Ulefone Armor 27T Pro in test: outdoor cell phone with thermal imaging and night vision camera

If you are looking for a particularly robust mobile device for camping holidays, hikes, ski tours or other adventures in the wilderness, an outdoor cell phone is an interesting choice. Rugged rugged phones are a good choice for foresters, craftsmen, electricians or on construction sites – especially devices with thermal imaging cameras.

The Ulefone Armor 27T Pro clearly falls into this category. The drop-proof and thick outdoor cell phone can take a lot, is of course waterproof and also offers exciting features like an infrared night vision camera or a thermal imaging camera from Flir. It lasts for days thanks to a powerful battery – but is about as heavy as a tablet. This test report shows how it performs in practice.

The Ulefone Armor 27T Pro comes with the usual martial look for an outdoor cell phone. The smartphone has an octagonal design – a distinctive shape. The corners are also rubberized to absorb shock well. Additionally, the frame extends slightly beyond the display, which should also protect the screen in case of a fall. The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass Victus.

With dimensions of 182.8 × 86.8 × 18.5 mm, the Armor 27T Pro is quite blocky and does not fit easily into every trouser pocket. Compared to Ulefone’s other outdoor smartphones, this is almost one of the “thinner” devices. However, it weighs a lot: at 441 grams, it weighs almost as much as a tablet.

The robust housing can withstand drops of approximately 2 meters onto hard surfaces. We dropped it several times, but it had no effect on the Armor 27T Pro. It also has a certification for the US military standard MIL-STD-810H, for which the cell phone has passed the drop test. The outdoor cell phone is IP69K dustproof and waterproof. It can survive in fresh water at a depth of 2 meters for up to 30 minutes. According to the manufacturer, it is also designed for temperatures ranging from -30 to 55 degrees Celsius.

The programmable button on the left is practical and an essential feature of outdoor smartphones. You can define up to three functions here (short, long, double press). The fingerprint reader is located on the front of the power button next to the volume buttons. It’s no surprise that all the buttons have a very firm pressure point. The USB-C port is also covered with a rubber tab. You can add a lanyard, and there’s also an optional protective cover with a clip to attach to a belt or carabiner.

Gone are the days when outdoor cell phones only offered low resolution. The Ulefone Armor 27T Pro’s large 6.78-inch LCD has a resolution of 2460 × 1080 pixels (Full HD+), resulting in a very sharp image at around 400 ppi (pixels per inch). The image quality is convincing and delivers strong colors and well-balanced contrast with high viewing angle stability. Furthermore, the refresh rate reaches up to 120Hz, which ensures a smooth image while scrolling or playing games.

The maximum brightness of the display with an IPS panel is relatively good for an outdoor cell phone at 680 cd/m². The display is usually readable outdoors, unless the sun shines directly on the display in good weather.

Ulefone Armor 27T Pro scores with a versatile camera solution. There’s no such thing as a more or less useless wide-angle or macro lens. A 50-megapixel main camera is used instead. It also has a 64-megapixel infrared night vision camera and a thermal imaging camera from Flir. A 32-megapixel front camera has been used for selfie.

The main camera is 50 megapixels, which enables taking detailed shots in daylight. However, colors appear a little lighter and the dynamic range could be larger. Unfortunately, image noise is very high when taking photos in dark environments.

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This is where the 64-megapixel infrared night vision camera comes in handy, delivering clear photos in black and white even in complete darkness – ideal for spotting animals, for example. The Armor 27T Pro also features a thermal imaging camera from Flir. It is especially suitable for traders to detect hot water pipes or cold bridges. With a sensitivity of 50 mK and a temperature measurement range of -10 to 450°C, it provides accurate results in a wide range of applications.

Videos up to 1440p at 30 fps are possible and provide good image quality, but only electronic stabilization is used.

The Dimensity 6300 is no rocket as a media library processor. Performance is in line with cheaper entry-level smartphones, but adequate for most purposes. We scored about 10,000 points on PCMark, which is a relatively strong value for an outdoor cell phone. The system runs smoothly and without any major delays. This device is less suitable for games with complex graphics. The value of 1200 points for Wildlife from 3Dmark is well below average.

With 12 GB RAM and 256 GB internal storage (UFS 2.2), this device offers great features. Storage can also be expanded up to 2 TB via microSD. The technology in the field of connectivity is no longer up to date: it only has USB-C 2.0 and supports Wi-Fi 5, Bluetooth 5.2 and NFC. There is also an infrared port onboard. It also has a 3.5 mm jack connection, which has become rare. GPS, GLONASS, BeiDou, Galileo and QZSS are available for navigation, enabling accuracy up to 2 metres.

Ulefone Armor 27T runs Android 14 on which Ulefone has a very colorful user interface. The positive thing is that the device is almost free of bloatware. However, at the time of testing in October 2024, the security patch was no longer current and was from August 2024. Ulefone is known to release updates irregularly. However, there is an option through the official website software download Contact the manufacturer by email to request ROM and instructions.

The battery capacity is 10,800 mAh – more than double that of a regular smartphone. In the battery test, the device lasted about 24 hours – which is a very good value. In everyday life, the device can easily last for three to four days on a single battery charge – depending on the intended use. You can also charge other devices with your smartphone. Although the device charges at 33 watts, the entire charging process may still take around 3 hours.

RRP is 599 Euros. You can currently get the Under Armor 27T Pro for almost free 510 euros,

Ulefone Armor 27T Pro offers a balanced mix of features, display, battery life, durability, and price, making it a good option. Camera equipment includes a 50-megapixel main camera, which, however, is only mediocre in darkness and offers some light colors. This is complemented by a thermal imaging and a night vision camera.

The 120Hz LCD is relatively bright and offers high resolution with good image quality. Battery life is also very long. It doesn’t set any records in terms of performance, but it’s well equipped for most tasks. But the weight of 440 grams is excessive.