Overview Ulefone Armor 5 - beautiful protected smartphone with NFC
Devices / / December 19, 2019
Table of contents
- Specifications
- Packaging and appearance
- Display and Audio
- Performance
- autonomy
- Camera
- Software
- Protection
- results
Protected smartphones used to be popular mainly among adventurers and tourists. Blame - their brutal appearance and weight. However, the new Ulefone Armor 5 It bears no resemblance to its predecessors. Its design corresponds to the most recent trends of the smartphone fashion and technical filling provides sufficient performance for all applications.
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Specifications
housing | Metal chassis, composite material, glass Corning Gorilla Glass, IP68 |
Display | 5.85 inches, FHD (1512 × 720 pixels) |
Platform | Processor MediaTek MT6763; graphics accelerator ARM Mali G71-MP2 |
RAM | 4 GB |
Built-in memory | 64 GB, the possibility of installing a memory card up to 128GB |
camera | Summary - 5 13 + Mn; front - 8 MP |
link | Two slots: nanoSIM and nanoSIM + microSD; 2G GSM: 1900/1800/850/900 (B2 / 3/5/8) 3G WCDMA: 2 100/850/900 (B1 / 5/8) 4G FDD-LTE: 2100/1800/2600/900/800 (B1 / 3/7/8/20) |
Wireless interfaces | Wi-Fi 802.11 a / b / g / n 2,4 / 5 GHz, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, GLONASS, A-GPS, NFC |
expansion slots | USB Type-C; microSD (up to 128 GB, instead of the second SIM card) |
sensors | Lighting, proximity, electronic compass, fingerprinting, gyroscope |
operating system | Android 8.1 Oreo |
Battery | 5000 mAh (non-removable), wireless charging |
Dimensions | 158.3 × 76.0 × 12.6 mm |
Weight | 235 g |
Chipset Helio P23 - this relatively new platform, which the company MediaTek has introduced about a year ago. MT6763 processor has eight cores Cortex-A53, running at a frequency of 2.3 GHz. It is made of 16-nanometer process technology, the speed corresponds approximately Snapdragon 625.
The smartphone is equipped with a 4 GB random access memory, So that problems with simultaneous operation of multiple applications should not be. Permanent memory developers are also not spared: 64 GB is enough for the first time to install all necessary applications and store user data. And then you can increase the volume at the expense of an external memory card.
The structure of the chipset includes a graphics accelerator Mali-G71 MP2 with a clock frequency of 770 MHz, the modules Dual-SIM, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.0. navigation system Ulefone Armor 5 works is beyond praise: even in the room sees a smartphone to ten satellites and surely receives data from several of them. An important quality for a gadget that is designed for hiking and outdoor recreation.
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Packaging and appearance
The smartphone comes in a nice yellow box, the lid of which tourists are drawn to the figures backpacks. Immediately clear to whom is this gadget.
Included is the phone itself, a charger, connecting cable, OTG-perhodnik, microUSB → USB Type-C adapter, protective film, and supporting documentation. The manufacturer also put in a box a special master key, with which you can easily open the cap, protecting connectors against water.
Backside Ulefone Armor 5 is made of special impact resistant acrylic material. It has a brilliant finish which effectively poured into the rays of light. During testing, we came to the conclusion that this surface is fairly scratch resistant and very easy to collect fingerprints.
Side faces of the device are made of a shock-absorbing plastic material with metal inserts. On the right side is the power button and rocker volume. They are sitting tight in their nests, they do not hang out and do not rattle.
At the end there is a connector for data exchange and charging devices. Like all other connectors, it is protected by a moisture-proof cap. It sits very tightly in place, so that it is better to use a complete extraction tool, unless, of course, do not want to break his nails.
Tray for SIM card is on the left side. Instead, one of simok can accommodate an extra memory card.
The main part of the front surface is the screen. Manufacturer in all their materials underlines that Ulefone Armor 5 - it is the first smartphone with a protected "monobrovyu». Even so, the achievement, in our opinion, is not too great. Although the smartphone looks quite modern, it should be recognized.
In general, the design and assembly of Ulefone Armor 5 left a good impression. This is perhaps the most elegant smartphone protected, who visited our editorial staff. His brilliant back and a black rubberized case with orange accents will look great in any environment. Phone fits comfortably in the hand, and the compact size makes it possible to carry the device not only in the travel backpack, but in a pocket of jeans.
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Display and Audio
The smartphone is equipped with a 5 Ulefone Armor screen with 5.85 inch diagonal and a resolution of 1512 × 720 pixels. He has a good oleophobic coating that prevents the surface quickly covered with fingerprints.
The display can not boast a higher resolution, but the image quality does not cause complaints. The colors are natural, contrast is good, almost no visible pixelation. The only pity is that there is no support MiraVision, so adjust the image on the screen according to your taste you can not.
The smartphone is able to automatically adjust screen brightness depending on the ambient light. The upper threshold it is large enough because of this Ulefone Armor 5 can be used even in the sun. For devices intended for tourism, it is very important.
External speaker located on the rear side of the device. We expected that this arrangement will result in a significant deterioration of sound when the smartphone is on the table. However, even in such a situation Ulefone Armor 5 produces loud and clear sound that pleasantly surprised us.
headphone jack is recessed deeply in the protection of the body, so this smartphone is not compatible each wire accessories. And pick out each time slot bracket - something else fun. Therefore, we recommend that you get a wireless headsetThe more that the sound produces a decent smartphone.
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Performance
Ulefone Armor 5 assembled on the chipset Helio P23, which is designed for use in smartphones midrange. His eight-processor performance roughly corresponds to the popular Snapdragon 625. Synthetic test results confirmed this.
In use smartphone successfully coped with all mobile tasks. We checked his performance during surfingVideo playback, image editing, and have not found, what could find fault. Applications run quickly, the operating system is running smoothly, no brakes. Due to 4GB of RAM allows simultaneous operation of multiple programs and fast switching between them.
However, when you start some modern games still felt that Ulefone Armor 5 is not the flagship. Play World of Tanks, Mortal Combat and PUBG, of course, possible, but the graphics settings will have to be reduced to a minimum.
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autonomy
The smartphone installed battery on 5000 mAh, so we expected a good autonomy. However, in real life, its life is not quite live up to our expectations.
In the synthetic test battery showed good. However, in practical use it became clear that Ulefone Armor 5 has a large self-discharge, thus decreasing interest in the display even at rest. As a result, instead of the tank at a two or three days a smartphone lives only half or - at best - for two days. This problem is most likely software, and it is hoped that it will be corrected in a future update.
But Ulefone Armor 5 boasts of having a wireless charging. For a secure phone in which to access the connector is necessary each time to pick out the cover, this is a big plus.
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Camera
As the main chamber 5 Ulefone Armor two sensors are used. Resolution of Mn is 13, and the second, which is used to assess the depth of the stage at a portrait shooting, - 5 Mn. The front camera has a resolution of 8 megapixels. The specific model test programs of sensors is not defined, the site on this occasion, too, there is no information.
The quality of images we have left a mixed impression. Testing took place in a rainy day, when the sun was almost entirely covered by clouds. Even allowing for the unfavorable conditions in the photos we saw a number of disadvantages. Many pictures have turned out too dark or dull. Automation is not always true adjusts the color balance and exposure.
However, some photographers even it went good. About the impression left images, which successfully applied some Instagram-automatic filter. Obtained is not entirely realistic, but quite pleasing to the eye image. Therefore, our verdict on Ulefone Armor 5 camera will sound paradoxical: Omitting middle, but photos sometimes make good.
Evening photo session brought no surprises. Shoot in the dark time of Ulefone Armor 5 can, but outstanding results should not count. It is important that the frame got at least some light sources, otherwise - "Black Square" by Malevich.
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Software
The operating system is Android 8.1. Developers, as always, could not resist the temptation of something change in the original image, but is limited at this time only redrawing the icons in the main menu and the addition of some useful settings. With their help, you can answer calls by touching the fingerprint sensor, Mute the phone's flip screen down, wake double tapom and so on.
We would like to note that Ulefone Armor 5 is equipped with NFC module. This allows you to set Google Pay app and use your smartphone for contactless payment. We tested this function in - no problems with payments not revealed.
Everything else before us pure Android Oreo. The package included the bare minimum: Chrome, «Google Photos», YouTube, Google Maps. Everything else you need to install the software yourself on Google Play.
The device supports wireless firmware update, but during testing the smartphone no patch has not been released. Hopefully, Ulefone programmers will throw their product immediately after the release.
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Protection
To check the security from external influences we have a smartphone sea. First buried it in the sand, to see how the glass and back cover are subject to scratches. This test Ulefone Armor 5 survived with no problems. Unless otherwise exert effort, damage the surface is difficult.
After that, we were subjected to a severe test device. Long stay on the line of the sea accompanied by tumbling in salt water with suspended sand and small pebbles. However, it has not made any impression on the gadget. After removal from the water, he was working as if nothing had happened.
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results
Ulefone Armor 5 liked us primarily for its versatility. This smartphone will feel good not only in equipment tourists or lovers of extreme sensations, but also on the table in the office, or even a purse.
Good protection from shock and water in it is combined with a modern appearance quality assembly and good technical characteristics. Separately want to highlight the presence of NFC and wireless charging module. It's great that these chips are no longer the exclusive feature of expensive smartphones.
Among the shortcomings - the power consumption at rest and is not that bad, but some strange pictures. Both issues have a programmatic nature, so there is illusory hope for their elimination.
At the time of this writing, the cost Ulefone Armor 5 smartphone is 15 525 rubles in the official store or on AliExpress 17 377 rubles GearBest in store.
The author expresses his gratitude to the company Ulefone for providing the test device.