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Ulefone Armor 3T Smartphone Review

Radio star. Ulefone typically designs outdoor smartphones that have large batteries. The Chinese company has remained true to this concept with the Armor 3T but has added a walkie-talkie function, which is somewhat novel. Read on to find out how well this hybrid smartphone works in daily use and how it fares against its competitors.
Ulefone Armor 3T

Ulefone has repeatedly proven itself in our reviews as a manufacturer of robust smartphones. We have already covered the Armor 5, Armor X and the Power 3 among others, which all had large batteries that generally achieved long runtimes. The Armor 3T is the latest Ulefone smartphone to arrive for testing and continues the Chinese company’s theme of being a rugged smartphone with a huge battery. The Armor 3T also packs in a walkie-talkie function, the inclusion of which is rather novel.

Ulefone has equipped the Armor 3T with a MediaTek Helio P23 MT6763T SoC, which is a lower mid-range chip that integrates an ARM Mali-G71 MP2 GPU. The Armor 3T currently retails for US$279.99 (£222.59) through ulefone.com and has 4 GB of RAM with 64 GB of eMMC flash storage. The device is not only IP68 certified but also IP69K certified against powerful jets of hot water. In short, the Armor 3T should handle anything that you can throw at it.

We have chosen to compare the Armor 3T against other rugged and comparably priced smartphones. Our comparison devices include the Elephone Soldier, the Oukitel WP2 and the Ulefone Armor 5. We also consider the Armor 3T against the Crosscall Action-X3, but please keep in mind that the latter costs over $US100 more than our test device, so it is not an entirely fair comparison.

Ulefone Armor 3T (Armor Series)
Processor
Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T 8 x 2.3 - 2.5 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
Display
5.70 inch 2:1, 2160 x 1080 pixel 424 PPI, Capacitive, IPS, Corning Gorilla Glas 5, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB 
, 55 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: USB Type-C, Card Reader: up to 256 GB microSD cards, FAT, FAT32, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, Compass, Gravity sensor, Gyroscope, Proximity sensor
Networking
802.11a/b/g/n (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.1, 2G GSM: 850, 900, 1,800, 1,900; B2, B3, B5, B8. 2G CDMA: 850,900; BC0, BC1. 3G WCDMA: 850, 900, 1,700, 1,900, 2,100. B1, B2, B4, B5, B8. 3G TDS/CDMA: 2015/1,900; B34, B39), 4G LTE/FDD: 700, 800, 850, 900, 1,700, 1,800, 1,900, 2,100; B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, B7, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 18 x 165 x 80 ( = 0.71 x 6.5 x 3.15 in)
Battery
10300 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 21 MPix Sony IMX230, f/1.8, wide-angle, PDAF
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix 8 MP (interpolated to 13 MP)
Additional features
Speakers: Single speaker, Keyboard: Virtual keyboard, Keyboard Light: yes, USB charger, USB Type-C cable, USB Type-C to Type-A adapter, USB Type-C to MicroUSB adapter, USB Type-C to 3.5 mm jack, antenna, Torx screwdriver, flat screwdriver, wrist strap, bicycle holder, screen protector, 12 Months Warranty, IP69K / IP68, fanless, ruggedized
Weight
374 g ( = 13.19 oz / 0.82 pounds), Power Supply: 80 g ( = 2.82 oz / 0.18 pounds)
Price
250 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The Armor 3T has a mainly metal and plastic design. The screen is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass 5, while rubber caps protect the radio antenna connector and the USB Type-C port when they are not in use. The device is also IP68 and IP69K certified, which means that it is dustproof and resists even high-pressure jets of hot water.

Ulefone has included a fingerprint sensor on the Armor 3T too, which it has placed on the right-hand side of the device below the power button. The volume buttons sit on the opposite side above the walkie-talkie button. Ulefone has hidden the microSD and two nano-SIM card slots behind a metal panel on the back of the device, which requires undoing four Torx screws to remove.

The Armor 3T comes in a choice of two colors. Our test device is the black variant, which looks more understated than the orange version. Both color options are mostly black, but the orange version has bright orange accents running around the edges of the display and onto the back of the device.

Ulefone Armor 3T
Ulefone Armor 3T
Ulefone Armor 3T
Ulefone Armor 3T
Ulefone Armor 3T
Ulefone Armor 3T

Size Comparison

176 mm / 6.93 inch 84 mm / 3.31 inch 15 mm / 0.591 inch 364 g0.802 lbs165 mm / 6.5 inch 80 mm / 3.15 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 374 g0.825 lbs158.3 mm / 6.23 inch 76 mm / 2.99 inch 12.6 mm / 0.4961 inch 228 g0.503 lbs155 mm / 6.1 inch 78 mm / 3.07 inch 13 mm / 0.512 inch 251 g0.553 lbs152.5 mm / 6 inch 79 mm / 3.11 inch 12.5 mm / 0.4921 inch 213 g0.4696 lbs210 mm / 8.27 inch 148 mm / 5.83 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 2.9 g0.00639 lbs

Connectivity

Ulefone has equipped the Armor 3T with a MediaTek Helio P23 MT6763T SoC, which is a lower mid-range chip that integrates an ARM Mali-G71 MP2 GPU. The Armor 3T also has 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of eMMC flash storage. The device supports up to 256 GB microSD cards, according to Ulefone, should you run out of internal storage. Moreover, the Armor 3T has a dedicated microSD card slot, which means that you need not sacrifice one of the two SIM card slots should you need to use a microSD card. By contrast, the likes of Huawei and Samsung regularly only include two card slots but market their devices as being dual-SIM and supporting microSD cards, so credit to Ulefone for implementing this functionality correctly. Frustratingly, the Armor 3T could only format our reference microSD card as external storage, which prevented us from storing any apps or data on the card. Hence, you can store apps only on the internal storage, which could prove frustrating if you fill it up, as you would need to delete files before downloading any new apps.

The Armor 3T has a USB 2.0 Type-C port on the bottom of the device for wired data transfer and charging. The port supports USB On-The-Go (OTG) for connecting peripherals like USB storage or keyboards and mice.

Software

The Armor 3T ships with Android 8.1 Oreo, while our test device arrived with July 5, 2018, Android security patches, which were almost six months old at the time of testing. Ulefone keeps the OS a relatively stock Android experience with only a few custom icons and apps for the walkie-talkie module among others. There is also a toolbox app that includes, but is not limited to, an altimeter, a magnifier, a protractor and spirit level. The Armor 3T also supports multiple user accounts should more than one person need to use the device.

Default home screen
Default home screen
Pre-installed apps
Pre-installed apps
Pre-installed apps
Pre-installed apps
Ulefone Toolbox
Ulefone Toolbox
Quick Settings
Quick Settings
Quick settings customisation
Quick settings customisation
Storage information
Storage information
Device information
Device information

Communication & GPS

The Armor 3T supports GSM, 3G and LTE networks. The device utilizes LTE Cat. 7 for up to 300 MBit/s download and 100 MBit/s upload speeds. The device also supports modern Wi-Fi standards up to IEEE 802.11 n, which means that it can only connect to 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi networks. Correspondingly, our test device averages around 100 MBit/s in iperf3 Client Wi-Fi tests, which puts it below all but the Oukitel WP2 in our comparison table.

The device supports Bluetooth 4.1 and NFC like many other devices too, but it has an ace up its sleeve too. The Armor 3T also has a radio antenna that can operate at between 400-470 MHz. Our test device has a 2 W maximum transmission power, which yields up to a 10 km (~6.2 miles) range at sea and a few hundred meters in built-up areas. We tested the Armor 3T’s radio functionality with a Wanhua UV6S walkie-talkie to determine its audio quality and range. The two devices held a range of around 600 meters (~0.4 miles) in a wooded area, which is beyond Ulefone’s claims. The Armor 3T transmitted and received audio cleanly until its maximum range, during which voices sounded intelligible and loud.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Elephone Soldier
Mali-T880 MP4, Helio X25 MTK6797T, 128 GB eMMC Flash
332 (316min - 340max) MBit/s +235%
Crosscall Action-X3
Adreno 505, 430, 32 GB eMMC Flash
201 MBit/s +103%
Ulefone Armor 5
Mali-G71 MP2, Helio P23 MT6763T, 64 GB eMMC Flash
102 (42min - 118max) MBit/s +3%
Oukitel WP2
Mali-T860 MP2, MT6750T, 64 GB eMMC Flash
102 (42min - 118max) MBit/s +3%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mali-G71 MP2, Helio P23 MT6763T, 64 GB eMMC Flash
99 (30min - 125max) MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +297%
Elephone Soldier
Mali-T880 MP4, Helio X25 MTK6797T, 128 GB eMMC Flash
263 (259min - 265max) MBit/s +178%
Crosscall Action-X3
Adreno 505, 430, 32 GB eMMC Flash
199 MBit/s +110%
Ulefone Armor 5
Mali-G71 MP2, Helio P23 MT6763T, 64 GB eMMC Flash
103 (37min - 120max) MBit/s +9%
Ulefone Armor 3T
Mali-G71 MP2, Helio P23 MT6763T, 64 GB eMMC Flash
94.7 (85min - 96max) MBit/s
Oukitel WP2
Mali-T860 MP2, MT6750T, 64 GB eMMC Flash
86.4 (43min - 107max) MBit/s -9%
0102030405060708090100110120Tooltip
Ulefone Armor 3T; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø89.4 (85-96)
Ulefone Armor 3T; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø99.1 (30-125)
GPS test: Indoors
GPS test: Indoors
GPS test: Outdoors
GPS test: Outdoors

The Armor 3T uses GPS, GLONASS and SBAS for location services. Our test device can maintain a satellite fix with up to 2 meters (~6.6 feet) accuracy outdoors, which is an outstanding result. The device failed to locate us indoors though, which is somewhat disappointing.

We also took the Armor 3T on a bike ride to test its navigation accuracy against our reference navigation system, the Garmin Edge 500. Our test device performed well over our 8.81 km (~5.5 miles) bike ride and only deviated by around 50 meters (~164 feet) from the route that the Garmin recorded. The Armor 3T could not react as quickly as the Garmin could when we changed direction though, which resulted in our test device occasionally cutting corners to catch up with us. Overall, the Armor 3T has a better GPS module than many other smartphones and is accurate enough even for more complex navigation tasks.

GPS test: Ulefone Armor 3T - Overview
GPS test: Ulefone Armor 3T - Overview
GPS test: Ulefone Armor 3T - Lake
GPS test: Ulefone Armor 3T - Lake
GPS test: Ulefone Armor 3T - Corners
GPS test: Ulefone Armor 3T - Corners
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Overview
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Lake
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Lake
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Corners
GPS test: Garmin Edge 500 - Corners

Telephone Features & Call Quality

Dialler
Dialler

Ulefone pre-installs Google Gboard as the default keyboard on our test device. The keyboard functions just as well as it does on other smartphones. Our test device has decent call quality and gets loud enough to make or receive calls even from noisy environments. Moreover, both sides of the call sounded clear and intelligible throughout testing.

Alternatively, you could use headphones for phone calls, but keep in mind that the Armor 3T has no headphone jack nor does Ulefone include a pair of headphones in the box. The company does include a USB Type-C to 3.5 mm jack adapter for you to connect traditional headphones to the Armor 3T though, which is a plus.

Cameras

Photo taken with the front-facing camera
Photo taken with the front-facing camera

The Armor 3T has an 8 MP front-facing camera that it interpolates to 13 MP and a 21 MP rear-facing camera. The latter is a Sony IMX230 sensor that has an f/1.8 aperture.

The front-facing camera is mediocre and struggles to capture details or fine structures. Furthermore, colors look pale and washed out, while the sensor typically underexposes photos more than we would like. The default camera app has few settings too with only a few color filters and an HDR mode. There is also a manual ISO mode should you wish to tinker with exposure settings before taking a photo.

By contrast, the rear-facing camera captures scenes more vividly and with decent contrast. Transitions between objects look rather blurred when shooting macro photos, but the sensor does a good job at capturing details and accurately reproducing colors overall. The sensor also balances juxtaposing areas of brightness with only objects in poorly lit areas of an image being lost in the darkness. Details are lacking when looking closely at images though with objects dominated by a coarse grain of image noise.

The rear-facing camera particularly struggles in low light though despite its relatively wide aperture. The resulting photos are heavily washed out, and objects are recognizable if they are in focus. Essentially, low-light pictures are unusable. The default camera app has several pre-set white balance profiles and all the settings that are available for the front-facing camera.

The main camera shoots videos in the same quality as it takes photos. The sensor automatically adjusts white balance and can record in up to 1080p in either MP4 or 3GP. There is also electronic image stabilization that compensates well for minor camera shakes.

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images
ColorChecker Passport: The lower half of each area of color displays the reference color
ColorChecker Passport: The lower half of each area of color displays the reference color

We also subjected the Armor 3T to further camera tests under controlled lighting conditions. Our test device generally reproduces colors too brightly compared to the ColorChecker Passport reference color, although gray tones look too dark. The Armor 3T captures our test chart well though with details and fine textures reproduced sharply at the center of the photo. Likewise, colors look vivid. The contrast visibly drops off in the bottom corners of the chart though, but this happens with many other smartphones too.

A photo of our test chart
A photo of our test chart
Our test chart in detail

Accessories & Warranty

The Armor 3T comes with numerous accessories. Our test device arrived with a USB charger, with matching USB Type-C cable, a USB Type-C to Type A adapter, a Type-C to MicroUSB adapter, a Type-C to 3.5 mm adapter, an antenna, Torx and flathead screwdrivers, a wrist strap, a bike holder and a screen protector. Ulefone does not sell any other Armor 3T specific accessories on its website, but this offering is more than many other manufacturers include with their devices.

The Armor 3T comes with 12 months manufacturer’s warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties article for country-specific information.

Ulefone includes plenty of accessories with the Armor 3T
Ulefone includes plenty of accessories with the Armor 3T

Input Devices & Operation

Ulefone pre-installs Google Gboard as the default keyboard on our test device. The keyboard functions just as well as it does on other smartphones. The touch screen responded reliably and quickly transmitted our inputs throughout testing. Multi-finger gestures work too, but the screen’s resistive coating made actions like drag and drop movements somewhat of a chore after a while.

The fingerprint sensor worked well too and quickly unlocked our device throughout our tests. We had to place our thumb very precisely on the sensor though as otherwise, our test device would fail to recognise our fingerprint.

Using the default keyboard in portrait mode
Using the default keyboard in portrait mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode
Using the default keyboard in landscape mode

Display

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The Armor 3T has a 5.7-inch IPS display that operates natively at 2,160 x 1,080 with a 2:1 aspect ratio. Our test device achieved an average maximum brightness of 425 cd/m² according to X-Rite i1Pro 2, which puts the Armor 3T joint-bottom of our comparison table with the Crosscall Action-X3. The value also drops to 416 cd/m² in the more practical APL50 test, which underlines that Ulefone has equipped the Armor 3T with a relatively dark panel. Our test device has an 89% evenly lit display, which puts it in the midfield of our comparison table.

435
cd/m²
412
cd/m²
445
cd/m²
432
cd/m²
414
cd/m²
450
cd/m²
413
cd/m²
399
cd/m²
428
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 450 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 425.3 cd/m² Minimum: 14.79 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 414 cd/m²
Contrast: 1533:1 (Black: 0.27 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 6 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
94.3% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.41
Ulefone Armor 3T
IPS, 2160x1080, 5.70
Oukitel WP2
IPS, 2160x1080, 6.00
Elephone Soldier
IPS, 2560x1440, 5.50
Ulefone Armor 5
IPS, 1512x720, 5.85
Crosscall Action-X3
IPS, 1280x800, 5.00
Screen
-14%
-0%
-33%
0%
Brightness middle
414
472
14%
542
31%
487
18%
417
1%
Brightness
425
456
7%
531
25%
472
11%
425
0%
Brightness Distribution
89
86
-3%
88
-1%
92
3%
91
2%
Black Level *
0.27
0.32
-19%
0.68
-152%
0.69
-156%
0.29
-7%
Contrast
1533
1475
-4%
797
-48%
706
-54%
1438
-6%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
6
9.1
-52%
3.8
37%
7.1
-18%
7.12
-19%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
13.1
14.8
-13%
7
47%
15.8
-21%
10.19
22%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.8
9.6
-41%
2.8
59%
9.7
-43%
6.1
10%
Gamma
2.41 91%
1.75 126%
2.16 102%
2.26 97%
2.687 82%
CCT
8157 80%
8713 75%
6971 93%
8096 80%
7687 85%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

What the Armor 3T lacks in luminosity it makes up for in vibrancy. Our test device has a comparatively low 0.27 cd/m² black value, which helps it achieve an excellent 1,533:1 contrast ratio. These values put the Armor 3T well ahead of our comparison devices in this regard. We also subjected our test device to CalMAN analysis software, which demonstrated that the display has a blue tint to it. Unfortunately, we could not alter this as Ulefone has not included any color profiles or white balance settings that would help to compensate for any color inaccuracies.

CalMAN: Colour Accuracy – sRGB target color space
CalMAN: Color Accuracy – sRGB target color space
CalMAN: Colour Space – sRGB target color space
CalMAN: Color Space – sRGB target color space
CalMAN: Greyscale - sRGB target color space
CalMAN: Grayscale - sRGB target color space
CalMAN: Colour Saturation - sRGB target color space
CalMAN: Color Saturation - sRGB target color space

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
43.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23.6 ms rise
↘ 19.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 98 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
74.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 36.8 ms rise
↘ 38 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 99 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

The Armor 3T is easy to use outdoors. The display gets bright enough to read what is being displayed onscreen when in the shade or on a cloudy day, but we would recommend avoiding direct sunlight where possible. Unfortunately, the display does not get bright enough to overcome reflections in direct sunlight.

Using the Ulefone Armor 3T outdoors
Using the Ulefone Armor 3T outdoors
Using the Ulefone Armor 3T outdoors
Using the Ulefone Armor 3T outdoors

The Armor 3T has stable viewing angles thanks to its IPS display. The screen can be read from almost any angle without any brightness, color or image distortions.

Viewing Angles
Viewing Angles
Viewing Angles
Viewing Angles

Performance

The Armor 3T is powered by a MediaTek Helio P23 MT6763T SoC that integrates an ARM Mali-G71 MP2 GPU. Ulefone complements the midrange SoC with 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of eMMC flash storage. The Armor 3T should be powerful enough for most daily tasks and is on par with other lower-midrange smartphones.

Our test device performed well in benchmarks and regularly finished in the upper midfield of our comparison tables. The Armor 3T scored comparatively highly in both system and graphics benchmarks, but it still finished several percent short of the Elephone Soldier.

Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
920 Points
Oukitel WP2
643 Points -30%
Elephone Soldier
1791 Points +95%
Ulefone Armor 5
829 Points -10%
Crosscall Action-X3
634 Points -31%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (787 - 920, n=5)
841 Points -9%
Average of class Smartphone (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +450%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
4262 Points
Oukitel WP2
2633 Points -38%
Elephone Soldier
4554 Points +7%
Ulefone Armor 5
3504 Points -18%
Crosscall Action-X3
2360 Points -45%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (3504 - 4262, n=5)
3808 Points -11%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +218%
Compute RenderScript Score (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
3246 Points
Oukitel WP2
1759 Points -46%
Elephone Soldier
3449 Points +6%
Ulefone Armor 5
2707 Points -17%
Crosscall Action-X3
2045 Points -37%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (2707 - 3246, n=4)
2957 Points -9%
Average of class Smartphone (2053 - 18432, n=70, last 2 years)
10590 Points +226%
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
6394 Points
Oukitel WP2
4012 Points -37%
Elephone Soldier
5563 Points -13%
Ulefone Armor 5
6134 Points -4%
Crosscall Action-X3
4665 Points -27%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (5909 - 6846, n=8)
6278 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +136%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
4992 Points
Oukitel WP2
3042 Points -39%
Crosscall Action-X3
3666 Points -27%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (4622 - 5054, n=7)
4825 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +118%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
12148 Points
Oukitel WP2
8703 Points -28%
Elephone Soldier
14858 Points +22%
Ulefone Armor 5
10790 Points -11%
Crosscall Action-X3
9231 Points -24%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (8983 - 12148, n=7)
10783 Points -11%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
12146 Points
Oukitel WP2
8830 Points -27%
Elephone Soldier
16864 Points +39%
Ulefone Armor 5
10735 Points -12%
Crosscall Action-X3
9342 Points -23%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (9862 - 12146, n=7)
11064 Points -9%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
12156 Points
Oukitel WP2
8284 Points -32%
Elephone Soldier
10490 Points -14%
Ulefone Armor 5
10988 Points -10%
Crosscall Action-X3
8864 Points -27%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (6847 - 12566, n=7)
10109 Points -17%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
732 Points
Oukitel WP2
123 Points -83%
Elephone Soldier
997 Points +36%
Ulefone Armor 5
676 Points -8%
Crosscall Action-X3
561 Points -23%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (70 - 732, n=8)
461 Points -37%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3548 Points +385%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
626 Points
Oukitel WP2
98 Points -84%
Elephone Soldier
929 Points +48%
Ulefone Armor 5
581 Points -7%
Crosscall Action-X3
492 Points -21%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (55 - 626, n=8)
394 Points -37%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3905 Points +524%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
1804 Points
Oukitel WP2
1126 Points -38%
Elephone Soldier
1338 Points -26%
Ulefone Armor 5
1575 Points -13%
Crosscall Action-X3
1099 Points -39%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (1200 - 1804, n=8)
1515 Points -16%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
3005 Points +67%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
766 Points
Oukitel WP2
558 Points -27%
Elephone Soldier
999 Points +30%
Ulefone Armor 5
697 Points -9%
Crosscall Action-X3
549 Points -28%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (629 - 766, n=8)
695 Points -9%
Average of class Smartphone (704 - 23024, n=115, last 2 years)
9038 Points +1080%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
654 Points
Oukitel WP2
491 Points -25%
Elephone Soldier
927 Points +42%
Ulefone Armor 5
596 Points -9%
Crosscall Action-X3
478 Points -27%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (564 - 654, n=8)
606 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone (607 - 45492, n=114, last 2 years)
15757 Points +2309%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
1906 Points
Oukitel WP2
1072 Points -44%
Elephone Soldier
1372 Points -28%
Ulefone Armor 5
1700 Points -11%
Crosscall Action-X3
1148 Points -40%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (1024 - 1906, n=8)
1504 Points -21%
Average of class Smartphone (1075 - 8749, n=114, last 2 years)
4335 Points +127%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
483 Points
Oukitel WP2
184 Points -62%
Elephone Soldier
803 Points +66%
Ulefone Armor 5
442 Points -8%
Crosscall Action-X3
284 Points -41%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (68 - 483, n=8)
313 Points -35%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2685 Points +456%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
399 Points
Oukitel WP2
149 Points -63%
Elephone Soldier
697 Points +75%
Ulefone Armor 5
366 Points -8%
Crosscall Action-X3
234 Points -41%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (53 - 399, n=8)
261 Points -35%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2675 Points +570%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
1820 Points
Oukitel WP2
1054 Points -42%
Elephone Soldier
1719 Points -6%
Ulefone Armor 5
1594 Points -12%
Crosscall Action-X3
1098 Points -40%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (1240 - 1820, n=8)
1534 Points -16%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3127 Points +72%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
507 Points
Oukitel WP2
399 Points -21%
Elephone Soldier
950 Points +87%
Ulefone Armor 5
459 Points -9%
Crosscall Action-X3
333 Points -34%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (431 - 507, n=8)
466 Points -8%
Average of class Smartphone (317 - 20131, n=174, last 2 years)
6545 Points +1191%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
419 Points
Oukitel WP2
343 Points -18%
Elephone Soldier
858 Points +105%
Ulefone Armor 5
380 Points -9%
Crosscall Action-X3
277 Points -34%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (371 - 419, n=8)
391 Points -7%
Average of class Smartphone (267 - 33376, n=173, last 2 years)
9330 Points +2127%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
1928 Points
Oukitel WP2
920 Points -52%
Elephone Soldier
1523 Points -21%
Ulefone Armor 5
1696 Points -12%
Crosscall Action-X3
1131 Points -41%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (964 - 1928, n=8)
1492 Points -23%
Average of class Smartphone (938 - 8480, n=173, last 2 years)
4158 Points +116%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
23 fps
Oukitel WP2
15 fps -35%
Elephone Soldier
18 fps -22%
Ulefone Armor 5
34 fps +48%
Crosscall Action-X3
26 fps +13%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (20 - 36, n=7)
25.1 fps +9%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=177, last 2 years)
83.6 fps +263%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
24 fps
Oukitel WP2
17 fps -29%
Elephone Soldier
27 fps +13%
Ulefone Armor 5
21 fps -12%
Crosscall Action-X3
15 fps -37%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (21 - 24, n=7)
22.1 fps -8%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=177, last 2 years)
243 fps +913%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
11 fps
Oukitel WP2
6.7 fps -39%
Elephone Soldier
8.3 fps -25%
Ulefone Armor 5
20 fps +82%
Crosscall Action-X3
14 fps +27%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (10 - 22, n=7)
13.3 fps +21%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
71.3 fps +548%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
11 fps
Oukitel WP2
7.1 fps -35%
Elephone Soldier
14 fps +27%
Ulefone Armor 5
10 fps -9%
Crosscall Action-X3
6.7 fps -39%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (10 - 11, n=7)
10.4 fps -5%
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=178, last 2 years)
137.9 fps +1154%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
6.9 fps
Oukitel WP2
4.5 fps -35%
Elephone Soldier
5 fps -28%
Ulefone Armor 5
14 fps +103%
Crosscall Action-X3
10 fps +45%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (6.2 - 16, n=7)
8.97 fps +30%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=178, last 2 years)
60.2 fps +772%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
7.2 fps
Elephone Soldier
9.1 fps +26%
Ulefone Armor 5
6.6 fps -8%
Crosscall Action-X3
4.4 fps -39%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (6.5 - 7.2, n=7)
6.8 fps -6%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=178, last 2 years)
97 fps +1247%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
4.1 fps
Oukitel WP2
2.4 fps -41%
Elephone Soldier
3.5 fps -15%
Ulefone Armor 5
7.7 fps +88%
Crosscall Action-X3
5.3 fps +29%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (3.6 - 8.5, n=7)
5.1 fps +24%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=178, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +946%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
4.2 fps
Oukitel WP2
2.5 fps -40%
Elephone Soldier
6.1 fps +45%
Ulefone Armor 5
3.8 fps -10%
Crosscall Action-X3
2.4 fps -43%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (3.5 - 4.2, n=7)
3.87 fps -8%
Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=178, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +1295%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
4 fps
Oukitel WP2
2 fps -50%
Elephone Soldier
4 fps 0%
Ulefone Armor 5
6.4 fps +60%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (4 - 6.9, n=3)
5.77 fps +44%
Average of class Smartphone (3.6 - 123, n=218, last 2 years)
43.3 fps +983%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
4.1 fps
Oukitel WP2
2.3 fps -44%
Elephone Soldier
7 fps +71%
Ulefone Armor 5
3.8 fps -7%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (3.8 - 4.1, n=3)
4 fps -2%
Average of class Smartphone (2.3 - 229, n=218, last 2 years)
62.9 fps +1434%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
2.4 fps
Oukitel WP2
1.3 fps -46%
Elephone Soldier
2.4 fps 0%
Ulefone Armor 5
3.7 fps +54%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (2.4 - 3.9, n=3)
3.33 fps +39%
Average of class Smartphone (2.8 - 105, n=218, last 2 years)
32.2 fps +1242%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
1.5 fps
Oukitel WP2
0.86 fps -43%
Elephone Soldier
2.4 fps +60%
Ulefone Armor 5
1.4 fps -7%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (1.4 - 1.5, n=3)
1.467 fps -2%
Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 94, n=218, last 2 years)
25 fps +1567%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
95559 Points
Oukitel WP2
51621 Points -46%
Elephone Soldier
95765 Points 0%
Ulefone Armor 5
83332 Points -13%
Crosscall Action-X3
57023 Points -40%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (54192 - 95559, n=8)
77102 Points -19%
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
73836 Points
Oukitel WP2
42273 Points -43%
Elephone Soldier
43413 Points -41%
Ulefone Armor 5
62052 Points -16%
Crosscall Action-X3
42924 Points -42%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (54201 - 73836, n=8)
61888 Points -16%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
443 Points
Oukitel WP2
295 Points -33%
Elephone Soldier
1476 Points +233%
Ulefone Armor 5
1202 Points +171%
Crosscall Action-X3
Points -100%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (443 - 1370, n=8)
1168 Points +164%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +1188%
System (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
2906 Points
Oukitel WP2
1330 Points -54%
Elephone Soldier
2973 Points +2%
Ulefone Armor 5
2625 Points -10%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (2543 - 3229, n=8)
2846 Points -2%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +231%
Memory (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
1422 Points
Oukitel WP2
926 Points -35%
Elephone Soldier
1325 Points -7%
Ulefone Armor 5
1219 Points -14%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (1128 - 1609, n=8)
1381 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +338%
Graphics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
950 Points
Oukitel WP2
642 Points -32%
Elephone Soldier
1357 Points +43%
Ulefone Armor 5
869 Points -9%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (855 - 952, n=8)
894 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +1363%
Web (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 3T
10 Points
Oukitel WP2
10 Points 0%
Elephone Soldier
888 Points +8780%
Ulefone Armor 5
750 Points +7400%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (10 - 829, n=8)
674 Points +6640%
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +14770%

Legend

 
Ulefone Armor 3T Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, ARM Mali-G71 MP2, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Oukitel WP2 Mediatek MT6750T, ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Elephone Soldier Mediatek Helio X25 MTK6797T, ARM Mali-T880 MP4, 128 GB eMMC Flash
 
Ulefone Armor 5 Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T, ARM Mali-G71 MP2, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Crosscall Action-X3 Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Qualcomm Adreno 505, 32 GB eMMC Flash

The Armor 3T also plays second fiddle to the Elephone Soldier in browser benchmarks. Our test device handles web browsing smoothly in daily use with websites and media content loading quickly throughout testing.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 104.3, n=2, last 2 years)
85.2 Points +229%
Elephone Soldier (Chrome 70)
31.27 Points +21%
Ulefone Armor 3T (Chrome 71)
25.87 Points
Ulefone Armor 5 (Chrome 70)
23.07 Points -11%
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (17.9 - 25.9, n=7)
22 Points -15%
Crosscall Action-X3 (Chrome 68)
18.05 Points -30%
Oukitel WP2 (Chroome Mobile 70)
15.73 Points -39%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33355 Points +569%
Elephone Soldier (Chrome 70)
6089 Points +22%
Ulefone Armor 3T (Chrome 71)
4987 Points
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (3051 - 4987, n=8)
3949 Points -21%
Ulefone Armor 5 (Chrome 70)
3666 Points -26%
Crosscall Action-X3 (Chrome 68)
3251 Points -35%
Oukitel WP2 (Chrome Mobile 70)
3082 Points -38%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T (11352 - 23714, n=8)
14967 ms * -32%
Oukitel WP2 (Chrome Mobile 70)
13903 ms * -22%
Oukitel WP2 (Chrome Mobile 70)
13903 ms * -22%
Crosscall Action-X3 (Chrome 68)
13331 ms * -17%
Ulefone Armor 5 (Chrome 70)
11755 ms * -4%
Ulefone Armor 3T (Chrome 71)
11352 ms *
Elephone Soldier (Chrome 70)
6470 ms * +43%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1658 ms * +85%

* ... smaller is better

Ulefone has equipped the Armor 3T with 64 GB of eMMC flash storage, of which around 55 GB is available upon first booting the device. Our test device performed strongly in AndroBench 3-5 and finished second overall to the Armor 5 in our comparison table and well ahead of the class average.

The Armor 3T has a class-leading microSD card reader too. Our test device averaged 73.88 MB/s sequential write and 81.32 MB/s sequential read speeds with our Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 reference microSD card, which are better combined transfer speeds than all our comparison devices. The Action-X3 achieved a faster average read speed, but it could not keep up with its write speed. In short, the Armor 3T has fast storage for its class and price range.

Ulefone Armor 3TOukitel WP2Elephone SoldierUlefone Armor 5Crosscall Action-X3Average 64 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
-33%
-15%
3%
-24%
1%
578%
Sequential Read 256KB
283.9
267.6
-6%
246.7
-13%
296.5
4%
264.7
-7%
273 ?(95.6 - 704, n=201)
-4%
1468 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
417%
Sequential Write 256KB
210.6
98.6
-53%
172.2
-18%
245.8
17%
139.3
-34%
176.8 ?(40 - 274, n=201)
-16%
1078 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
412%
Random Read 4KB
58.6
26.89
-54%
61
4%
60.9
4%
47
-20%
59.1 ?(9.58 - 148.5, n=201)
1%
242 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
313%
Random Write 4KB
20.93
13.23
-37%
12.14
-42%
19.81
-5%
8.4
-60%
31.7 ?(2.34 - 146.9, n=201)
51%
266 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
1171%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
81.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
72.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-11%
72.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-11%
80.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-1%
84.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
3%
77.4 ?(21.1 - 107.6, n=144)
-5%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
73.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
47.92 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-35%
67.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-8%
71.7 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-3%
56.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-24%
58.3 ?(11.2 - 83.3, n=144)
-21%

Games

The ARM Mali-G71 MP2 GPU struggles to render modern games smoothly. Menu transitions looked jerky in Asphalt 9: Legends and Arena of ​​Valor, which underlines the limitations of the GPU. Our test device maintained playable frame rates in both games, so you should have an acceptable gaming experience in daily use if you avoid modern, complex games.

Conversely, the accelerometer and touch screen worked perfectly throughout our game tests. The Armor 3T reproduced our inputs onscreen promptly, although we found the display’s highly resistive coating tiresome after prolonged gaming sessions.

Asphalt 9: Legends
Asphalt 9: Legends
Arena of Valor
Arena of Valor

Emissions

Temperature

The Armor 3T manages its surface temperatures well. Our test device remained below 30.4 °C (86.72 °F) when idling and just over 32 °C (89.6 °F) under sustained load, which is impressive. In short, the device will never feel hot to the touch regardless of how hard you push it. You should not experience any thermal throttling either.

Max. Load
 32.4 °C
90 F
31 °C
88 F
29.8 °C
86 F
 
 31.7 °C
89 F
30.6 °C
87 F
32.2 °C
90 F
 
 31.2 °C
88 F
30 °C
86 F
30.4 °C
87 F
 
Maximum: 32.4 °C = 90 F
Average: 31 °C = 88 F
28.5 °C
83 F
28.1 °C
83 F
29 °C
84 F
27.7 °C
82 F
28.8 °C
84 F
29.6 °C
85 F
26.5 °C
80 F
28.8 °C
84 F
29.6 °C
85 F
Maximum: 29.6 °C = 85 F
Average: 28.5 °C = 83 F
Power Supply (max.)  27.6 °C = 82 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31 °C / 88 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 32.4 °C / 90 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 29.6 °C / 85 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 27.1 °C / 81 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heatmap of the top of the device under load
Heatmap of the top of the device under load
Heatmap of the bottom of the device under load
Heatmap of the bottom of the device under load

Speakers

Pink Noise speaker characteristics
Pink Noise speaker characteristics

The Armor 3T has a single speaker that gets loud and provides a well-balanced sound spectrum. Hence, media content should sound listenable in daily use, and you need not rush to find headphones if you want to briefly listen to music or watch a video.

There is Bluetooth 4.1 and USB Type-C for when you are listening to something over an extended period though. Ulefone includes a USB Type-C to 3.5 mm jack adapter with the Armor 3T too so that you can use your existing headphones. The company does not include a pair of headphones in the box.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2032.842.22524.331.33118.625.84024.325.15033.832.56321.229.68024.830.210018.531.212516.438.616017.148.520017.950.625016.854.831514.958.340015.167.250014.271.263013.975.880014.878100014.278.7125014.779.6160014.478.6200014.380.225001480315013.881.2400014.882.8500014.478.963001580.2800014.782.41000014.879.61250014.868.31600014.753.7SPL26.791.8N0.894median 14.8median 78.6Delta0.89.238.137.937.634.835.930.328.128.328.629.327.826.429.824.330.424.722.220.823.922202919.434.217.240.216.45016.553.915.159.615.165.614.666.414.464.413.766.512.365.212.161.811.861.311.759.911.759.911.660.411.657.911.557.611.558.511.656.957.971.366.356.725.974.811.324.316.810.40.832.5median 14.4median 58.5median 41.6median 33.6median 13.3median 53.65.211.824.723.212.621.2hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseUlefone Armor 3TCrosscall Action-X3
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Ulefone Armor 3T audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (91.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 31.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.1% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 14% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 78% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 35% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 57% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Crosscall Action-X3 audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74.8 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 30% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (8.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 6.2% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 58% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 75% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 20% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life

Power Consumption

The Armor 3T has comparatively high power consumption. Our test device consumes a minimum of 0.94 W and a maximum of 2.02 at idle, which is comparatively frugal. However, power consumption rises to a maximum of 8.32 W, which is considerably higher than all but the Action-X3 of our comparison devices. However, the Armor 3T averages 6.46 W under load, which is higher than all our comparison devices. Overall, the Armor 3T has comparatively low power consumption when idling, but the opposite is true when the device is subjected to sustained load.

Ulefone includes an 18 W charger in the box. Hence, the charger is powerful enough to recharge the Armor 3T regardless of how much load it is working under.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.02 / 0.27 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.94 / 1.98 / 2.02 Watt
Load midlight 6.46 / 8.32 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Ulefone Armor 3T
10300 mAh
Oukitel WP2
10214 mAh
Elephone Soldier
5000 mAh
Ulefone Armor 5
5000 mAh
Crosscall Action-X3
3500 mAh
Average Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763T
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
10%
-48%
-3%
-6%
13%
13%
Idle Minimum *
0.94
1.14
-21%
2.6
-177%
1.08
-15%
1.1
-17%
0.873 ?(0.63 - 1.08, n=8)
7%
0.894 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=157, last 2 years)
5%
Idle Average *
1.98
1.99
-1%
2.77
-40%
2.51
-27%
1.9
4%
2.08 ?(1.65 - 2.51, n=8)
-5%
1.452 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=157, last 2 years)
27%
Idle Maximum *
2.02
2.03
-0%
2.9
-44%
2.53
-25%
2.9
-44%
2.18 ?(1.71 - 2.53, n=8)
-8%
1.632 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=157, last 2 years)
19%
Load Average *
6.46
3.72
42%
6.34
2%
4.28
34%
4.8
26%
3.88 ?(2.7 - 6.46, n=8)
40%
5.55 ?(2.4 - 16.5, n=157, last 2 years)
14%
Load Maximum *
8.32
5.96
28%
6.77
19%
6.73
19%
8.4
-1%
5.58 ?(3.62 - 8.32, n=8)
33%
8.23 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=157, last 2 years)
1%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The Armor 3T has a 10,300-mAh battery that provided excellent runtimes during our tests. Our test device lasted 31:41 hours in our practical Wi-Fi test, which is 40% longer than our best performing comparison device. In short, you should get at least two if not three days use of out the Armor 3T.

The included 18 W charger takes around six hours to recharge our test device fully.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
31h 41min
Ulefone Armor 3T
10300 mAh
Oukitel WP2
10214 mAh
Elephone Soldier
5000 mAh
Ulefone Armor 5
5000 mAh
Crosscall Action-X3
3500 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
1901
1146
-40%
493
-74%
603
-68%
843
-56%

Pros

+ radio module
+ IP68 and IP69K certified
+ long battery life
+ dedicated dual-SIM and microSD card slots
+ plenty of accessories included in the box

Cons

- USB 2.0
- Bluetooth 4.1

Verdict

The Ulefone Armor 3T smartphone review. Test device courtesy of Ulefone Germany.
The Ulefone Armor 3T smartphone review. Test device courtesy of Ulefone Germany.

The Ulefone Armor 3T is a solid mid-range smartphone that is good enough for daily use and is also suitable for the harshest of environmental conditions. The Armor 3T has a sufficiently bright display and delivered good system performance during our tests for its price. The IP69K certification is currently a rarity for smartphones too, which gives the device the edge over some of its competitors. The dedicated radio antenna works well too and is another unique selling point of the device.

The Ulefone Armor 3T is a unique outdoor smartphone with its IP69K rating and its radio antenna that is also powerful enough for general use. It has phenomenal battery life too.

The Armor 3T has its drawbacks though. Its cameras are mediocre, and it does little to separate itself from the competition if the walkie-talkie functionality and IP69K rating are not essential for you. One thing going for the Armor 3T is the class-leading battery life thanks to its massive battery. In short, the Ulefone Armor 3T is a decent rugged smartphone that sets itself apart from its competitors with niche selling points.

Ulefone Armor 3T - 01/11/2019 v6(old)
Mike Wobker

Chassis
87%
Keyboard
65 / 75 → 87%
Pointing Device
74%
Connectivity
47 / 60 → 78%
Weight
85%
Battery
100%
Display
83%
Games Performance
29 / 63 → 46%
Application Performance
47 / 70 → 67%
Temperature
94%
Noise
100%
Audio
72 / 91 → 79%
Camera
61%
Average
73%
79%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Mike Wobker, 2019-01-14 (Update: 2019-02-23)