Ulefone Armor X31 Pro Review

Design, build and controls

The Ulefone Armor X31 Pro is equally classic and intriguingly attractive. On one hand, you see this standard shape of a rugged smartphone with a toned-down look compared to most devices in this industry. On the other, you see the swirling design of the rear shell resembling delicate cloth that swirls around the round camera module that resembles a compass. The Lightsome Green and Few Orange accent colors are quite vibrant and create an invigorating look and feel. The Classic Black version will appeal to the more business-oriented audience. In the rugged smartphone world, the Ulefone Armor X31 Pro is one of the thinner and lighter models. Its body is 81.06 mm wide, 173.1 mm tall, and 14.48 mm thick. The device tips the scales at 306 grams. The chassis is made of tough polycarbonate to ensure a lighter body that does not compromise on sturdiness. The entire rear shell and frame are covered with shock-absorbing TPU that also prevents the device from slipping. The four corners have additional padding to ensure maximum protection from drops. The front is covered with a Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The box includes a tempered glass screen protector as well. The Ulefone Armor X31 Pro is IP68- and IP69-rated. It can be soaked in water for 30 minutes at a depth of 2 meters and can withstand drops from a height of 2 meters. The device is also completely dustproof and can also survive water spraying along with extreme temperatures. The MIL-STD-810H certification ensures the model is properly tested to survive drops on its front, back, sides, corners, and edges. The front is dominated by the display protected by a Corning Gorilla Glass 5. The display casing protrudes quite a bit from the glass and the frame's surface for additional protection should the device drop with the screen down on a flat surface. The side bezels are 3 mm thick. The top one is 5 mm thick and the bottom one is 7 mm thick. A punch hole in the top center of the display houses the 16MP selfie camera. The earpiece is placed on the edge between the frame and the display. The light and proximity sensors are positioned in the left part of the top bezel, while the LED notification light resides in the right part of the top bezel. The dynamic appearance of the rear shell is dominated by the round camera island that occupies the top one-third of the back of the device. It is surrounded by the protective ring in the model's corresponding color. The module houses the main camera, the Night Vision unit with two IR lights, the macro lens, the single LED camera flash, and a dedicated LED flashlight with a luminance of 120 Lumens. The NFC area is right in the middle under the rear cover. The Ulefone logo is printed on a glossy plate with a wavy shape placed at the bottom of the rear shell. The top frame of the Ulefone Armor X31 Pro is the home of the IR blaster and the 3.5 mm headphone jack covered with an insulating cap. The bottom frame houses the speaker and the USB Type-C port with an insulating cap. The bottom right corner has a lanyard hole. The left frame of the smartphone houses the customizable physical button and the triple-slot tray that's also protected by an insulating cap. It can be pulled our with the pick provided in the box. It has two slots for a Nano-SIM card on one of its sides and a third one for a microSD card on the opposite side. The Volume rocker and the Power button with an embedded fingerprint reader are positioned on the right frame.