The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra outdoor smartphone surprises with its strong features in the test. It comes with a telephoto lens, charges extremely fast, and offers a lot of power.
Outdoor smartphones are known for being very durable. This category is characterized by strong batteries and often offers exotic features like thermal imaging or night vision cameras. However, these devices are usually very large and bulky. In terms of technology, they often use slow processors, weak cameras, and moderately bright LCD displays.
A positive exception in terms of hardware seems to be the Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra. While this outdoor smartphone is also a large and heavy device, it offers technical features that we have not seen in this category before: a fast processor, a 200-megapixel camera, and a telephoto lens. Our test will show how good the Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra is, priced at only 372 euros with the code BGREUPUFA4 (valid until June 30, 2024).
Design: Is the Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra waterproof?
The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra is typically a large, heavy device like most outdoor smartphones. It’s not easy to fit in your pocket due to its weight of 600g, which is as heavy as a tablet, thanks to the large battery. It is also almost three times as thick as regular smartphones at 2.5 cm and significantly longer at 8.3 cm.
However, it is waterproof according to the highest protection class IP69K and extremely robust with a MIL-STD-810H certification from the US Army. It can survive underwater up to 2 meters deep for 30 minutes. It can also withstand a drop from a height of 1.5 meters onto concrete, and the case is dustproof. We have dropped the Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra multiple times, and it has not suffered any damage.
The metal casing is additionally coated with a rubber layer in many places, giving the smartphone a rugged look. The ports at the bottom are covered with a rubber cap. A striking feature on the back is the speaker surrounded by four camera lenses. On the right side, in addition to the power button and volume rocker, there is an additional SOS button, while on the left side, there is a programmable button in a noticeable orange color.
Display: How bright is the screen?
The large IPS panel display measures 6.78 inches diagonally. It has a resolution of 2460 × 1080 pixels (Full-HD+) with a pixel density of 396 PPI. The display is flicker-free with up to 120 Hertz, providing a smoother image for gaming or scrolling.
The display is relatively bright with a measured 750 cd/m². Thanks to the decent illumination, the screen remains easily readable outdoors. Many outdoor smartphones compromise on screen brightness and offer insufficient levels of brightness.
The image quality and viewing angle stability on the Armor 26 Ultra are excellent. The display is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, and there is also a stable adhesive sheet included for additional protection.
Camera: How good are the telephoto, night vision, and main lenses?
The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra features an unusual camera setup for this category: the main lens boasts an impressive 200 megapixels, along with a wide-angle and macro lens with 50 megapixels, a telephoto lens with 3.3x optical zoom with 8 megapixels, and a night vision lens with infrared in black and white with 64 megapixels. The front camera also offers 50 megapixels.
The 200-megapixel main camera on an outdoor smartphone is quite impressive and something we have not seen before in our tests. The results are satisfactory, with photos from the main lens being sharp, high in contrast and detail, and offering a good dynamic range. However, the focus takes a bit too long to adjust. Otherwise, the photos turn out great.
We are less impressed with the wide-angle lens, which also serves as a macro lens. The images appear blurry and differ significantly in color from those taken with the main lens. When used as a macro lens, it struggles at times to focus on the desired area sharply.
We were excited about the telephoto lens with 3.3x optical zoom, but we are not always satisfied with the results. The image details are lacking, likely due to the relatively low resolution of the telephoto lens. We prefer the shots taken with the main camera using digital zoom.
On the other hand, we were impressed with the selfies taken with the front camera. As is typical for outdoor smartphones, a night vision camera is also included, which captures black and white images in complete darkness using infrared. Videos up to 4K resolution are possible with the main camera, but they appear quite shaky as there is no optical image stabilization.
Equipment: How fast is the Ulefone Armor 26 Ultimate?
The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultimate is equipped with the Mediatek Dimensity 8020, a powerful processor. Many outdoor smartphones typically use basic chips from the lower mid-range. The Dimensity 8020 is also used in the Motorola Edge 40 and offers high performance.
In the PCMark test, we achieved around 13,300 points, and in 3DMark Wild Life, we got 4200 points, making the Armor 26 Ultimate the fastest outdoor smartphone in our tests. While it does not match the performance of flagship smartphones, it provides more than enough power for everyday use. This results in smooth operation, suitable even for gaming.
The device comes with a generous storage capacity of 512 GB internal storage and 12 GB of RAM. If that’s not enough, it also allows for expansion via a microSD card. The Armor 26 Ultra supports 5G networks, as well as Wi-Fi 6 for home networks, Bluetooth 5.1, and NFC. The Type-C port offers USB 3.1. The device uses Galileo, Glonass, GPS, and Beidou, as well as QZSS for positioning, with an accuracy of about 2 meters.
The fingerprint sensor is integrated into the power button, and facial recognition is also possible, although it may not be secure against spoofing attempts with photos due to the 2D technology. Another unique feature of the Armor 26 Ultimate is the built-in speaker on the back, which the manufacturer claims can reach up to 120 dB. It is indeed loud and provides a fairly full sound, although the overall sound quality is modest. A better option would be compact Bluetooth speakers.
Software: How long will Android updates be available?
The device runs on Android 13 with its own user interface. Fortunately, Ulefone does not include much bloatware, and there is a useful app with a small tool collection. The security patch is from April and is no longer the most up-to-date. Regular and frequent updates from Ulefone are not to be expected.
Battery: How long does the Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra last on a single charge?
The Armor 26 Ultimate houses a massive battery with over 15,600 mAh. In the battery test, we achieved a simulated value of 22 hours of continuous activity. This means the outdoor smartphone can easily last three to four days on a single charge, depending on usage scenarios. Additionally, the device can function as a power bank, allowing you to charge other devices. What’s more, it can charge very quickly at 120 watts. There is also an optional charging dock with a Pogo Pin connector, which charges at 33 watts but not as fast.
Price & Alternatives: How much does the Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra cost?
The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra typically costs around 560 euros at European retailers, with an MSRP of around 700 euros. Currently, the outdoor smartphone is available at a discounted price on Banggood, where it costs only 372 euros with the code BGREUPUFA4 (valid until June 30, 2024). This is even cheaper than on AliExpress, where it is priced at just under 404 euros. However, buyers from Chinese sellers do not benefit from European consumer protection.
Conclusion
The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra offers several positive surprises for an outdoor smartphone. Its performance is strong and more than sufficient for most purposes. The LCD is relatively bright, making it usable outdoors in sunlight. The smartphone boasts a huge battery and can easily last three to four days on a single charge. Thanks to the 120-watt charging capability, it can quickly recharge. The main camera takes good photos, although the wide-angle and telephoto lenses are somewhat disappointing. Additionally, the Armor 26 Ultra is quite thick and heavy, weighing three times as much as a regular smartphone.