'ZDNET Recommends': What exactly does it mean?
ZDNET's recommendations are based on many hours of testing, research, and comparison shopping. We gather data from the best available sources, including vendor and retailer listings as well as other relevant and independent reviews sites. And we pore over customer reviews to find out what matters to real people who already own and use the products and services we’re assessing.
When you click through from our site to a retailer and buy a product or service, we may earn affiliate commissions. This helps support our work, but does not affect what we cover or how, and it does not affect the price you pay. Neither ZDNET nor the author are compensated for these independent reviews. Indeed, we follow strict guidelines that ensure our editorial content is never influenced by advertisers.
ZDNET's editorial team writes on behalf of you, our reader. Our goal is to deliver the most accurate information and the most knowledgeable advice possible in order to help you make smarter buying decisions on tech gear and a wide array of products and services. Our editors thoroughly review and fact-check every article to ensure that our content meets the highest standards. If we have made an error or published misleading information, we will correct or clarify the article. If you see inaccuracies in our content, please report the mistake via this form.
Ulefone Armor 9: The best Android 10 smartphone for engineers and outdoor workers
I've been using the new Ulefone Armor 9 Android 10 smartphone for a few weeks, and the more I use it, the more I like it.
And the accessories make it even better.
OK, so on the outside, the Armor 9 is a highly ruggedized smartphone that's built from the ground up to take a battering, meeting a whole array of standards, including IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810G, which means that it's happy immersed in water at depths down to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes, exposure to high-pressure water jets and steam cleaning, drops from 1.2 meter heights, resists dust, shrugs off acids, and low pressures.
It's tough.
The 6.3-inch 2340 x 1080 FHD+ 410 PPI LCD multi-touch display with IPS technology is nice and big, and can be operated by gloves. The MediaTek Helios P90 octa-core processor is fast and keeps everything moving along nicely, and the 8GB LPDDR4x dual-channel RAM means there are no UI lags.
But there's more.
Must read: iPhone battery bad after installing iOS 14? Apple offers some help
Ulefone Armor 9 with Android 10 and FLIR Lepton camera
- MediaTek Helios P90 octa-core processor, up to 2.2GHz
- 6.3-inch 2340 x 1080 FHD+ 410 PPI LCD multi-touch display with IPS technology
- 8GB LPDDR4x dual-channel RAM
- 128GB UFS2.1 ROM
- SD card Up to 2TB
- FLIR Lepton thermal camera with -10℃ - 400℃ range (assisted by a 5-megapixel rear camera)
- Samsung 64-megapixel rear camera
- 2-megapixel secondary rear camera
- Quad-LED flash
- 8- megapixel front camera
- 6600mAh battery
- 18W fast charging supported
- Fingerprint unlock
- Dual-SIM support
- Headphone jack
- Endoscope port
- USB-C port
- IP68/IP69K/MIL-STD-810G rated
Blackview BV9800 Pro - in pictures
The Armor 9 has tons of storage (128GB), which means plenty of space for photos taken with the Samsung 64-megapixel Tetracell rear camera.
The power is supplied by an enormous 6600mAh lithium-ion polymer battery, which can be charged via the USB-C port.
Oh, and there's that awesome FLIR Lepton thermal camera which is assisted by a 5-megapixel rear camera with a -10℃ - 400℃ range which is an amazing diagnostic tool for technicians.
Over the past few weeks, I've been using the Armor 9 extensively, and it has been flawless. If I was nit-picking, I'd say that it's a shame that the Armor 9 does not have wireless charging (because opening the water- and dust-proofing flap on the handset is a bit awkward, especially if, like me, you have short fingernails).
But Ulefone has developed accessories for the Armor 9 that build on the platform.
The first is an endoscope/borescope that attaches directly to the side of the handset. The borescope features a 2-meter cable, and is rated to IP67. This is great for poking into areas where you can't get your eyeballs into, and is a great tool for engineers.
I like the fact that the borescope attaches directly to a separate port on the Armor 9, rather than tying up the USB-C port, which is a nice touch.
There's also a case. It adds a bit more protection to the smartphone, and also allows a belt clip or carabiner to be attached. It's a handy accessory for situations where you might drop or lose the handset.
As much as I like my iPhone, the Ulefone Armor 9 is fast becoming my favorite smartphone when I need to venture into the outdoors or need to carry out diagnostics using the thermal camera and borescope.
Ulefone Armor 9 is an excellent Android 10 smartphone, and the accessories make it an even better platform for engineers.