Ulefone is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year and to celebrate, it is launching the first rugged phone with the flagship Dimensity 9300+ chipset. Additionally, the company is launching its first small rugged smartphone, which is even more durable, despite its small size.
Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra Thermal Variant
With the Dimensity 9300+ and 16GB of RAM, the Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra is as capable as any Android flagship, but it can go places they don’t dare: it’s rated IP68 for water resistance (up to 2m/6.6ft for 30 minutes) and IP69K (hot water jets). Additionally, it’s been tested for drop resistance from 2m/6.6ft. The phone can also survive extreme temperatures and can operate between -30°C and 55°C (-22°F to 131°F).
Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra Thermal Variant
Besides the chipset, the other “normal” feature that stands out is the 1-inch sensor of the main camera, the Sony IMX989 (50 MP, f/1.9). Daytime photography can also be done with the 50 MP ultra-wide-angle camera (Samsung JN1) or the 50 MP selfie camera (JN1 again).
Since this is an Ulefone device, it naturally comes with a night vision camera: a 64MP module with an 80° field of view (based on the OV64B1B sensor). And as the name suggests, it also comes with a thermal camera.
Thermal imaging is done with the ThermoVue Pro app and provides 256 x 192 px video. This is Ulefone's highest resolution thermal imaging camera to date. It is ideal for professionals (e.g. to check for leaks) and adventurers (e.g. as another way to see in the dark). Additional accessories can be connected to the uSmart expansion slot (e.g. an endoscope camera).
Now moving on to the usual features, the Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra features a 6.67-inch OLED display, an FHD+ panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,200 nits. Incidentally, this is Ulefone’s first rugged phone to feature an OLED display. And that’s not all, there’s also a secondary circular display on the back, which displays the time and other information when the phone is face down.
The phone has 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM (+ up to 16GB virtual) and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage, expandable via microSD. The card slot can also accommodate two nanoSIM cards.
The Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra Thermal Variant is the first rugged phone with Dimensity 9300+
As is often the case for the brand, this phone has a monster 10,600mAh (41Wh) battery. That's double what a regular phone has, so fast charging is essential and Ulefone doesn't disappoint – the phone does 120W via USB-C and 50W wirelessly.
This is a 5G phone with support for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.4. NFC is also on board, as is an IR blaster. It is equipped with a single speaker, a powerful 1.5W unit, as well as a 3.5mm headphone jack. The built-in FM radio receiver doesn't even need headphones as it has a built-in antenna.
Ulefone CEO says: “A device that sits at the intersection of ruggedness and cutting-edge technology, the Armor 28 Ultra Thermal Variant is our tribute to a decade of pushing boundaries. It’s more than a smartphone; it’s a loyal companion for those who push boundaries and explore them.”
Ulefone Armor Mini 20T Pro
This one is small by Ulefone standards and small in general, if you don't mind the thickness and weight. The Mini measures 133.5 x 63.3 x 24.9mm and weighs 301g.
The Ulefone Armor Mini 20T Pro is equipped with a 4.7-inch display (HD+, 20:9) with a 90Hz refresh rate. There is no rear display, but instead there are 130 LEDs: 102 white LEDs (which can be used as a 500 lumen flashlight) and a combination of 14 blue LEDs and 14 red LEDs, which can flash red/blue in an emergency. There is an accompanying app, which can be used to set a timer of 5 to 30 minutes for the light, for example.
The Mini is even tougher than the Ultra. It’s IP68 and IP69K certified, but this time it’s been tested to 20m/66ft underwater. Additionally, it’s been drop tested to a depth of 10m/33ft. Like its sibling, it can operate in extreme temperatures (-30°C to 55°C/-22°F to 131°F).
Ulefone Armor Mini 20T Pro
Anyway, this model also has a thermal camera. This time, it is controlled by the MyFLIR Pro app and delivers 160 x 120 px at 25 Hz (FoV 57 °). It joins the 50 MP main camera (Samsung GN1) and 32 MP selfie camera (GD1). The 102 white LEDs are arranged around the rear camera, so they form a powerful flash.
The Armor Mini 20T Pro is powered by the Dimensity 6300 chipset, making it more of an entry-level model. It’s paired with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM (+ up to 8GB virtual) and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. The expansion slot is a hybrid solution with room for two nanoSIM cards or one SIM and one microSD.
The battery is quite large for this size of device with a capacity of 6,200mAh (24Wh). Charging is quite fast at 33W wired and 15W wireless (5W reverse wireless charging is available if you need to charge another gadget).
The Mini is a 5G phone with Wi-Fi 4(n) and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity. NFC and an IR blaster are on board, as is the headphone-free FM radio receiver.
Rates and availability
The Ulefone Armor 28 Ultra will soon be available for pre-sale starting in November. The Ulefone Armor Mini 20T Pro will be released earlier as it will be available in October. Both launch with Android 14 out of the box. The prices of both phones will be announced at a later date.