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Ulefone Armor 29 Ultra: 30-second review
The Armor 29 Ultra marks Ulefone’s 10-year anniversary, and as such, they have thrown pretty much everything at it. Firstly, it comes with IP68/IP69K certification, ensuring that, like other rugged smartphones, it will withstand the elements as well as much more. It also has a huge capacity battery, high-end CPU/GPU and plenty of internal storage, which can be easily upgraded with a TF/SD Card as needed.
I’ve now tested many of the best rugged phones and several Armor models, and the one thing that stood out to me after a month of testing this particular model was just how long the battery lasts. Even when the phone has been sitting for well over a month on standby, the battery level is still at 18%. Through the test period, the percentage drop in power was relatively small. The phone was used for standard calls, internet and app use, and even then, after a week of being used, there was still no need to charge it.
There’s plenty to like about the Armor 29 Ultra, most notably the additional processing power. Google apps and creativity options such as Lightroom and Photoshop all run smoothly with little slowdown. I also liked the fact that the installed OS is relatively lightweight, without a huge number of apps bloating the system.
The design, as well, is nicely thought through. And whilst it does have that slightly industrial-looking design which is stereotypical of all rugged smartphones, the high-quality metal and rubber mix just matches perfectly, and it has a good tactile feel.
Away from the ruggedness, two features stood out to me. The first was the quality of the camping light, which produced bright illumination that was well diffused.
Then, it also has a really decent camera array with a Sony IMX989 sensor fronting the 50-megapixel main camera. This is complemented by a 64-megapixel night vision camera and a 50-megapixel ultra-wide. There’s even a 50-megapixel front camera with plenty of options, and the overall quality from this particular rugged smartphone’s images and 4K+ video is exceptionally good.
When you tie in the camera with a decent photography app, you see a sudden uplift in the quality. If you’re a content creator going out into the field, then this is actually a viable option that will provide you with a decent camera, the processing power to edit your content, and a fast 5G connection so that it can be uploaded quickly.
Of all the rugged smartphones that just focus on the fact that they appear to be durable and have battery capacity to last out in the field, this is one of the best. Yes, it is slightly weighty and bulky, but when it comes to straight performance, this phone will challenge mid to high-end consumer-level models.
Ulefone Armor 29 Ultra: Price & availability
- How much does it cost? $1049 / £780
- When is it out? Now
- Where can you get it? Widely available
The Armor 29 Ultra is available for $1049 / £780 and can be purchased directly from the website. It is also available through most online retailers, including Amazon.com (here) and Amazon.co.uk (here).
Ulefone Armor 29 Ultra: Design
Specifications
CPU: MediaTek Dimensity 9300+
Graphics: Immortalis-G720 MC12
RAM: 16 GB (LPDDR5X)
Storage: 1 TB (UFS 4.0)
Ports: USB-C, headphone jack
Connectivity: 5G, WiFi 7 (802.11be)
Audio: Stereo speakers
Camera: Rear triple: 50 MP Sony IMX989 (main) + 50 MP ultra-wide + 64 MP night vision with IR lights
Size: 177.35 × 85.6 × 33.8 mm
Weight: ~668 g
OS Installed: Android 15
Accessories: Comes with 120W charger, USB-C cable, screen protector
Rugged smartphones are generally always larger than their consumer counterparts. Here with the Ulefone Armor 29 Ultra, like previous Armour phones, it is an even rugged smartphone, larger and heavier than most.
At 177 x 85.6 x 33.8 mm, and weighing in at 688 g, it’s large even by rugged phone standards. For this reason, when you have it in your hand, while comfortable initially, that weight does start to build over time. The designs’ textured sides and quick access buttons do make handling a little easier, and for short calls, it is surprisingly comfortable to hold.
The phone finishes, with a good mixture of metal, plastic and rubber, giving it a good, high-quality feel.
Dominating the front of the phone is a 6.67-inch AMOLED screen with a 1080 x 2400 resolution display and 120 Hz refresh rate. Whilst this isn’t the highest resolution for this style of phone, it does give a good, clear representation of your apps and other media content. This screen is protected by tough Corning Gorilla Glass 3 covering, which should help protect it from knocks and scratches. It also features a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.
Flipping the phone over, there’s an interesting second display option that features a 1.04-inch AMOLED screen with a 340 x 340 pixel resolution. This is relatively small, and its default is set just to show a watch face, which is quite useful, but will also show notifications.
Taking a look around the body of the phone, there are a few interesting features, including a smart expansion connector that enables you to attach a range of accessories, including endoscopes and microscopes, for different styles of work. There’s also a fully customisable button on the side, along with the dual SIM and TF/SD card slot. On the base of the camera, under a protective rubber flap, is the USB-C port. Then on the other side is another customisable button, the power and biometric fingerprint button for accessing the phone, and volume up and down.
Looking at the top of the phone, there is just a rubber cover that protects the 3.5 mm audio headphone socket.
Flipping the camera onto its front reveals the camera array. This includes the 50-megapixel main camera backed with a Sony IMX989 1-inch sensor. This helps this particular rugged smartphone produce some of the best quality images I’ve seen for this type. This is joined by a Samsung J91 ultrawide macro camera, again capturing 50 megapixels, and finally, on the back, we have a 64-megapixel night vision OV64B camera for capturing night-time shots. Complementing this is a 50-megapixel front-facing camera for taking selfies and video conferencing.
Finally, a quick note on the rugged credentials: the phone comes with IP68 and IP69K certification, meaning it can be submerged in water and withstand more than just a simple knock or two. If you are working out in the field, on building sites, out in the wilderness, or looking for a phone for adventure, then this particular phone is going to be an ideal solution.
Ulefone Armor 29 Ultra: Features
One of the big features of this phone is the premium-level CPU/GPU, which is way above what you usually find in a rugged smartphone. Inside is a Dimensity 9300+, and this is joined by 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM and one terabyte of UFS 4.0 internal storage. This also means that it’s completely AI-ready.
The CPU is complemented by an Immortalis-G720 GPU, which enables you to play mid to high-end games with relative ease.
With this amount of processing potential, you also have to look at the cooling of the phone. This means they’ve included their own graphene cooling technology. This has been integrated into the heat design to help keep the CPU and GPU cool even under sustained processing use.
One of the other big features of the Dimensity 9300+ is its hardware-level generative AI engine. If you’re using AI apps with this phone, it’s going to have onboard AI processing potential that should speed those up without needing to rely on an internet connection. This means the phone is ready for applications such as Google Gemini and Matter. Alongside those third-party apps, Ulefone has also included their own AI Talk, which is all based around image editing with AI removal, AI digital human, AI background and AI photography, giving you plenty of creative, if slightly gimmicky, options.
On the back of the phone are three distinct cameras, and these are really a big feature rather than just part of the standard rugged smartphone package, with the key highlight here being that Sony IMX989 sensor. It enables you to capture clear images, and as mentioned in the build section, the cameras also allow you to shoot at 8K video resolution, giving you greater scope when editing later on, especially if you are a content creator working in CapCut.
One last mention about the cameras is the night camera, supported by four infrared LEDs, helping to illuminate subjects even in pitch black conditions.
By default, one of the customisable keys on the phones body is designated as the shutter button, so if you want to quickly take pictures using the smartphone like a standard camera, then you can, and this is actually really nice and comfortable to use.
The display is quite standard for a rugged smartphone, with its 6.67-inch diagonal size, 1080 x 2400 resolution and 120 Hz refresh rate. What is nice to see here is that it has a peak brightness of 2200 nits, and whilst the resolution might not be comparable with some other high-resolution phones, they’ve gone for quality with 10-bit colour depth and DCI-P3 wide colour gamut, meaning that if you are looking for a colour-critical display, then this phone is likely to deliver.
Through testing, one feature that really stood out to me was the scale of the battery. At 21,200 mAh, it’s one of the largest on the market. What was good to see here is that it offers 120W fast charging, so if you do run out and need to top up, it’ll do so quickly. It can also reverse charge at 10 W, so if you have a consumer-level smartphone or other USB-C device with you, simply plug it into the base of the phone, and you can use this as a viable power bank.
Looking at the connectivity features, it does, of course, feature the latest 5G cellular network technology, WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4, all the latest options. It was also nice to see that it has a standard 3.5 mm headphone jack, and the USB-C 3.2 port used for charging is also DisplayPort DP-enabled, so if you want to plug it into a monitor, that’s straightforward. The phone is also fully satellite-enabled with GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo, QZSS and NavIC connectivity options.
The final feature I’d like to cover is the camping light on the back. Again, this is accessed through one of the toolkit apps and offers a really good, bright and well-diffused light.
Ulefone Armor 29 Ultra: Performance
Benchmarks
Disk Speed Read: 2035 MB/s
Disk Speed Write: 629 MB/s
Geekbench CPU Multi: 7176
Geekbench CPU Single: 2182
Geekbench GPU: 12,844
Solar Bay: 8097
Slingshot: Maxed Out
Slingshot Extreme: Maxed Out
Wild Life Extreme Overall: 5267
Wild Life Overall: Maxed Out
Steel Nomad Overall: 1925
Recent rugged phone releases have taken a big step up in power and functionality compared with those released just a year ago, and when it comes to outright power and usability, the Ulefone Armor 29 Ultra is one of the fastest yet. The Dimensity 9300+ CPU is able to handle pretty much anything you throw at it without too many issues. Navigating around the Android 15 operating system is fast, and Ulefone has created quite a streamlined install, with just a few dedicated apps for their toolkit and accessing features such as the camping light and the second screen’s watch face and notifications.
In general use, using Google Docs and navigating other apps, proves that this is one of the most streamlined Android phones I’ve used. It’s able to handle most complex and memory-demanding applications without issue.
When loading up PDFs or editing Google documents and spreadsheets, it handles files and data extremely well, and you can have multiple applications open without putting too much strain on the system.
If you do use more processor-intensive applications, such as Adobe Photoshop or Lightroom, then this particular rugged smartphone will have no issue. Most image editing and more advanced colour effects and enhancements are all applied relatively smoothly, and without the lag I often experience with other phones of this type.
What’s really nice here with the Armour 29 Ultra is that the processing power that enables Lightroom to run so smoothly is complemented by a decent 50 MP camera. While some other rugged smartphones can offer over 200 MP sensors, this 50 MP camera is one of the best I’ve seen on this type of smartphone. It produces clear images with decent resolution and detail. Looking carefully at the images, you can see a good level of tonal graduation, and skin tones, foliage and skies all look really well reproduced. Taking those images through to Photoshop or Lightroom enables you to edit, and again, the applications handle those image files with absolute ease.
Complementing the performance is the video capability, with the ability to shoot up to 8K. For this test, I generally sat around the 4K mark and edited that footage in CapCut. Again, with the support of some expansion storage in the TF/microSD card slot in the SIM card carrier, I was able to record plenty of footage. Whilst capturing video was straightforward for those looking for something more advanced there is no log option, however the video quality looked exceptionally good.
There’s also the potential to download Blackmagic Camera if you want to push your video quality and production further, with everything easily editable within CapCut. What I liked about this camera was that, when using Blackmagic Camera, you could take the maximum bitrate up to 240 mbps per second, although the colour space is still restricted to Rec. 709.
One of the other features that really stands out with this and other Armour phones is the smart connector, which enables you to attach endoscopes and microscopes. This does require undoing one of the small screws and then bolting in whichever accessory you want. But if you’re working in a trade and need to see behind objects or through cavities and walls, then being able to place a small camera where it’s usually beyond view is a huge benefit, and almost above all else, makes this an extremely valuable tool for all sorts of trades, as well as many other professions when coupled with those accessories.
When it comes to rugged smartphone performance, the real-world tests just proved that the Armor 29 Ultra is one of the most powerful on the market. If you want a straightforward, rugged smartphone because you work off-grid or you’re often on adventures and don’t know when you’ll be able to charge your phone, then this is a great option. It doesn’t feature any of the gimmicks many rugged smartphones offer, just a very reliable and robust mobile option with a huge capacity battery as long as you can handle the size and weight.
Ulefone Armor 29 Ultra: Final verdict
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The market for rugged smartphones has rapidly expanded, and there’s a good selection out there. Where the Armour 29 Ultra really finds its niche is for anyone looking for a straightforward, no-gimmick rugged phone that offers huge battery capacity and a very decent set of cameras. If you’re heading off on an adventure and you’re not sure how often you’re going to be able to charge the battery, then, as I discovered through this test, it can quite happily sit on standby for well over a month. Even when in use, you’re going to get a good week of use out of it before the battery needs topping up.
What’s more, the battery capacity can be recharged quickly with a 120 W fast charge, and if you have other devices that need charging, then you can use the 10 W reverse charging, which, through this test, was used to top up Sony A7 Mark IV batteries.
As with other smartphones, it’s been finely tuned to life outdoors, so there are the features I’ve found essential over the years of testing this style of phone, those being the IP68/IP69K credentials, which mean it can be submerged in water, dropped and even kicked around without too much issue. It also features dual SIM, so if you are travelling abroad, you can have your UK SIM alongside a foreign SIM. You do have to manually select them through the settings, but having them both within the phone, nice and safe, is a real benefit. Of course, there’s the TF/microSD card storage expansion, which again is extremely handy.
The other feature that’s always good to see is a strong camping light, and here on the 29 Ultra, it’s really nicely refined, with a good level of diffusion. Although it doesn’t have great adjustability, the light it produces is perfectly good if you’re sitting out at night and just need a bit of illumination. And with that huge capacity battery, you can sit there all night knowing that there’s going to be enough charge for the phone to work perfectly well the following day.
While there are many great aspects to this, it’s also worth considering the size and bulk. This is still a rugged smartphone that incorporates a huge capacity battery, and with that comes size and weight. So if you’re after a rugged smartphone to take with you, that is something to consider. But then again, it will replace your power bank, allow you to carry all your multimedia with you, and with such a decent camera, you’ll be sure to capture some great shots along the way.
Should I buy a Ulefone Armor 29 Ultra?
|
Value |
As a straight rugged smartphone, this is at the premium end of the market |
4 |
|
Design |
There’s nothing lightweight or small about this – large and weighty, but decidedly premium |
4 |
|
Features |
Compared with other rugged smartphones, there are no gimmicks. This is just a solid phone for the outdoors |
4 |
|
Performance |
Outstanding processing power and a huge capacity battery make this an ideal option for anyone working off-grid |
4.5 |
|
Overall |
If you can cope with the size and weight, then this is one of the best rugged smartphones available |
4 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
For more durable devices, we’ve tested and reviewed the best rugged laptops and best rugged tablets.
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