Ulefone Armor 12 Review – New Rugged 5G Smartphone

Ulefone launched its latest rugged smartphone from the Armor Series, and this series is undoubtedly one of the best budget rugged smartphones that offer us value for the price, now Ulefone Armor 12 is the latest upgrade of this series is equipped with great specifications in terms of the MediaTek Dimensity 700 processor, 6.52-inch screen and up to 8GB RAM and 128GB Storage, Android 11, 48MP Quad Rear camera even a large battery capacity and most importantly support 5G network, regardless About it, How well does it perform and if it’s worth the high price, all this and more in this review.

• Stock Android 11
• MediaTek Dimensity 700
• Arm Mali-G57 MC2
• 8GB RAM + 128GB eMMC
• 6.52″ HD Display
• 48MP Quad Rear Camera
• 5180mAh Battery
• Dual 5G Network

Design And Build Quality

The design in the Ulefone Armor 12 is solid and rugged, it features a large screen on the front of 6.52 inches and on the back a high-quality aluminum and rubber with a length of 175.9mm and a width of 82.5mm with a solid aluminum frame that gives you a kind of large thickness of 14.25mm. It feels great when you hold it in your hand despite its weight of 296.5g, which is considered very heavy and this is acceptable in a durable phone, I hope its performance is worth it.

If you ask me about the manufacturing quality, there is nothing to complain about, it’s the closest thing to a flagship phone because Ulefone has always been working on providing quality products to users all over the world at an affordable price.

On The Front

In front of the device is a full screen measuring 6.52 inches with very thin bezels on the sides, and at the bottom, there is a thick chin, in addition to the waterdrop notch from the top that contains a 16MP camera in the middle of the top for taking selfies and video chats, which we will talk about a lot soon.

On The Back

From the back, It has Quad cameras with a LED Flashlight in the upper left corner with a slight bump. At the bottom of the cameras is the name “Ulefone 5G” and just below it is a dual speaker.

Ports And Buttons

As for the ports, the phone comes with a USB Type-C port from the bottom with a microphone. The buttons are, the usual, the power button build-in fingerprint sensor, volume button, dual SIM with the memory slot. It should be noted that there is a customizable shortcut button on the side for activating preset 6 functions or accessing your favorite app.

If you notice the 3.5mm audio jack is missing, that means either you have to use wireless headphones or a USB-C to 3.5mm included in the package adapter.

Waterproof

The Ulefone Armor 12 is covered by high-quality synthetic rubber and rated with IP68 and IP69K, which means it is dust-resistant, scratch-resistant, shock- and drop-resistant, and water-resistant up to 1.5 meters for up to 30 minutes.

In addition, it also has MIL-STD-810G certification, a military standard certification that ensures the integrity of the device is maintained in almost any situation.

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It is worth noting that Ulefone Armor 12 5G comes with an anti-bacterial additive based on silver ions to keep you away from unwanted germs.

Ulefone Armor 12 – Display Quality

Even in 2021, if you’re talking about a Chinese smartphone, it will most likely be an LCD IPS screen, and that’s what the Armor 12 offers, but that doesn’t mean it’s bad, because it’s a big 6.52 inches HD with 16:9 aspects ratio and a good resolution of 720×1600 gives you bright, sharp colors and wide viewing angles which are more than great for consuming visual content on YouTube or otherwise.

In short, with the Ulefone Armor 12 I will not say that its the best screen, but in the mid-range category, you will get the best value for what you pay, a large and high-quality screen suitable for media consumption, whether you are watching the video, playing games or browsing the social media.

Ulefone Armor 12 – Cameras

One of the main points of the Ulefone Armor 12 is the cameras. In terms of their specifications, there is nothing to worry about, but the last word remains in the actual performance.

Triple Rear Camera

On the back, you get a Quad-camera setup that features a 48MP f/1.8, 26mm primary camera, For the rest of the cameras, you have an 8MP f/2.2 wide-angle lens, 2MP f/2.6 macro lens, and 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor.

So far, the technical specifications are good, so let’s move on to the realistic performance, in photography under good lighting, the cameras can take really good pictures and capture a lot of details and with beautiful color saturation, so I liked the cameras, but in the night photos, they lacked quality with that, still more than just good cameras considering the price.

Front camera

In the forefront of selfies or video chats, you get a 16MP camera and with an impressive algorithm, and several modes to choose from.

Video Recording

You can record videos on 1080p 30 fps from both front and back cameras in well-lit environments with some poor stability.

Ulefone Armor 12 Performance

If we talk about performance, Ulefone Armor 12 offers great performance in most of its basic and entertainment uses such as browsing the web, watching videos on YouTube, using social media applications, even play games, as everything worked efficiently and without facing any problems with stopping applications or high degrees.

Ulefone Armor 12 CPU Performance

Well, Its time to expose Ulefone Armor 12 to some tasks that need more effort and there is nothing better than playing games with high settings, the conditions here differ according to the application, game, or any type of program that need large resources, and because the processor used here is MediaTek Dimensity 700 octa-core SoC with an integrated 5G modem based on 2x fast ARM Cortex-A76 cores at up to 2.2 and 6x Cortex-A55 cores at 2.0 GHz and 7mm architecture was one of the most powerful processors used in 5G Smartphone, this processor it’s present in many models of famous brands such as Xiaomi Redmi Note 10 5G and Poco M3 Pro 5G, Realme 8 5G, even Oukitel WP15 the existing in the same category of durable phones.

GPU

The graphics processing used here is Arm Mali-G57 MC2 up to 950MHz, not the best, but its value for the price makes up for it so that it performed well in games depends on the type of game and its requirements, and sometimes there is some kind of lag in high games although it did not constitute hitch, and that’s in games like CoD mobile and PUBG. However, all you have to do is play on high settings, more than those settings, yes you can play games but not with the perfect experience.

Memory

Most of the applications run very quickly and thanks to the 128GB storage capacity, it would be suitable for installing any application you need, with the ability to expand via a Micro SD card to 1TB.

And for multitasking, browsing between applications was smooth because it is equipped with an 8GB RAM LPDDR4X dual-channel which is more than enough for most of the tasks that you can do with a smartphone such as keeping many applications or large games running in the background. In Short, for multitasking, this smartphone will give you a very positive experience.

The Temperature

The temperature on the device during normal use is nothing to notice and during heavy use, there is a slight increase in temperature, but it remains moderate and most of the heat is in the back area only.

Playing Content

To play the content on YouTube, was very smooth. You can play videos at a maximum of 720p at 60 FPS without any problems or lag, And this is the highest quality you can get.

Sound Quality

The sound on the Armor 12 is a new built-in speaker with a high-quality sound system that features Hi-Fi Dual Speaker. The volume is a bit high and lacks bass, but it is acceptable for playing games and watching movies in high quality.

Ulefone Armor 12 DMR Information

Next, let’s take a look at the DMR information and Widevine security. I can tell you I’m a little disappointed with this because it’s only Level 3, so you won’t be able to get HD on Netflix or other streaming services. and this level maybe not be found on all Chinese smartphones without exaggeration. However, you can still enjoy Netflix and all other streaming services in 480p resolution.

Software

The Ulefone Armor 12 smartphone works on Android 11 with UI that has better gesture navigation controls, dark theme, and contains most of the features that come with the system, the most important of which is the presence of all Google services, Making the smartphone experience smoother and more personalized.

As I always say, the stock Android system is best for mid-cost devices, with a simple and smooth launcher for better performance, especially since it does not contain pre-installed apps or games, I really hate this because of the large number of ads, However, it has some toolkit apps but does not burden the device and is without pop-up ads.

Overall Performance

In sum, the performance on this phone is more than good as a mid-range smartphone focused on daily use and playing games with medium settings and is equipped with a set of specifications and respectable features such as camera, durability, and design make it an interesting experience.

Connectivity

Ulefone Armor 12 is a dual-SIM smartphone equipped with a SIM slot that accommodates two 5G nano-sim cards that support all bandwidth offerings of 5G and 4G and so on, which provides a super speedy user experience. And the most talked-about 5G network will supposedly be 10 times faster than the 4G network carrier with 2.3GBp/s download and 1.2GBp/s upload which allows us to say goodbye to said buffering when playing 4K videos and gaming lag. It also supports single VoNR/VoLTE, the call quality has been greatly improved, with lower delay and higher sound quality. Wide global frequency bands make you always connected with others no matter where you are.

To connect to WiFi networks, It supports dual bandwidths of 2.4GHz and 5GHz, and of course, there is Bluetooth 5.1. That’s not all, there are also some basic sensors for a smartphone, including a gyroscope, accelerometers, and even an electronic compass. Also, has NFC so you can make mobile payments ( Supports Google Pay ).

Ulefone Armor 12 does support other carriers such as Verizon, AT&T 5G network. Some network carriers have not been displayed because their 5G networks are not yet in mass commercial use. If you have participated in this carrier’s testing program, please check with the carrier about the 5G frequencies they use, so that you can check whether Armor 12 5G supports their network.

Ulefone Armor 12 Battery And Charging Time

Ulefone Armor 12 has a good built-in 5180mAh non-removable Li-Po battery that allows 1 to 2 days for moderate use such as surfing the Internet, Google, YouTube, and following social media, of course, the time is less when playing games or using 5G, but it will stay with you for a whole day on one charge it mostly takes about 3 hours to fully charge 5180mAh using Type-C, and there is fast charging supports 18W is not very fast but better than the basic 5W or 10W. Also, Armor 12 supports 15W wireless charging. However, I can say that the battery was very good.

However, its performance of battery was good and this is mostly because it is equipped with stock Android 11 doesn’t have many pre-installed programs, even the launcher is simple without any complications or processes in the background and this is what limits battery drain.

Conclusion

If you ask me if the Ulefone Armor 12 smartphone is worth buying or you can recommend, my answer is definitely yes, and this is due to the experience that it will give you that it is a mid-range smartphone, I think Armor 12 is one of the best new Rugged smartphones in 2021 with a stylish design and decent specifications in terms of the screen, cameras, and even the battery is acceptable, And all this does not mean that it is flawless because cannot watch Netflix in HD resolution. however, the Armor 12 will not disappoint you.

Ulefone Armor 12 Price And Where To Buy

The Ulefone Armor 12 5G Smartphone is currently available on Banggood and the Aliexpress store for a very good price So, don’t miss out on this great deal. And to view its price or buy it, you can access the offer by clicking on the store icon.

• Ulefone Armor 12 5G Smartphone
• Data Cable (100cm)
• Type-C to 3.5mm Audio Adapter
• Protective Film (Pre-installed)
• Tempered Glass Screen Protector
• EU Charger (18W)
• SIM needle
• Sling

Model	Ulefone Armor 12 5G Cellphones
Colors	Black/Orange, Gray/Black
Build	Front glass, aluminum back with rubber, aluminum frame
Network	2G: GSM B2/3/5/8 (1900/1800/850/900)  3G: WCDMA B1/2/4/5/6/8/19 (2100/1900/1700/850/850/900/850)         CDMA 1X(BC0/BC1)        TD-WCDMA B34/39 4G: LTE-FDD B1/2/3/4/5/7/8/12/13/17/18/19/20/25/26/28A/28B/66        LTE-TDD B34/38/39/40/41  5G NR: N1/3/28/38/41/77/78  SIM Card Slots: Dual SIM Card Dual Standby (Nano-SIM), Card Slot 2 supports Nano-SIM Card/TF Card
Hardware	OS: Android 11  CPU: Dimensity 700 (MT6833) Octa-core (2*Cortex-A76 2.2GHz + 6*Cortex-A55 2.0GHz)  GPU: Arm Mali-G57  RAM: 8GB  ROM: 128GB  Card Extend: Supports an external TF card up to 1TB (VFAT)
Display	Display Size: 6.52 inch  Type: IPS LCD HD+ Capacitive Touch Screen  Resolution: 720*1600 pixels  Multitouch: 10 points PPI : ~269 PPI (~71.9% screen-to-body ratio)
Rear Camera	Main Camera: 48MP f/1.8, 26mm 8MP f/2.2 wide angle lens 2MP f/2.6 macro lens 2MP f/2.4 depth sensor  Dual Rear flash, Touch Focus  Video Recording Resolution: Max to 2K
Front Camera	Sub camera: 16.0MP front camera
Language	Indonesian, Malay, Catalan, Czech, Danish, German, Estonian, English, Spanish, Filipino, French, Croatian, Italian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Dutch, Norwegian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian, Slovak, Finnish, Swedish, Vietnamese, Greek, Turkish, Bulgarian, Russian, Serb, Ukrainian, Armenian, Hebrew, Urdu, Arabic, Persian, Hindi, Bengali, Thai, Korean, Burmese, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese.
Battery & Charging	Battery: 5180mAh(typ), Built in Li-polymer battery  Fast Charging : Yes 18W Wireless Charge: Yes, 15W Wireless Charging  Charge Interface: USB Type-C  Charger Type: EU Type, 9V/2A
Other Features	WIFI: 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4G/5G VoLTE: Whether you can use VoLTE depends on the local carriers, because not all of the local carriers can support this function.   Bluetooth: BT5.1 Positioning: GPS+GLONASS+Beidou+Galileo Material: Al-Ti Alloy+Insert Molding Process  Sensor: Acceleration Sensor, G-sensor, P-Sensor, L-Sensor, E-compass, Gyroscope, Pedometer, Coulombmeter, NFC, OTG, Fingerprint, Face Unlock  Radio Tuner: Yes  Cell Broadcast: Yes Waterproof: IP68/IP69K (up to 1.5m for 30 mins) + Drop-to-concrete resistance from up to 1.2 m Audio Chipset: AW88194  Notification Light: Yes Battery Status Light: Yes
Size & Weight	Product Size: 175.9*82.5*14.25mm  Product Weight: 296.5g