We bring you an exclusive review of a less traditional smartphone that deviates from the usual standard of most smartphones on the market. It is an extremely durable and powerful smartphone designed even for demanding conditions, Ulephone Power Armor 19.
In the review, we will look at all the functions it offers, which include, for example, temperature measurement. However, we will also test the overall performance and we will not forget about the cameras.
Where to buy Ulefone Power Armor 19?
A durable smartphone Ulephone Power Armor 19 you can buy it in the e-shop Banggood. When buying, you can also use our advantageous discount coupon, and you will also be pleased with the duty-free shipping from the Chinese warehouse, which will take approximately 2-3 weeks. Postage is completely free.
Ulephone Power Armor 19
During transport Banggood Express you don't pay any extra fees.
We recommend choosing transportation Banggood Express, for which you will not pay anything extra. Customs fees and any VAT will be handled directly by the seller for you. Shipping can only be selected in the basket, after entering the delivery address. Delivery at Banggood Express it usually takes around 15-20 days, but it can be longer.
Technical specifications
| Model | Ulephone Power Armor 19 |
|---|---|
| dimensions | 175.2 x 83.4 x 18.8 mm |
| Weight | 409 g |
| processor | MediaTek Helio G99 (8-core / 2.2 GHz) |
| RAM | 12 GB LPDDR4X |
| ROM | 256 GB UFS 2.1 |
| Display | 6.58 "IPS |
| 20: 9 aspect ratio | |
| resolution 1080 x 2408 px (FHD+) / 401 ppi | |
| refresh rate 120 Hz | |
| sampling frequency 240 hz | |
| Drums | 9600 mAh |
| charging | 66 W wired / 15 W wireless / reverse wireless |
| Cameras | main 108 Mpx / Samsung HM2 |
| telescopic 5 mpx / Samsung S5K5E9 | |
| wide angle 8 Mpx / Samsung S5K4H7 | |
| selfie 16 Mpx / Sony IMX481 | |
| Dual SIM | Yes |
| 5G support | nie |
| WiFi | 802.11 a/ac/b/g/n (2.4 and 5 GHz) |
| Bluetooth | 5.2 |
| Position systems | GPS / GLONASS / Galileo / BEIDOU / digital compass |
| NFC | Yes |
| Operating system | Android 12 (without any superstructure) |
| audio jack | yes 3.5 mm |
| Special Features | thermometer and uSmart connector |
| Certifications | IP68 and IP69K |
Content and quality of packaging
The Ulefone Power Armor 19 smartphone was delivered to us by the Packeta courier from the Hekka e-shop. The smartphone box was wrapped in foam reinforcement and a classic silicone envelope.
The smartphone box itself is stylish, black and yellow, and its design already indicates that it is not an ordinary smartphone for the masses. In addition to the smartphone, there are several additional components inside. In addition to standard equipment such as a charger and cable, we also find a cord, tempered glass and a small plastic tool for disassembling electronics.
Of course, the protective silicone case is missing here, as you absolutely do not need it for this smartphone.
Design and processing
The Ulefone brand focuses mainly on durable smartphones, although its portfolio also includes several tablets and classic smartphones. Ulefone Power Armor 19 is extremely durable, which is also adapted to its design and overall processing.
It is not a thin and light smartphone with thin frames around the display. On the contrary. The smartphone has dimensions of 175.2 x 83.4 x 18.8 mm and weighs up to 409 g. In terms of thickness and weight, it is equal to approximately two common, modern smartphones. However, this is the price for a durable smartphone that can withstand even the roughest handling and is not afraid of falling to the ground.
The processing is of extremely high quality. Its back cover is rubberized, extremely massive, and around its perimeter we find 15 discreet screws that, among other things, give the smartphone the right design. In a similar spirit, the frame of the display is also rubberized and visibly rises above the level of the display.
The design is exactly what you would expect from a durable smartphone. Thanks to the materials used, it is comfortable to hold in the hand, but due to its dimensions and high weight, it is more suitable for large and strong hands.
Layout of elements
Ulefone Power Armor 19, despite its durable design, has a fairly standard layout of control elements with a few improvements and bonuses. In the lower edge there is a charging USB-C port, which is of course hidden under a rubber cover, as well as a speaker grill with a microphone.
The right edge is home to the standard volume buttons along with a button to unlock the smartphone. It also has an integrated fingerprint reader.
On the other, left side, there is a slot for SIM card, to open which we do not need any needle. He can serve a couple SIM cards or one SIM card and microSD memory card. In addition, there is also one extra button, the function of which can be set in the settings. Below is the uSmart connector, which we will talk more about.
The top edge also contains a port for connecting a 3.5 mm headphone jack, which is also protected by a rubber cover.
What is uSmart?
The aforementioned uSmart expansion port on the left side of the smartphone is a special magnetic port for connecting external devices from the Ulefone workshop. Among such official accessories we can find, for example, endoscopes or a digital microscope.
The endoscope with the model designation E02 has a pair of cameras, seven LEDs, a two-meter cable and IP67 certification. Another accessory is a digital microscope, but the manufacturer also offers other devices that connect via USB-C. These include a camera with night vision and a barcode scanner.
You can buy an endoscope or microscope on the official website for $59, a camera with night vision for $69, and a barcode scanner for $99.
Ulefone Power Armor 19 with a processor from MediaTek
The performance of the durable Ulefone Power Armor 19 smartphone is ensured by the MediaTek Helio G99 octa-core processor. It consists of two ARM Cortex-A76 cores clocked at 2.2 GHz and six ARM Cortex-A55 cores with a maximum clock frequency of 2 GHz. The processor is made with 6 nm technology.
It is supported by an ARM Mali-G57 MP2 graphics chip and 12 GB LPDDR4X RAM. We can expand the RAM memory by another 2 to 5 GB from the internal storage, which has 256 GB and is of the UFS 2.1 type. We can expand the storage at the rate of one SIM cards with a maximum of 2 TB.
In benchmarks, this processor achieves a score similar to the competing Snapdragon 730 or 720G from Qualcomm. It is thus an average processor from a lower class. MediaTek Helio G99 can also be found, for example, in smartphones such as Realme 10, POCO M5 or Oppo Reno 10T.
Of course, its performance is not amazing, but it is sufficient for normal use. However, sometimes you have to expect slower reactions. We achieved a score of 384 points in the AnTuTu benchmark.
IPS display with high refresh rate
Ulefone Power Armor 19 has a 6.58″ FHD+ display with a selfie camera cutout. Its resolution is 2408 x 1080 px with a pixel density of 401 ppi and an aspect ratio of 20:9.
At least a higher refresh rate will please, but it is becoming a standard in the meantime. Specifically, it is 120 Hz with a sampling frequency of 240 Hz. We recommend going to the settings right away and turning on automatic brightness and automatic refresh rate adjustment, as these functions are disabled by default.
The display has rounded corners and significantly thick frames, which further enhance the thick edges of the smartphone itself. However, if we want a smartphone that is resistant to falls, it cannot be otherwise. At a glance, the display is average and could use a higher brightness. It offers rather cooler color tones and its response is not the best either.
IP certification and resistance
The smartphone from the Ulefone brand pleases with the official IP68 and IP69K certification. It thus achieves maximum protection against dust and protection against immersion in water at a depth of 1.5 m for 30 minutes.
At the same time, the manufacturer also states the maximum degree of protection IP69K, which additionally defines resistance to increased pressure or steam. Here, however, he is somewhat cautious and does not specify this information in more detail, but the smartphone should be certified according to IEC Standard 60529.
Thanks to the overall processing and the massive cover, it can also handle a fall from a height of 1.5 m onto a hard surface such as concrete. It is thus an ideal smartphone for construction, the workshop or other extreme conditions, as it can handle rough handling.
Pure Android with extra features
Ulefone Power Armor 19 is one of the few smartphones where we can find pure Android without any graphical superstructure such as MIUI. Specifically, it is version 12.
In terms of graphics, the system is therefore very simple, but clear. The add-on does not slow it down unnecessarily and offers a sufficient number of settings, including changing the style of displaying application icons. Overall, the system is fast, but sometimes you have to expect slower launch of some applications.
As for the applications themselves, we can find a few more here. In this respect, it is not a completely clean Android installation. However, there is no bloatware here, but rather applications necessary for Ulefone.
This is, for example, the uSmart Camera for controlling a device with a camera connected via the uSmart connector, a thermometer, a simple Easy Launcher or the Tools application. There is also an FM radio, which works surprisingly well and even without connected headphones to serve as an antenna.
Special applications and their use
In the application menu under the name Tools, we can basically find almost all the special applications of this smartphone. Not all of them are completely unconventional, as we would not find in other smartphones, but they certainly do not belong to the standard in the form of pre-installed applications, as is the case in this case.
Specifically, there is a compass, sound level meter, spirit level for hanging a picture, classic spirit level, height measurement, magnifying glass, protractor, plumb line, alarm, mirror, pedometer, flashlight and barometer. Some are really simple, like a magnifying glass or a mirror, which basically just use cameras.
For example, the spirit level function for image placement is interesting for us, which displays individual lines to place the image on a plane.
Thermometer with its own sensor
Very interesting is the temperature measurement, which actually works the same as a regular non-contact thermometer. In the back module between the cameras there is a sensor that measures the temperature.
Just open the thermometer application, namie.g. on the forehead at a distance of 1 to 3 cm and press the "Measurement" button. The accuracy is quite good, comparable to a regular non-contact thermometer. We can also measure the temperature of objects and all measurements are recorded in the history.
Side programmable button
As we mentioned earlier, there is an extra button on the left side of the smartphone, which is relatively large and easy to touch. It does not perform any function from the factory, but you choose its use in the settings. Specifically, we have a choice of different actions for a single press of the button, double presses or holding.
Functions include starting sound recording, turning on the LED light, taking a screenshot or opening the thermometer application. You can find all options on the screenshots above. The button can also open any smartphone application.
Cameras don't burn
If we look at the rear camera module, we will see three lenses, a sensor for measuring temperature and a relatively large LED module for illumination. You can see the specifications of each camera in the table:
| Main 108 Mpx | Samsung HM2 sensor | aperture f / 1.89 | FOV 82.3 ° |
|---|---|---|---|
Wide-angle 8 Mpx |
sensor Samsung S5K4H7 | aperture f / 2.2 | FOV 118.8 ° |
Macro 5 Mpx |
sensor Samsung S5K5E9 | aperture f / 3.0 | FOV |
When we looked at the manufacturer's website, we noticed that it refers to the main camera as a flagship camera, which we don't like at all. The camera is not even close to the flagship models and impresses perhaps only on paper with the number of megapixels.
Overall, the cameras are very average, even below average. Sharpening takes quite a long time even in good conditions and the result is rarely good. The photos have poor sharpness, few details and their color rendering is not at all attractive. It won't please even the evil onenamick range and high noise.
The wide-angle camera has even weaker dynamiky scope and photos from it are kind of too dark and drab.
Here we also find the so-called Microscope mode, which has 30-fold and 60-fold zoom. Of course, this is only a digital zoom, which is of very poor quality and can't even focus in most cases. Mostly, the attempts to take a photo with this mode ended as you can see in the following shot.
We understand that the primary focus of such a smartphone is not cameras, but the manufacturer unnecessarily misleads customers when presenting them.
Battery and endurance
The larger body gives the smartphone room for a larger battery, which in this case has up to a respectable 9600 mAh, which is basically almost double compared to regular smartphones.
It will also please you with quite fast, 66 W charging and support for 15 W wireless charging. The Ulefone Power Armor 19 can even charge another device in reverse, also wirelessly, which is rather a rarity in this price category. Despite the high battery capacity, cable charging does not take too long at all:
| capacity | time |
|---|---|
| 20 - 50% | 15 minutes and 25 seconds |
| 75% | 32 minutes and 50 seconds |
| 90% | 52 minutes and 47 seconds |
| 100% | 75 minutes and 54 seconds |
What about real life? She is excellent. The smartphone can easily last for several days depending on the usage style. However, in this case, the battery percentages really run out slowly, and with normal use, it is not a problem for the smartphone to last for 3 or 4 days.
Ulefone Power Armor 19: Final review
The durable Ulefone Power Armor 19 will please anyone looking for a smartphone for demanding conditions such as construction or a workshop, where a classic smartphone would not have a long life. It offers a 6.58″ IPS display, a 9600 mAh battery, pure Android 12, but especially resistance to falling, water or increased pressure. It has IP68 and IP69K certifications.
The rear sensor for non-contact temperature measurement and several pre-installed applications such as spirit level, sound level meter, compass, protractor or barometer will please you. The smartphone also has one additional programmable button and a uSmart port for connecting other accessories such as an endoscope or a microscope.
Of course, the higher weight and larger dimensions will not please you, which is a matter of course for such a model. The system is also not very fast, so you have to expect occasional slower reactions and weak cameras will not be happy either. However, the smartphone fulfills its role and will definitely support you in the demanding conditions for which it is intended.
