Ulefone is part of a group of Chinese phone makers that focus heavily on the rugged device market, offering Android phones and tablets. The Ulefone Power Armor 16 Pro is already one of the best rugged Android phones, with its feature-rich design and affordable hardware. Based on pure specs, the Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra is the flagship of a new generation that offers more power and features.
The Armor 26 Ultra is a rugged phone in the truest sense of the word, not a budget design with added water resistance. Ulefone has added a lot of desirable things to the Armor 26 Ultra, but can these things make up for the massive size of this mobile phone?
UleFone Armor 26 Ultra
Notable features of the Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra include a battery that is three times larger than a conventional phone, IP68/IP69K environmental resistance, a 200MP camera, external connectors for microscopes and binoculars, and a 121dB speaker. It may be heavy, but the user experience is exceptional in other aspects.
- Battery capacity 15600 mAh
- 200MP main camera and four other sensors
- IP68/IP69K Water, dust and drop resistant
- 120W charging
- 600g / 1.33lb
- The 121 decibel speaker can attract unwanted attention.
- eccentric accessory
Price, availability and specifications
Big price differences depending on where you order from.
As a Chinese brand, Ulefone’s main store is always AliExpress, but this phone can also be found on Amazon. There, it’s currently priced at $660, though an $80 coupon makes it $580. That seems like a reasonable price for the technology in this phone, but based on the deals on AliExpress, it could be found for $300 less.
It’s also worth noting that the phone is only available on Amazon, while AliExpress has various deals that include some Ulefone accessories. They also have a special edition Armor 26 Ultra with enhanced Wi-Fi technology that costs around $50 more.
I should also mention that this phone’s 5G modem is designed for true global use, covering multiple countries and a select group of providers in the US. These include Sprint, T-Mobile Cspire, AT&T, Google Fi, US Cellular, Verizon Wireless, Cricket Wireless, and GCI Wireless.
What are the good features of Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra?
Packed with features and performance
Rather than breaking down the specific features that make this phone the one you’d want to own, the overall package and the parts used provide the main selling point. Many rugged phones are updated budget designs, but the Armor 26 Ultra was designed from the ground up to pack as much technology as possible into this nearly indestructible body.
Battery capacity was a design priority, and with 15,600mAh, this necessitated including a 120W charger in the box. You can charge it with a regular phone charger or use the 33W wireless charging, but it will take longer to reach full capacity. This is a huge battery by regular smartphone standards, but compared to the 22,000mAh offered by the Uniherz Tank, it still has some way to go.
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A nice touch on this phone are the Pogo pins, which enable it to charge at 33W without disturbing the rubber plug on the USB-C port using a desk charging dock that Ulefone has specially designed for it. This rubber plug is necessary to maintain the IP68/69K rating for water and dust resistance over the long term since this port is where water and dust ingress is most likely to occur.
The camera options include underwater shooting settings, although this phone will sink if you leave it. I’d advise avoiding this feature unless you’re in water shallower than the maximum submersion depth of 1.5 meters.
As expected, the target audience is adventurers, and the Armor 26 Ultra has all the requirements in terms of flexibility, battery life and the ability to capture stunning landscapes in stunning photos or videos.
The camera has five different sensors, the main choice being the Samsung HP3 sensor, which can capture massive 200MP images (16320 x 12240). At lower resolutions, the camera uses pixel binning to deliver relatively artifact-free, well-saturated output.
The camera features are on par with a premium phone with three other rear sensors: ultra-wide, night vision, and a telephoto lens with 3.2x optical zoom. And if those aren’t too much of a stretch, the front-facing selfie sensor is 50MP.
My only gripe about the rear cameras is that the sensors are spaced too widely apart, causing the viewpoint to shift subtly when you automatically switch between them. With a less powerful phone, these cameras might challenge the CPU to keep up, but the Armor 26 Ultra uses the same powerful Dimensity 8020 SoC that Blackview used in the BL9000 Pro.
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Strong performance for the more adventurous type.
Fortunately, the weird phase where Chinese phone manufacturers tried to turn their backs on Google is in the past, as the Armor 26 Ultra runs mostly stock Android 13.
By default, all the essential Google apps come pre-installed, along with some phone-specific tools like the radio and a small suite of apps labeled “Third Party Toolkit.” The lack of unnecessary software here is much appreciated, and with just an active Google account, the Armor 26 Ultra uses just 19GB, a fraction of the available 512GB.
It’s also worth noting that this phone’s 5G modem is designed for true global use, covering all major US providers.
What’s bad about Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra?
Works as a sea anchor
As with any phone, some things should have been different, and others are constraints created by the designers’ paths along the development path.
The biggest problem with the Armor 26 Ultra is that, at 1.33 pounds (600 grams), it’s a big chunk of metal and scratch-resistant glass that can easily be used to knock fence posts to the ground. It needs to be tucked away in a large zippered pocket to avoid being thrown off by sudden movements, and its sheer bulk makes it a less-than-ideal hiking companion. Reducing the battery capacity would have made it lighter, but the battery is one of its main features.
The phone’s bulk can be reduced somewhat by using the Ulefone Armor Holster, which allows the phone to be attached to a backpack. This is a better option than constantly carrying this heavy weight on your belt.
If you’ve ever owned a phone like this, you probably know that rugged phone makers typically add one of two features: a loudspeaker or a powerful flashlight. Ulefone has opted for a 121dB loudspeaker in the middle of the camera array.
As those numbers suggest, this phone can be exceptionally loud, and if it’s not on vibrate, it’ll get you thrown out of the opera house. And while camping, this phone could alert wildlife within a five-mile radius to your exact location, serving as a practical dinner bell for any hungry bears.
That’s not to say this isn’t a feature that some might find useful, but others in your group might wish you’d bought a phone with a bright light instead.
Should you buy it?
A powerful phone for people with strong wrists.
The ideal place for this phone is to mount it on a car, which is strange considering Ulefone failed to provide a much-needed car mount kit. When combined with some inexpensive accessories, this phone could be useful for those in the car trade or machinery repair business. The wide camera features make it suitable for capturing dramatic events and landscapes, and the water and dust resistance provide reliable durability.
However, it’s less convincing as an everyday car, as it’s quite heavy, making it unsuitable for anyone with wrist issues.
Ultimately, what stands out about this phone is the amount of high-quality parts Ulefone has put inside it and the overall high-quality build it uses, especially considering the relatively low price tag. With designs like the Armor 26 Ultra hitting the market, it’s becoming harder to justify the prices some luxury brands are asking.
UleFone Armor 26 Ultra
The UleFone Armor 26 Ultra is a phone of epic proportions, offering massive battery capacity and a host of desirable features at a modest price.
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