This rugged and affordable smartphone packs a ton of power, but it’s no tank!

Key Takeaways from ZDNET

• The Ulefone Armor 25T Pro is Available on Amazon It’s 420 dollars.
• It’s packed with features that engineers and outdoor enthusiasts will enjoy, but it’s not as big as a typical rugged smartphone.
• Battery life isn’t that great, and the RAM can slow down under heavy workloads.

While I don’t think I’ll ever replace my iPhone for everyday use — I’m so immersed in the Apple ecosystem that I have no hope of getting any more — that doesn’t mean there aren’t companion Android handsets. And my favorite Android smartphone is aimed at engineers: a handset with a built-in thermal camera and night vision goggles.

Also: Insert related links

I recently got to try out the Ulefone Armor 25T Pro, a 5G, Android 14-based smartphone, and it proved to be a fantastic, versatile handset packed with a host of features that iPhone users dream of!

View on Amazon

Ulefone Armor 25T Pro Technical Specifications

• Octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 6300 6nm SoC (2×2.4GHz Cortex-A76 and 6×2.0GHz Cortex-A55) and Arm Mali-G57 MC2 GPU
• Android 14 operating system
• 6.78-inch, 1080 x 2460 resolution, 120Hz refresh rate display, ~396 pixels per inch density, Corning Gorilla Victus glass
• 12GB memory (6GB RAM + 6GB virtual RAM)
• 256GB internal storage (expandable up to 2TB using microSD/TF card)
• 50-megapixel wide-angle rear camera, f/1.65 aperture, 1/1.31-inch ultra-large sensor with 1.2um pixel size
• 64-megapixel f/1.8 aperture night vision camera with two infrared LED illuminators
• 32-megapixel f/2.5 aperture selfie camera
• ThermoVue thermal imaging sensor, high resolution up to 160 x 120, refresh rate up to 25Hz, measuring range up to 1000m, -20C to 550℃ range
• 6,500mAh battery (478 hours of standby time, 48 hours of talk time, 16 hours of video playback)
• 33W fast charging
• Reverse wireless charging
• Built-in infrared and NFC
• Fingerprint reader
• It is water and dust resistant with IP68/IP69K, MIL-STD-810H rating.
• 177.4 x 81.4 x 12.5mm
• 326 grams
• A list of supported carriers can be found here: Ulrephone website

The Armor 25T Pro consists of two parts. First, let’s look at the smartphone side.

Looking at the spec sheet for the processor, display, battery, and camera, it’s fair to classify this as a mainstream handset, and you can sense some compromises made. For example, the processor, GPU, and RAM are more than enough to keep the handset running smoothly most of the time, but on rare occasions, it feels a bit sluggish. I think this is mainly because the 6GB RAM and 6GB virtual RAM configuration is sometimes not enough.

Confront head on BlackVue BL9000 ProBlackview always wins thanks to its faster processor and extra RAM, but its handset costs hundreds of dollars more.

Nonetheless, the Armor 25T Pro’s performance is sufficient for most cases.

The camera is no different. It’s packed with megapixels and has decent output, but it’s not quite on the level of the iPhone Pro Max or Galaxy Ultra.

But this should be enough for most people.

Does this phone need a 50-megapixel main camera and a 32-megapixel selfie camera? Probably not, but megapixel counts help sales, and as sensors get cheaper, megapixel counts will continue to increase.

In order to create a handset that doesn’t feel like a brick in your pocket, Ulefone had to decide what was important. At 6,500mAh, the battery is on the small side for a rugged handset, but again, it’s good enough.

Also: I’m adding this iPhone thermal camera accessory to my toolkit (especially at this price point)

But let’s be honest, no one is buying the Armor 25T Pro for its display, processor, or battery life. People are buying it for its thermal imaging camera and night vision.

Now let’s talk about the second part of this handset – its superpowers!

The outstanding ThermoVue thermal imaging camera is fast, has a very good refresh rate, and has high accuracy levels.

Thermal imaging cameras have a variety of uses, from finding where your pet mouse is hiding in your bedroom to identifying a faulty component on a circuit board. Yes, they are truly versatile.

As I’ve said before, a thermal imaging camera is an essential diagnostic and repair tool, just like a screwdriver, multimeter, or soldering iron.

I used to think night vision goggles were some kind of gimmick, but when you’re crawling around in a dark attic looking for electronic components, you realize that they’re invaluable.

And using IR night vision is much better for your eyes than illuminating your surroundings with a flashlight.

Yes, this is a must-have tool in any engineer’s toolbox.

ZDNET’s Buying Advice

Ulefone is one of my favorite Android smartphone manufacturers, consistently successful with its line of solid handsets and always succeeding in creating devices that are perfectly suited to the lives of engineers and outdoor enthusiasts.

that Ulefone Armor 25T Pro It is no exception, taking mainstream smartphone components and adding useful features like thermal cameras and night vision. These features are not for the masses, but if you need them and know how to use them correctly, they can be incredibly useful.

And it’s one of the few armored smartphones that doesn’t feel like a tank in your pocket.