Note 18 Ultra Review

OS, UI and software

Ulefone Note 18 Ultra runs on stock Android 13. The Lock Screen is quite minimalistic with a subtle Clock and Date widget. The Home Screen contains the usual elements - a search bar with voice search and Lens, a Clock and Date widget, a dock row of apps, and a row of favorite apps. There are also shortcuts to the Remote Control and Service Center apps there. Desktop shortcuts are supported. The Customization Picker options appear at the bottom of the screen with previews above them. It contains a standard choice of widgets, wallpapers, and styles along with the usual Home Settings - notification dots, At A Glance, Google Discover toggle, app suggestions, dynamic icon toggles, and launcher style. The launcher style lets you choose how the apps should be displayed - with an app drawer or on consecutive desktops following the Home Screen. The Task Manager tiles the app previews horizontally with options to enter split-screen mode and access the app info. You can also lock individual apps from being cleared from the background. In case, you want to have more control, there's a White List from where you can lock/unlock apps en-masse. The Notifications shade is accessed after a swipe down from the left top of the display. The Quick Settings are accessed after a swipe down from the right top of the display. The toggles appear below two very big toggles for Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, the auto-brightness icon, and the brightness level bar. Of course, you can edit the list of quick settings by adding or removing toggles. Ulefone Note 18 Ultra arrives with a slightly expanded set of pre-installed apps. They include Assistant, Calculator, Calendar, Camera, Child Mode, Chrome, Clock, Contacts, Drive, Easy Launcher, Files, Find Device, FM Radio, Game Mode, Gmail, Google Discover, Keep Notes, Maps, Meet, Messages, Note, Phone, Photos, Play Store, QRCode Scan, Remote Control, Safety, Service Center, Settings, Sound Recorder, System Manager, Toolbag, YouTube, and YT Music. The Child/Student Mode lets you create a separate space with an environment controlled by you. The Easy Launcher switches only to the very basic functions of the phone and is suitable for the elderly or for people with poor sight. The Game Mode suppresses notifications and other events that might interfere with your gameplay. You get two apps for notes, obviously. A dedicated application serves the IR blaster turning the Note 18 Ultra into a convenient remote controller for electronic devices and appliances. The System Manager comprises tools for power management, cleaning old or useless files, freeing RAM and ROM, and freezing and locking apps. Finally, the ToolBag contains tools such as a compass, sound meter, pic hanging, gradienter, height meter, magnifier, protractor, plumb bob, alarm bell, mirror, and a torch. The "Settings" app on the Note 18 Ultra follows a typical Ulefone layout that groups the various menus. Each group is separated by the next with a thick light gray line. Each menu is denoted with a color icon. The first group is about connectivity and gives you direct access to the airplane mode toggle, the SIM card, and mobile data tools. From here you can also access all Wi-Fi-related options and options for connecting with other devices via Bluetooth, NFC, Cast Display, Quick Share, etc. The second group begins with the "Notifications" settings which are quite standard - app notifications, history, conversations, bubbles, lock screen options, DND, and wireless emergency alerts. They are followed by the "Display" menu, described in the corresponding section of this review. The "Sound & Vibration" settings are next comprising the usual four volume bars, DND mode, ringtone options, notification and alarm sounds, Live Caption, vibration, and haptics. It is followed by the "Security" menu with biometrics and password settings, app lock, Android safe browsing, smart lock, etc. The "Passwords & accounts" settings complete the second group of settings. The third group commences with the "Apps" options containing the usual app history, screen time management, cloud media app, special app access, etc. It is followed by the "Battery" and "Storage" menus, and "Accessibility" closes the group off with screen reader options, interaction controls, captions, audio and display enhancement tools for the hearing and visually impaired. The fourth group is the most expansive one. It begins with the "Privacy" menu with the usual permission manager, privacy dashboard, Android system intelligence, activity controls, autofill service, etc. It is followed by the standard "Location", "Safety & emergency", and the "Digital Wellbeing & parental controls" options. "Fingerprint" is a space that allows you to add more functions to the fingerprint IDs you have already stored. Each function is a toggle that you have to explicitly turn on. Some include going back to the home screen, open the Task Manager, snap a photo or r video, or answer a call with a touch and hold on the fingerprint reader. "Google" is next, followed by "Custom key". The latter lets you add functions to the a single press, a double press, or a long press on the physical customizable button on the left frame of the handset. "DuraSpeed" is next and can be used to restrict background running apps in favor of the foreground ones. When an app is included in the DuraSpeed list, it won't be restricted when running in the background. "Memory Expansion" enables virtual RAM expansion with up to 6GB. If you activate this feature, the device must be restarted for the changes to take effect. "Smart Assist" is the last menu in the group. It contains the "Smart Touch" floating dot, "Gesture Motion", "Night Light", "One-handed mode", and "Gloves mode". The fifth group of menus is the last and comprises the "System" and "About Phone" ones. The "System" menu contains system update options, settings for the languages and keyboards, backup and reset options, and gesture settings for the type of system navigation, power button options, and quick camera access. The "About phone" menu offers general information about the model's name, specifications, software version, IMEI numbers, etc.