One of the best parts of Android is the sheer variety of phones available. While many people opt for one of the best Android devices on the market, others may need something a little more rugged, something that can withstand the toughest conditions of life. That’s where devices like the Blackview BL9000 Pro come in.
The BL9000 Pro is Blackview’s latest rugged phone and aims to please the most extreme users. If you enjoy outdoor activities, are the adventurous type, or are tired of your kids breaking your phone, then this rugged, multi-purpose device might be the perfect choice for you.
Blackview BL9000 Pro
With the BL9000 Pro, Blackview has sought to create a powerful and reliable device that is equally good for everyday use. The BL9000 Pro has great performance and comes with an impressive battery life. It is a bit pricey, but if you are looking for a powerful and durable device, this is it.
- Massive battery life
- Good performance overall
- Can withstand the toughest conditions
- too big and heavy
- Average cameras
Price and availability
The Blackview BL9000 Pro was announced in April 2024 and is expected to launch in May. The smartphone retails for $760, but Blackview has dropped that price to $550 during the pre-order period. Blackview ships this device in either black or gold. It can be found directly from Blackview or authorized retailers like Ali Express.
What are the good features of Blackview BL9000 Pro?
Very integrated and robust.
If you value nothing more than a reliable and durable device, the BL9000 Pro has it all. In addition to the MIL-STD-810H rating, this device is IP68 and IP69K rated. This phone has no problem being submerged in water up to 1.5 meters deep for up to 30 minutes. It can also withstand extreme temperatures, high-pressure jets, and operate in environments ranging from -4 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit.
The BL9000 Pro also performs very well. Powered by a MediaTek Dimensity 8020 processor, 12GB of LPDDR4X RAM, and 512GB of UFS 3.1 storage, the BL9000 ran very smoothly during my testing. There was no lag, allowing for smooth gameplay. If you push things too hard, the BL9000 Pro can use some of its storage to create virtual RAM, allowing for up to 24GB of RAM. It will also give you a decent gaming experience.
While it’s not as powerful as the Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, it can handle the latest titles without slowing down. In Geekbench 6, the BL9000 Pro scored a single-core score of 1,117 and a multi-core score of 3,656, putting it in similar territory to the Snapdragon 888.
The viewing experience is also very good thanks to its large 6.78-inch, 2460 x 1080 IPS LCD display. It doesn’t have the most accurate colors, and lacks the punchy hues of AMOLED displays, but it was nice and smooth thanks to the 120Hz refresh rate. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus. This display is glove-friendly, as it works with some thick gloves.
Thanks to a massive 8,800mAh battery, this device measures battery life in days, not hours. That’s especially great if you don’t use the charger very often or hate charging your device daily. I could easily get it to last three full days between charges, and I could get it to last four days if I wasn’t actively trying to push it to its limits. It may not be as good as the Unihertz Tank, but it’s more than enough for most uses. If your battery is running low, the included 120W charger can charge the device from 1 to 50 percent in about 15 minutes or to 100 percent in about an hour.
Related
Unihertz Tank Review: 100 Days on a Single Charge
The Unihertz Tank delivers up to 100 days on a single charge and performs better than most rugged smartphones.
The BL9000 Pro comes with Android 14 with DokeOS 4.0. DokeOS 4.0 is basically stock Android and surprisingly doesn’t come with any additional software. It also has face unlock and the power button doubles as a fingerprint reader.
Unique Features
Blackview prides itself on its thermal imaging capabilities, and for good reason. It comes with a FLIR Lepton 3.5 160 x 120 resolution camera, for impressive thermal imaging capabilities. When you use the MyFLIR app, it’s like your regular camera app with an added twist.
You get a thermal layer over the top of the image you’re looking at, allowing you to see a heat map in real time. This is incredibly useful in a variety of situations. It can help you see animals at night, which can be especially helpful when doing activities like camping. It can also help you pinpoint areas of interest when investigating electrical or even plumbing issues.
The BL9000 Pro comes with dual Harmon Kardon Smart-PA speakers, which can easily double as a portable Bluetooth speaker. In addition to the powerful sound quality, these are the loudest speakers I’ve ever heard on a smartphone, and they’re not even close. These speakers are so loud that it was easy to hear while watching a YouTube video at the lowest volume. Turning the volume up to the midpoint was more than enough to fill my entire apartment with sound.
What’s bad about Blackview BL9000 Pro?
Huge doesn’t even begin to cover it.
All of these great features come at a cost. This device is one of the largest and heaviest I’ve ever had the pleasure of holding. At 179.5 x 82.6 x 17mm, it’s almost unportable and makes the Samsung XCover 6 Pro look tiny by comparison. It’s so big that it doesn’t fit under my deep-pocketed jeans. It actually fits under them, but protrudes from them by about two to three inches.
Related
Samsung XCover6 Pro review: Not bad for a powerful smartphone
This powerful phone doesn’t skimp on features to give you the protection you need.
You can also forget about using the device with one hand. That’s not possible with this device. In addition to its physical size, it’s also quite heavy. At 412 grams, trying to hold it with one hand can be cumbersome.
The dual-camera system isn’t great either. It comes with a 50MP Samsung ISOCELL GN5 main camera and a 13MP ultrawide camera that also doubles as a macro lens. In adequate lighting, the main lens can get some decent-looking shots. Once the lights start to dim, things quickly deteriorate. Photos become blurry, and colors wash out.
Should you buy it?
Let’s get straight to the point, a device like the Blackview BL9000 Pro won’t be for everyone, and that’s okay. People who love outdoor activities or work in harsh environments can benefit greatly from a device like this. It’s designed specifically for people who love hiking or camping, or for physically demanding jobs like electricians and construction workers. I can also imagine using this device in homes with kids who are a habit of breaking phones.
If you can get past the physical build and mediocre cameras, it makes for a solid, well-rounded companion. At $760, the price tag is the biggest hurdle to overcome. With powerful budget devices costing hundreds of dollars less, you need to make sure that having a powerful phone is your top priority.
If this device is at the top of your list, the BL9000 Pro is without a doubt one of the best rugged Android devices to date. It has good overall performance, a decent display, amazing battery life, and the loudest speakers I’ve ever heard. It also has a thermal imaging camera, which can come in handy in certain situations.
Blackview BL9000 Pro
With the BL9000 Pro, Blackview has sought to create a powerful and reliable device that is equally good for everyday use. The BL9000 Pro has great performance and comes with an impressive battery life. It is a bit pricey, but if you are looking for a powerful and durable device, this is it.
Related
Best Rugged Phones in 2024
Android phones are designed to take a beating.
