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Ulefone Armor 6 Smartphone Review

A robust and well-equipped outdoor smartphone. The Ulefone Armor 6 is a rugged, midrange smartphone that tries to stand out from the crowd with its comprehensive features. Read on to find out whether this kitchen sink approach works and how the Armor 6 fares in our tests.
Ulefone Armor 6

The Ulefone Armor series is designed to withstand the stresses and knocks associated with being used in challenging conditions, like construction sites, where other smartphones would fail. Therefore, it is unsurprising that the Chinese manufacturer’s latest outdoor device has a robust-looking case that is IP68, IP69K and MIL-STD-810G certified against drops, dust and water. Ulefone has included numerous outdoor software solutions too and a UV detector, the latter of which can tell you how strong the UV rays around you are.

The Armor 6 has a 6.2-inch IPS screen that operates natively at 1080p, which is powered a MediaTek Helio P60 SoC and 6 GB of RAM. There is also 128 GB of internal storage and support for up to 128-GB microSD cards should you need more space.

We have chosen to compare the Armor 6 against other midrange outdoor smartphones. Our comparison devices include the CAT S31, Oukitel WP2, Poptel P9000 Max, Poptel P60 and the Ulefone Armor X. We will also consider the Armor 6 against the Xiaomi Pocophone F1 and the Honor 8X, which are comparably priced at around 300 Euros (~$342). Please keep in mind that these devices are traditional smartphones and do not have the same level of protection against the elements as the Armor 6.

Ulefone Armor 6 (Armor Series)
Processor
Mediatek Helio P60 8 x 2 GHz, Cortex-A73 / A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
6 GB 
Display
6.20 inch 18.7:9, 2246 x 1080 pixel 402 PPI, Capacitive multi-touch screen, IPS LCD, glossy: yes
Storage
128 GB eMMC Flash, 128 GB 
, 116 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: USB-Type-C, Card Reader: microSD cards up to 128 GB, 1 Fingerprint Reader, NFC, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: Accelerometer, Compass, Gyroscope, Proximity sensor, OTG, Coulometer, UV sensor, Miracast, LED notification light, VoLTE, VoWiFI
Networking
802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2, 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 TDSCDMA: 1,900, 2015; B34, B39. 4G FDD-LTE: 700, 800, 850, 900, 1,700, 1,800, 1,900, 2,100, 2,600; B1, B2, B3, B4,, Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 13.2 x 166 x 83 ( = 0.52 x 6.54 x 3.27 in)
Battery
5000 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Android 8.1 Oreo
Camera
Primary Camera: 16 MPix 16 MP, interpolated to 21 MP & 8 MP, interpolated to 13 MP
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix 8 MP, interpolated to 13 MP
Additional features
Speakers: Mono speaker , Keyboard: Virtual keyboard, USB cable, USB OTG cable, 3.5 mm headphone jack adapter, charger, Ulefone , 12 Months Warranty, fanless, ruggedized
Weight
268 g ( = 9.45 oz / 0.59 pounds), Power Supply: 68 g ( = 2.4 oz / 0.15 pounds)
Price
310 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The Ulefone Armor 6 in red
The Ulefone Armor 6 in red
The Ulefone Armor 6 in black
The Ulefone Armor 6 in black

The Armor 6 is largely made from plastic and glass. The device is comparatively large at 166 x 83 mm, which gives the display a screen-to-body ratio of around 70%. Ulefone has opted to cover the screen in Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which blends nicely into the device’s metal frame.

The Armor 6 is well made, and UleFone’s choice of materials feels appropriate for a midrange smartphone. The plastic back feels high-quality, but its hardware buttons are rather shaky within the frame. The pressure points could be firmer too.

The outdoor smartphone is structurally stable though thanks to its solid metal frame, which helps to make the Armor 6 weigh a hefty 268 g. The device is IP68, IP69K and MIL-STD-810G certified against drops and the ingress of dust or water. The latter certifies the Armor 6 for use in temperatures from -40 °C to 80 °C (-40 °F to 176 °F) and temporary resistance to solar radiation, acidic liquids, high humidity and low pressure. Please keep in mind that MIL-STD-810G certification means that a device has successfully passed 14 environmental and climatic tests. However, no independent organisation or agency certifies MIL-STD-810 compliance, so take the certification with a pinch of salt. The IP69K certification protects the Armor 6 against up to 80 °C (176 °F) water fired against the device using high-pressure jets.

Ulefone Armor 6
Ulefone Armor 6
Ulefone Armor 6

Size Comparison

176 mm / 6.93 inch 84 mm / 3.31 inch 15 mm / 0.591 inch 364 g0.802 lbs168.8 mm / 6.65 inch 85.6 mm / 3.37 inch 15.9 mm / 0.626 inch 334 g0.736 lbs167 mm / 6.57 inch 78 mm / 3.07 inch 13.8 mm / 0.543 inch 248 g0.547 lbs166 mm / 6.54 inch 83 mm / 3.27 inch 13.2 mm / 0.52 inch 268 g0.591 lbs163 mm / 6.42 inch 76.6 mm / 3.02 inch 14 mm / 0.551 inch 256 g0.564 lbs146 mm / 5.75 inch 74.4 mm / 2.93 inch 12.6 mm / 0.4961 inch 200 g0.4409 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

The Armor 6 has 128 GB of internal storage, of which around 116 GB is available upon first booting the device. You can also expand its storage with up to 128-GB microSD cards. Ulefone states that the Armor 6 also supports the SDXC standard so it should support larger cards too. The device does not support the exFAT file system though, so you are limited to only storing files with a maximum file size of 4 GB on the Armor 6.

Ulefone has equipped the Armor 6 with a USB Type-C port that operates at the USB 2.0 standard. The device also supports USB On-The-Go (OTG) for connecting peripherals like keyboards or USB sticks via the Type-C port. The Armor 6 supports Miracast too, which worked well during our tests.

Moreover, the Armor 6 supports dual nano-SIMs and wireless charging. There is an LED notification light too along with a fingerprint sensor, a UV sensor, and an FM radio.

Software

The Armor 6 ships with Android 8.1 Oreo at the time of writing. Ulefone has not declared whether it plans to update the device to Android 9 Pie or beyond though. Our test device had November 2018 Android security patches installed at the time of testing, which were only two months old as of January 2019.

Ulefone keeps the OS relatively unchanged from vanilla Android except for a few custom icons and apps. There is also a toolbox app that includes features that may prove useful when using the Armor 6 outdoors like an altimeter, a compass, a magnifier, and a spirit level.

Default home screen
Default home screen
Quick Settings
Quick Settings
Settings menu
Settings menu
Ulefone Toolbox app
Ulefone Toolbox app

Communication & GPS

The Armor 6 supports modern Wi-Fi standards up to IEEE 802.11ac and can connect to either 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks. Our test unit maintained decent signal range and stability during our tests with an attenuation of around -33 dBm when next to our Telekom Speedport, W921V router. The Armor 6 also scored comparatively well in iperf3 Client Wi-Fi tests conducted using our Linksys EA8500 reference router. Our test device averaged above 300 Mb/s in both Wi-Fi tests, which is over 100 Mb/s faster than the Honor 8X and three times more than our fastest outdoor comparison device.

The rugged smartphone also supports Bluetooth 4.2 and NFC for near-field communication. Hence, the device should work with all Bluetooth headphones or speakers and NFC services like Google Pay.

The Armor 6 supports 16 LTE bands and operates at LTE Cat.7 for up to 300 Mb/s download speeds. The device has a hybrid slot for its second nano SIM and its microSD card, which means that you must choose either dual-SIM functionality or microSD card expansion.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Xiaomi Poco F1
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
647 (598min - 665max) MBit/s +108%
Ulefone Armor 6
Mali-G72 MP3, Helio P60, 128 GB eMMC Flash
311 (292min - 329max) MBit/s
Honor 8X
Mali-G51 MP4, Kirin 710, 128 GB eMMC Flash
182 (136min - 231max) MBit/s -41%
Ulefone Armor X
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
103 MBit/s -67%
Oukitel WP2
Mali-T860 MP2, MT6750T, 64 GB eMMC Flash
102 (42min - 118max) MBit/s -67%
Poptel P9000 Max
Mali-T860 MP2, Helio P10 MT6755, 64 GB eMMC Flash
83.2 MBit/s -73%
Poptel P60
Mali-G71 MP2, Helio P23 MT6763V, 128 GB eMMC Flash
67.6 (17min - 90max) MBit/s -78%
CAT S31
Adreno 304, 210 MSM8909, 16 GB eMMC Flash
39.3 MBit/s -87%
iperf3 receive AX12
Xiaomi Poco F1
Adreno 630, SD 845, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
675 (630min - 704max) MBit/s +96%
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +9%
Ulefone Armor 6
Mali-G72 MP3, Helio P60, 128 GB eMMC Flash
344 (219min - 350max) MBit/s
Honor 8X
Mali-G51 MP4, Kirin 710, 128 GB eMMC Flash
207 (162min - 243max) MBit/s -40%
Ulefone Armor X
PowerVR GE8100, MT6739, 16 GB eMMC Flash
98.3 MBit/s -71%
Oukitel WP2
Mali-T860 MP2, MT6750T, 64 GB eMMC Flash
86.4 (43min - 107max) MBit/s -75%
Poptel P9000 Max
Mali-T860 MP2, Helio P10 MT6755, 64 GB eMMC Flash
71.6 MBit/s -79%
CAT S31
Adreno 304, 210 MSM8909, 16 GB eMMC Flash
41.6 MBit/s -88%
Poptel P60
Mali-G71 MP2, Helio P23 MT6763V, 128 GB eMMC Flash
40.4 (10min - 55max) MBit/s -88%
020406080100120140160180200220240260280300320340Tooltip
Ulefone Armor 6; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø337 (219-350)
Ulefone Armor 6; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø311 (292-329)
GPS Test: Indoors
GPS Test: Indoors
GPS Test: Outdoors
GPS Test: Outdoors

The Armor 6 uses BeiDou, GPS and GLONASS for location services. Our test device reliably finds a satellite fix with up to three metres accuracy outdoors, which drops to four metres when we tested it indoors. The Armor 6 typically took a few seconds before finding a sat fix.

We also took our test unit on a bike ride to give you a better overview of its GPS capabilities and compared its results against a Garmin Edge 500. The Armor 6 deviated by 90 metres from the Garmin over our 9.5 km bike ride, which represents a 99% GPS accuracy. Our test device even occasionally plotted a more natural route than the Garmin too, as demonstrated by the screenshots below. Overall, the Armor 6 should be accurate enough for all daily navigation and GPS tasks.

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 – Loop
GPS Test: Garmin Edge 500 – Loop
GPS Test: Ulefone Armor 6 - Overview
GPS Test: Ulefone Armor 6 - Overview
GPS Test: Ulefone Armor 6 - Lake
GPS Test: Ulefone Armor 6 - Lake
GPS Test: Ulefone Armor 6 - Loop
GPS Test: Ulefone Armor 6 - Loop

Telephone Features & Call Quality

The Armor 6 supports dual-voice over LTE (VoLTE) and Wi-Fi calls (VoWiFi). Both technologies will only work if your carrier has provisioned the Armor 6 on its network though.

Our test unit has decent call quality, and we noticed no dropouts or reception problems during our tests. Both sides of the call are intelligible, and the microphone does a good job at suppressing background noise.

Cameras

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

The Armor 6 has dual rear-facing cameras and a single front-facing sensor. The main rear-facing camera is a 16 MP Sony sensor with an f/1.8 aperture that supports phase detection autofocus (PDAF). The Armor 6 interpolates its 16 MP sensor to 21 MP and does the same with its 8 MP secondary rear-facing sensor, to create an effective 13 MP resolution instead.

The main rear-facing camera takes decent pictures in good light conditions with strong dynamics and a convincing level of detail. The colours are too saturated for our liking though, and objects generally look over sharpened.

The secondary lens supports the 16 MP camera in creating bokeh-effect photos, the success of which we have demonstrated below. The blurring effects are not as good as those that flagship smartphones can create, but the Armor 6 at least uses its two rear-facing sensors to create bokeh effects, unlike many other outdoor smartphones. The Poptel P60, for example, does not use its secondary lens at all, and instead uses software to create its portrait mode effects.

Ulefone has also equipped the Armor 6 with a dual-LED flash to improve the quality of photos in low-light conditions. Unfortunately, this and the comparatively wide aperture cannot prevent our test device from taking disappointing photos in low light. Objects are underexposed and lack details, while the whole picture is dominated by image noise as demonstrated in Scene 2 below. The Armor 6 does not blow out the candle though, which is its only saving grace in this regard.

The 8 MP front-facing camera also has an f/1.8 aperture, according to Ulefone. The device also interpolates this sensor to 13 MP. The resulting photos are on par with what we have come to expect from a midrange smartphone, and they capture objects well but with few details. The front-facing sensor can also record videos in up to 720p at 30 FPS. By contrast, the main rear-facing camera can record videos in up to 1080p, but also still at 30 FPS.

Photo taken with the rear-facing camera
Photo taken with the rear-facing camera
Photo taken with the rear-facing camera in portrait mode
Photo taken with the rear-facing camera in portrait mode
Photo taken with the rear-facing camera with HDR mode enabled
Photo taken with the rear-facing camera with HDR mode enabled
Photo taken with the rear-facing camera
Photo taken with the rear-facing camera
Default camera app: Pro mode
Default camera app: Pro mode
Default camera app: Settings
Default camera app: Settings
Default camera app: Focus settings
Default camera app: Focus settings
Default camera app: Filters
Default camera app: Filters
Default camera app: Auto mode
Default camera app: Auto mode
Default camera app: Video mode
Default camera app: Video mode
Default camera app: Video settings
Default camera app: Video settings
 

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
A photo of our test chart
A photo of our test chart
Our test chart in detail
ColorChecker Passport: The lower half of each area of colour displays the reference colour

Accessories & Warranty

The Armor 6 comes with an 18 W charger, a USB cable and an OTG adapter. Ulefone has omitted a headphone jack on the device, but it has included a Type-C adapter into which you can plug traditional headphones. There is a screen protector in the box too.

Ulefone provides the Armor 6 with 12 months manufacturer’s warranty. However, we suspect that this would require you to return the device to China in the event of a warranty claim. Hence, we would recommend buying the device from a reputable third-party supplier that provides its own warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties article for country-specific information.

Input Devices & Operation

Navigating the device is primarily done with the standard three on-screen button array that has become common for Android smartphones. The touchscreen responded accurately and promptly throughout our tests too.

The Armor 6 has a fingerprint sensor on its back case, which rarely recognises our registered fingerprints. Our test unit usually only authenticates our fingerprints around 50% of the time and results in us regularly repositioning our fingers before the device will unlock. Moreover, the device takes a while to wake up once it has recognised our fingers, which adds to the frustration of using the fingerprint sensor. The sensor also supports gestures like hanging up or answering a call, should you find functionality convenient.

Ulefone also markets the Armor 6 as supporting “Face Unlock”, which worked better than the fingerprint sensor during our tests. However, this is merely using a 2D capture of your face like every modern Android smartphone can and is not 3D facial recognition that we have seen with Apple’s Face ID. The unlocking process is also a bit tedious, and you cannot use your face for biometric authentication in apps, so its utility is somewhat limited.

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

Display

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The Armor 6 has a 6.2-inch display that operates natively at 1080p with an 18.7:9 aspect ratio. The IPS panel has a pixel density of around 400 PPI, which is sufficiently sharp for a midrange outdoor smartphone.

Our test unit achieved an average maximum luminosity of 413 cd/m², according to X-Rite i1Pro 2, which puts the Armor 6 towards the bottom of our comparison table. The maximum brightness also drops to just 316 cd/m² in the more practical APL50 test, which is considerably dimmer than what the Armor X and CAT S31 achieved in the same tests. Overall, the Armor 6 has a disappointingly dark display for an outdoor smartphone that costs around 300 Euros (~$342).

431
cd/m²
428
cd/m²
399
cd/m²
432
cd/m²
418
cd/m²
396
cd/m²
413
cd/m²
406
cd/m²
393
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 432 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 412.9 cd/m² Minimum: 7.12 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 91 %
Center on Battery: 418 cd/m²
Contrast: 2090:1 (Black: 0.2 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.5 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 3.3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
100% sRGB (Calman 2D)
Gamma: 2.24
Ulefone Armor 6
IPS LCD, 2246x1080, 6.20
Poptel P60
LCD IPS, 2160x1080, 5.70
Poptel P9000 Max
LCD IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50
Ulefone Armor X
IPS, 1440x720, 5.50
Oukitel WP2
IPS, 2160x1080, 6.00
CAT S31
IPS, 1280x720, 4.70
Honor 8X
LCD IPS, 2340x1080, 6.50
Xiaomi Poco F1
IPS, 2246x1080, 6.18
Screen
-42%
-57%
-21%
-60%
-10%
-56%
-11%
Brightness middle
418
401
-4%
406
-3%
564
35%
472
13%
784
88%
484
16%
489
17%
Brightness
413
387
-6%
397
-4%
541
31%
456
10%
750
82%
469
14%
486
18%
Brightness Distribution
91
92
1%
90
-1%
91
0%
86
-5%
92
1%
93
2%
93
2%
Black Level *
0.2
0.14
30%
0.38
-90%
0.37
-85%
0.32
-60%
0.45
-125%
0.55
-175%
0.34
-70%
Contrast
2090
2864
37%
1068
-49%
1524
-27%
1475
-29%
1742
-17%
880
-58%
1438
-31%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.5
7.5
-67%
6.7
-49%
5.1
-13%
9.1
-102%
4.28
5%
7.3
-62%
3.8
16%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
6.8
16.1
-137%
13.8
-103%
9.6
-41%
14.8
-118%
8.75
-29%
11.1
-63%
7.1
-4%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3.3
9.6
-191%
8.5
-158%
5.4
-64%
9.6
-191%
6.1
-85%
7.4
-124%
4.4
-33%
Gamma
2.24 98%
1.99 111%
2.21 100%
2.1 105%
1.75 126%
2.49 88%
2.16 102%
2.22 99%
CCT
7205 90%
8242 79%
8858 73%
7755 84%
8713 75%
7175 91%
8534 76%
7213 90%

* ... 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 18071 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The IPS panel has a comparatively low black value though at 0.2 cd/m², which helps our test unit achieve an impressive 2,090:1 contrast ratio. The APL50 test records the display as having a 0.26 cd/m² black value and a 1219:1 contrast ratio, but the Armor 6 has a vibrant screen regardless of the varying values that benchmarks report.

We also subjected the display to further analysis using a photo spectrometer and CalMAN software. Our test unit achieved comparatively low DeltaE deviations, with its ColorChecker and Grayscale divergence being close to the ideal value of 3. Furthermore, Ulefone has done a good job at calibrating the screen as we recorded it having a colour temperature of 7,205 K, which is marginally above the desired value of 6,500 K. Hence, we did not notice any colour casts on our test device and neither did CalMAN, which is impressive.

CalMAN: Colour Accuracy – sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Accuracy – sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Space – sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Space – sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale - sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Grayscale - sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Saturation - sRGB target colour space
CalMAN: Colour Saturation - sRGB target colour 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
35.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18 ms rise
↘ 17.2 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. » 92 % 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
53.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 26 ms rise
↘ 27.6 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 89 % 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 6 is generally usable outdoors. Our test device is readable during winter, but you may struggle with its dim display during the summer as it will become overwhelmed by reflections. Hence, we would recommend finding a shady spot where possible if you must use the device outside during the summer months. This limits the Armor 6’s usefulness as an outdoor device though.

The Armor 6 has stable viewing angles thanks to its IPS panel. There are no colour or image distortions even at acute viewing angles, but we did notice a drop in brightness and contrast levels. This should not prevent you from using the device from practically any angle though.

Viewing angles
Viewing angles
Viewing angles
Viewing angles
Using the Ulefone Armor 6 outdoors
Using the Ulefone Armor 6 outdoors
Using the Ulefone Armor 6 outdoors
Using the Ulefone Armor 6 outdoors

Performance

The Armor 6 is powered by a MediaTek Helio P60 SoC, which the chip maker introduced in early 2018. MediaTek manufactures the Helio P60 on a 12 nm FinFET process and integrates eight CPU cores spread across two clusters, which consist of four Cortex-A73 performance cores and four Cortex-A53 power-saving cores. The Helio P60 also has an AI processing unit onboard that can compute up to 280 Giga-Multiply-Adds per second, according to MediaTek. There is an ARM Mali-G72 MP3 too for graphics processing.

The Ulefone smartphone performed solidly in synthetic benchmarks with the Helio P60 achieving similar scores to the HiSilicon Kirin 710, which powers the Honor 8X. It also markedly outperforms the SoCs in our outdoor comparison devices. However, the Helio P60 cannot compete with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 in the Pocophone F1, which is an outlier as to what you can buy for less than 300 Euros or $350.

The Armor 6's Helio P60 combines with 6 GB of RAM to ensure smooth performance with few delays in daily use. We noticed some small jerks and stutters when multitasking, but nothing strikingly so.

PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
9513 Points
Poptel P60
6036 Points -37%
Poptel P9000 Max
4609 Points -52%
Ulefone Armor X
4298 Points -55%
Oukitel WP2
4012 Points -58%
CAT S31
3080 Points -68%
Honor 8X
8939 Points -6%
Xiaomi Poco F1
9664 Points +2%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (8609 - 11387, n=7)
9916 Points +4%
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +59%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
6950 Points
Poptel P60
4778 Points -31%
Poptel P9000 Max
3278 Points -53%
Ulefone Armor X
3184 Points -54%
Oukitel WP2
3042 Points -56%
CAT S31
2300 Points -67%
Honor 8X
7141 Points +3%
Xiaomi Poco F1
8101 Points +17%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (6934 - 7954, n=7)
7309 Points +5%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +56%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
19616 Points
Poptel P60
10956 Points -44%
Poptel P9000 Max
10129 Points -48%
Ulefone Armor X
4188 Points -79%
Oukitel WP2
8703 Points -56%
CAT S31
5291 Points -73%
Honor 8X
20468 Points +4%
Xiaomi Poco F1
63159 Points +222%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (17082 - 22323, n=5)
20432 Points +4%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
18998 Points
Poptel P60
1152 Points -94%
Poptel P9000 Max
10012 Points -47%
Ulefone Armor X
3585 Points -81%
Oukitel WP2
8830 Points -54%
CAT S31
5042 Points -73%
Honor 8X
21533 Points +13%
Xiaomi Poco F1
82125 Points +332%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (16820 - 21847, n=5)
19897 Points +5%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
22137 Points
Poptel P60
10234 Points -54%
Poptel P9000 Max
10560 Points -52%
Ulefone Armor X
10195 Points -54%
Oukitel WP2
8284 Points -63%
CAT S31
6396 Points -71%
Honor 8X
17450 Points -21%
Xiaomi Poco F1
34928 Points +58%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (18065 - 24828, n=5)
22578 Points +2%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
1008 Points
Poptel P60
654 Points -35%
Poptel P9000 Max
553 Points -45%
Ulefone Armor X
156 Points -85%
Oukitel WP2
123 Points -88%
Honor 8X
1445 Points +43%
Xiaomi Poco F1
5687 Points +464%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1008 - 1755, n=6)
1421 Points +41%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3548 Points +252%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
861 Points
Poptel P60
587 Points -32%
Poptel P9000 Max
480 Points -44%
Ulefone Armor X
129 Points -85%
Oukitel WP2
98 Points -89%
Honor 8X
1280 Points +49%
Xiaomi Poco F1
8261 Points +859%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (861 - 1593, n=6)
1272 Points +48%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3905 Points +354%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
2511 Points
Poptel P60
1365 Points -46%
Poptel P9000 Max
1176 Points -53%
Ulefone Armor X
581 Points -77%
Oukitel WP2
1126 Points -55%
Honor 8X
2645 Points +5%
Xiaomi Poco F1
2720 Points +8%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (2159 - 2720, n=6)
2494 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
3005 Points +20%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
1581 Points
Poptel P60
690 Points -56%
Poptel P9000 Max
550 Points -65%
Ulefone Armor X
200 Points -87%
Oukitel WP2
558 Points -65%
Honor 8X
1485 Points -6%
Xiaomi Poco F1
5230 Points +231%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1309 - 1817, n=6)
1649 Points +4%
Average of class Smartphone (704 - 23024, n=115, last 2 years)
9038 Points +472%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
1441 Points
Poptel P60
599 Points -58%
Poptel P9000 Max
477 Points -67%
Ulefone Armor X
167 Points -88%
Oukitel WP2
491 Points -66%
Honor 8X
1316 Points -9%
Xiaomi Poco F1
6898 Points +379%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1159 - 1680, n=6)
1495 Points +4%
Average of class Smartphone (607 - 45492, n=114, last 2 years)
15757 Points +993%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
2765 Points
Poptel P60
1476 Points -47%
Poptel P9000 Max
1178 Points -57%
Ulefone Armor X
658 Points -76%
Oukitel WP2
1072 Points -61%
Honor 8X
2697 Points -2%
Xiaomi Poco F1
2832 Points +2%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (2388 - 2924, n=6)
2664 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (1075 - 8749, n=114, last 2 years)
4335 Points +57%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
733 Points
Poptel P60
439 Points -40%
Poptel P9000 Max
383 Points -48%
Ulefone Armor X
107 Points -85%
Oukitel WP2
184 Points -75%
CAT S31
0 Points -100%
Honor 8X
945 Points +29%
Xiaomi Poco F1
3972 Points +442%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (733 - 1273, n=8)
1052 Points +44%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=104, last 2 years)
2680 Points +266%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
628 Points
Poptel P60
386 Points -39%
Poptel P9000 Max
322 Points -49%
Ulefone Armor X
87 Points -86%
Oukitel WP2
149 Points -76%
CAT S31
0 Points -100%
Honor 8X
798 Points +27%
Xiaomi Poco F1
4746 Points +656%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (628 - 1119, n=8)
910 Points +45%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=104, last 2 years)
2667 Points +325%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
2478 Points
Poptel P60
1374 Points -45%
Poptel P9000 Max
1118 Points -55%
Ulefone Armor X
585 Points -76%
Oukitel WP2
1054 Points -57%
CAT S31
560 Points -77%
Honor 8X
2663 Points +7%
Xiaomi Poco F1
2528 Points +2%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (2149 - 2528, n=8)
2455 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=104, last 2 years)
3126 Points +26%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
1037 Points
Poptel P60
457 Points -56%
Poptel P9000 Max
384 Points -63%
Ulefone Armor X
125 Points -88%
Oukitel WP2
399 Points -62%
Honor 8X
950 Points -8%
Xiaomi Poco F1
3669 Points +254%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (853 - 1282, n=8)
1116 Points +8%
Average of class Smartphone (317 - 20131, n=177, last 2 years)
6571 Points +534%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Graphics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
881 Points
Poptel P60
382 Points -57%
Poptel P9000 Max
321 Points -64%
Ulefone Armor X
102 Points -88%
Oukitel WP2
343 Points -61%
Honor 8X
801 Points -9%
Xiaomi Poco F1
4468 Points +407%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (721 - 1122, n=8)
964 Points +9%
Average of class Smartphone (267 - 33376, n=176, last 2 years)
9383 Points +965%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
2675 Points
Poptel P60
1455 Points -46%
Poptel P9000 Max
1205 Points -55%
Ulefone Armor X
645 Points -76%
Oukitel WP2
920 Points -66%
Honor 8X
2702 Points +1%
Xiaomi Poco F1
2257 Points -16%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (2013 - 2918, n=8)
2540 Points -5%
Average of class Smartphone (938 - 8480, n=176, last 2 years)
4169 Points +56%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
32 fps
Poptel P60
22 fps -31%
Poptel P9000 Max
16 fps -50%
Ulefone Armor X
9.2 fps -71%
Oukitel WP2
15 fps -53%
CAT S31
9.8 fps -69%
Honor 8X
36 fps +13%
Xiaomi Poco F1
60 fps +88%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (31 - 40, n=6)
34.2 fps +7%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=180, last 2 years)
83.1 fps +160%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
34 fps
Poptel P60
21 fps -38%
Poptel P9000 Max
17 fps -50%
Ulefone Armor X
5.9 fps -83%
Oukitel WP2
17 fps -50%
CAT S31
5.6 fps -84%
Honor 8X
39 fps +15%
Xiaomi Poco F1
150 fps +341%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (30 - 38, n=6)
35.8 fps +5%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=180, last 2 years)
243 fps +615%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
17 fps
Poptel P60
10 fps -41%
Poptel P9000 Max
6.8 fps -60%
Ulefone Armor X
5.1 fps -70%
Oukitel WP2
6.7 fps -61%
CAT S31
4.3 fps -75%
Honor 8X
19 fps +12%
Xiaomi Poco F1
58 fps +241%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (17 - 29, n=6)
20.2 fps +19%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=181, last 2 years)
70.8 fps +316%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
18 fps
Poptel P60
10 fps -44%
Poptel P9000 Max
6.8 fps -62%
Ulefone Armor X
2.7 fps -85%
Oukitel WP2
7.1 fps -61%
CAT S31
1.9 fps -89%
Honor 8X
21 fps +17%
Xiaomi Poco F1
71 fps +294%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (16 - 21, n=6)
19.2 fps +7%
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=181, last 2 years)
137.8 fps +666%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
11 fps
Poptel P60
6.3 fps -43%
Poptel P9000 Max
4.6 fps -58%
Ulefone Armor X
3.3 fps -70%
Oukitel WP2
4.5 fps -59%
Honor 8X
13 fps +18%
Xiaomi Poco F1
54 fps +391%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (11 - 20, n=6)
12.5 fps +14%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=181, last 2 years)
59.7 fps +443%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
12 fps
Poptel P60
6.6 fps -45%
Poptel P9000 Max
4.5 fps -62%
Ulefone Armor X
1.6 fps -87%
Honor 8X
14 fps +17%
Xiaomi Poco F1
35 fps +192%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (9.6 - 12, n=6)
11.6 fps -3%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=181, last 2 years)
97.1 fps +709%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
7 fps
Poptel P60
3.8 fps -46%
Poptel P9000 Max
2.4 fps -66%
Ulefone Armor X
1.6 fps -77%
Oukitel WP2
2.4 fps -66%
Honor 8X
6.4 fps -9%
Xiaomi Poco F1
33 fps +371%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (6.7 - 7.4, n=6)
7.03 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=181, last 2 years)
42.7 fps +510%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
7 fps
Poptel P60
3.8 fps -46%
Poptel P9000 Max
2.4 fps -66%
Ulefone Armor X
0.9 fps -87%
Oukitel WP2
2.5 fps -64%
Honor 8X
7.6 fps +9%
Xiaomi Poco F1
35 fps +400%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (5.8 - 7.7, n=6)
7.05 fps +1%
Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=181, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +737%
on screen Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
6.9 fps
Poptel P60
3.7 fps -46%
Oukitel WP2
2 fps -71%
Honor 8X
5.2 fps -25%
Xiaomi Poco F1
31 fps +349%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (6.6 - 8.6, n=7)
7.5 fps +9%
Average of class Smartphone (3.6 - 123, n=221, last 2 years)
43.1 fps +525%
1920x1080 Aztec Ruins Normal Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
7.6 fps
Poptel P60
3.8 fps -50%
Oukitel WP2
2.3 fps -70%
Honor 8X
4.6 fps -39%
Xiaomi Poco F1
32 fps +321%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (6.2 - 8.3, n=7)
7.63 fps 0%
Average of class Smartphone (2.3 - 229, n=221, last 2 years)
63.1 fps +730%
on screen Aztec Ruins High Tier Onscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
2.6 fps
Poptel P60
1.4 fps -46%
Oukitel WP2
1.3 fps -50%
Honor 8X
4.1 fps +58%
Xiaomi Poco F1
22 fps +746%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (2.6 - 6.4, n=7)
4.49 fps +73%
Average of class Smartphone (2.8 - 105, n=221, last 2 years)
32.1 fps +1135%
2560x1440 Aztec Ruins High Tier Offscreen (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
4.3 fps
Poptel P60
2.2 fps -49%
Oukitel WP2
0.86 fps -80%
Honor 8X
2.6 fps -40%
Xiaomi Poco F1
14 fps +226%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (2.1 - 4.3, n=7)
2.87 fps -33%
Average of class Smartphone (0.85 - 94, n=221, last 2 years)
25.1 fps +484%
AnTuTu v7 - Total Score (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
131861 Points
Poptel P60
83745 Points -36%
Poptel P9000 Max
54819 Points -58%
Ulefone Armor X
46435 Points -65%
Oukitel WP2
51621 Points -61%
Honor 8X
140188 Points +6%
Xiaomi Poco F1
263165 Points +100%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (119367 - 138589, n=5)
131946 Points 0%
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
105997 Points
Poptel P60
64189 Points -39%
Ulefone Armor X
37586 Points -65%
Oukitel WP2
42273 Points -60%
CAT S31
24865 Points -77%
Honor 8X
112870 Points +6%
Xiaomi Poco F1
227026 Points +114%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (91667 - 110668, n=4)
102435 Points -3%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
2062 Points
Poptel P60
384 Points -81%
Poptel P9000 Max
308 Points -85%
Ulefone Armor X
206 Points -90%
Oukitel WP2
295 Points -86%
CAT S31
1 Points -100%
Honor 8X
2410 Points +17%
Xiaomi Poco F1
3838 Points +86%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1830 - 2096, n=4)
1980 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=162, last 2 years)
5686 Points +176%
System (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
4736 Points
Poptel P60
2465 Points -48%
Poptel P9000 Max
1868 Points -61%
Ulefone Armor X
1491 Points -69%
Oukitel WP2
1330 Points -72%
CAT S31
899 Points -81%
Honor 8X
5529 Points +17%
Xiaomi Poco F1
6506 Points +37%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (3817 - 4736, n=4)
4114 Points -13%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=162, last 2 years)
9595 Points +103%
Memory (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
2276 Points
Poptel P60
1136 Points -50%
Poptel P9000 Max
779 Points -66%
Ulefone Armor X
900 Points -60%
Oukitel WP2
926 Points -59%
CAT S31
328 Points -86%
Honor 8X
4360 Points +92%
Xiaomi Poco F1
3239 Points +42%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1958 - 2721, n=4)
2276 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=162, last 2 years)
6206 Points +173%
Graphics (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
1486 Points
Poptel P60
866 Points -42%
Poptel P9000 Max
641 Points -57%
Ulefone Armor X
188 Points -87%
Oukitel WP2
642 Points -57%
CAT S31
256 Points -83%
Honor 8X
1456 Points -2%
Xiaomi Poco F1
7945 Points +435%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1262 - 1590, n=4)
1468 Points -1%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=162, last 2 years)
13856 Points +832%
Web (sort by value)
Ulefone Armor 6
1128 Points
Poptel P60
10 Points -99%
Poptel P9000 Max
10 Points -99%
Ulefone Armor X
7 Points -99%
Oukitel WP2
10 Points -99%
CAT S31
10 Points -99%
Honor 8X
1207 Points +7%
Xiaomi Poco F1
1296 Points +15%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (1083 - 1161, n=4)
1130 Points 0%
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2145, n=162, last 2 years)
1487 Points +32%

Legend

 
Ulefone Armor 6 Mediatek Helio P60, ARM Mali-G72 MP3, 128 GB eMMC Flash
 
Poptel P60 Mediatek Helio P23 MT6763V, ARM Mali-G71 MP2, 128 GB eMMC Flash
 
Poptel P9000 Max Mediatek Helio P10 MT6755, ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Ulefone Armor X Mediatek MT6739, PowerVR GE8100, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Oukitel WP2 Mediatek MT6750T, ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
CAT S31 Qualcomm Snapdragon 210 MSM8909, Qualcomm Adreno 304, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Honor 8X HiSilicon Kirin 710, ARM Mali-G51 MP4, 128 GB eMMC Flash
 
Xiaomi Poco F1 Qualcomm Snapdragon 845, Qualcomm Adreno 630, 64 GB UFS 2.1 Flash

Synthetic browser benchmarks confirm our impression that the Armor 6 delivers solid browser performance too. Websites can occasionally take a while to load, but generally content appears quickly, while scrolling remained fluid throughout our tests.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 104.3, n=2, last 2 years)
85.2 Points +89%
Xiaomi Poco F1 (Chrome 68)
76 Points +69%
Honor 8X (Chrome 70)
47.01 Points +4%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (41.7 - 48.9, n=6)
45.8 Points +2%
Ulefone Armor 6 (Chrome 71)
45.02 (8min) Points
Poptel P60 (Chrome 71)
22.1 Points -51%
Poptel P9000 Max (Chrome 68)
18.86 Points -58%
Ulefone Armor X (Chrome 66)
18.15 Points -60%
Oukitel WP2 (Chroome Mobile 70)
15.73 Points -65%
CAT S31
12.44 Points -72%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=205, last 2 years)
33314 Points +302%
Xiaomi Poco F1 (Chrome 68)
14514 Points +75%
Honor 8X (Chrome 70)
9095 Points +10%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (8287 - 10257, n=7)
8975 Points +8%
Ulefone Armor 6 (Chrome 71)
8287 Points
Poptel P60 (Chrome 71)
3998 Points -52%
Poptel P9000 Max (Chrome 68)
3441 Points -58%
Ulefone Armor X (Chrome 66)
3151 Points -62%
Oukitel WP2 (Chrome Mobile 70)
3082 Points -63%
CAT S31
2010 Points -76%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
CAT S31
17828 ms * -304%
Ulefone Armor X (Chrome 66)
15876 ms * -260%
Oukitel WP2 (Chrome Mobile 70)
13903 ms * -215%
Oukitel WP2 (Chrome Mobile 70)
13903 ms * -215%
Poptel P9000 Max (Chrome 68)
13880 ms * -214%
Poptel P60 (Chrome 71)
13077 ms * -196%
Average Mediatek Helio P60 (4309 - 4773, n=6)
4486 ms * -2%
Ulefone Armor 6 (Chrome 71)
4416 ms *
Honor 8X
4248 ms * +4%
Xiaomi Poco F1 (Chrome 68)
2714 ms * +39%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=168, last 2 years)
1658 ms * +62%

* ... smaller is better

The speed of the flash memory is average for smartphones priced around 300 Euros or $350. The microSD card is reasonably fast too, averaging 76 MB/s read speeds and 60 MB/s write speeds in our tests with a Toshiba Exceria Pro M401. The microSD card can achieve up to 95 MB/s read speeds and 80 MB/s write speeds, for reference.

Ulefone Armor 6Poptel P60Poptel P9000 MaxUlefone Armor XOukitel WP2CAT S31Honor 8XXiaomi Poco F1Average 128 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
-2%
-26%
-31%
-30%
-41%
27%
27%
30%
581%
Sequential Read 256KB
290.8
288.2
-1%
269.4
-7%
255.3
-12%
267.6
-8%
71.1
-76%
283.9
-2%
705
142%
283 ?(106.7 - 511, n=73)
-3%
1471 ?(215 - 4512, n=213, last 2 years)
406%
Sequential Write 256KB
188.4
188.8
0%
129.6
-31%
82.8
-56%
98.6
-48%
62.1
-67%
170
-10%
155.6
-17%
192.9 ?(72.3 - 314, n=73)
2%
1084 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=213, last 2 years)
475%
Random Read 4KB
81.3
69.7
-14%
35.1
-57%
14.7
-82%
26.89
-67%
14.28
-82%
49.54
-39%
101
24%
82.6 ?(8.63 - 247, n=73)
2%
243 ?(22.2 - 543, n=213, last 2 years)
199%
Random Write 4KB
19.87
15.18
-24%
11.23
-43%
10.17
-49%
13.23
-33%
14.81
-25%
59.9
201%
17.81
-10%
53.9 ?(3.84 - 159.9, n=73)
171%
267 ?(13 - 709, n=213, last 2 years)
1244%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
75.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
80 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
6%
72.9 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-4%
81.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
8%
72.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-4%
81.8
8%
75.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
-1%
85.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
13%
78.1 ?(29.2 - 153.8, n=34)
3%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
60.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
72.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
21%
53.2 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-11%
62.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
4%
47.92 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
-20%
59.5
-1%
68.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
13%
65.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
9%
61.8 ?(26.1 - 81.9, n=34)
3%

Games

The ARM Mali-G72 MP3 is a midrange GPU that ARM based on the second generation of its Bifrost architecture. The G72 MP3 supports modern graphics APIs like DirectX 12, OpenGL ES 3.2, and Vulkan 1.0, which should futureproof it for at least a few years.

The Armor 6 can handle complex games like PUBG Mobile and Asphalt 9: Legends smoothly if played at the right graphics settings. Our test unit achieved between 25 and 28 FPS at high details, but you will occasionally notice drops in frame rates. Hence, we would recommend dropping graphics to medium or low for a better gaming experience.

We should also stress that both the touchscreen and the sensors worked reliably during our gaming tests and without issue.

PUBG Mobile
PUBG Mobile
Asphalt 9: Legends
Asphalt 9: Legends

Emissions

Temperature

The Armor 6 remains evenly cool at idle and has no hotspots. Predictably, surface temperatures rise when the device is subjected to sustained load, but they only reach 32 °C, which is comparatively cool. In short, the Armor 6 should not get hot even if you push it hard, and it will feel cool in daily use.

Max. Load
 30.5 °C
87 F
30 °C
86 F
31.6 °C
89 F
 
 30.8 °C
87 F
30.4 °C
87 F
32.5 °C
91 F
 
 29.4 °C
85 F
29.9 °C
86 F
30 °C
86 F
 
Maximum: 32.5 °C = 91 F
Average: 30.6 °C = 87 F
26.1 °C
79 F
28 °C
82 F
31.6 °C
89 F
25.8 °C
78 F
28.3 °C
83 F
31.3 °C
88 F
26.2 °C
79 F
27.1 °C
81 F
29 °C
84 F
Maximum: 31.6 °C = 89 F
Average: 28.2 °C = 83 F
Power Supply (max.)  29.2 °C = 85 F | Room Temperature 20.7 °C = 69 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 30.6 °C / 87 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 32.5 °C / 91 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 31.6 °C / 89 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.5 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Heat map of the top of the device under load
Heat map of the top of the device under load
Heat map of the bottom of the device under load
Heat map of the bottom of the device under load

Speakers

Pink Noise speaker characteristics
Pink Noise speaker characteristics

The Armor 6 has a mono speaker on its back case that reached a maximum volume of over 88 dB(A) in our tests. The sound is slightly distorted though and tinny, particularly at high volumes. Expectedly, medium and high-pitched tones dominate the speaker’s frequency spectrum. The tonal range is not linearly distributed either, and there are no bass tones. The latter issue is a complaint we have with most smartphones and laptops though.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs204038.92528.132.93124.627.54023.4215035.733.76326.127.88025.932.5100254312521.128.41601737.220016.140.425013.546.531516.253.740014.954.750014.759.363014.263.980014.364.9100013.366.1125014.166.5160013.971.4200013.679.9250014.479.9315014.278.8400014.776.1500014.174.8630014.380.1800014.578.21000014.868.11250015.358.91600015.452.2SPL26.488.3N0.867.5median 14.5median 66.1Delta0.911.831.134.129.223.52620.323.22131.928.827.424.82920.524.219.318.4171821.417.422.814.430.615.837.516.347.315.45514.762.116.271.214.776.613.879.11477.314.473.814.171.814.682.314.678.414.476.714.476.114.871.515.270.114.766.314.859.626.988.60.968.6median 14.7median 70.10.716.6hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseUlefone Armor 6Poptel P60
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Ulefone Armor 6 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.6% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (16.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 5.1% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 10.5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 48% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 67% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Poptel P60 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (88.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 45.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 9.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (10.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.2% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(-) | overall sound is not linear (30.1% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 75% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 86% of all tested devices were better, 3% similar, 11% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Battery Life

Power Consumption

The Armor 6 is comparatively energy-efficient and finished in the midfield of our comparison table. The Helio P60 generally consumed more than the Helio P23 that powers the Poptel P60, but it consumed fewer watts on average at idle. No comparison device consumed considerably less than the Armor 6 overall in our power consumption tests either, although our test unit fell around 12% short of the CAT S31, the Poptel P60, and the P9000 Max. The Armor 6 consumed considerably more under load than our outdoor comparison devices too.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.02 / 0.16 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.9 / 2.04 / 2.09 Watt
Load midlight 3.4 / 7.31 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 6
5000 mAh
Poptel P60
5000 mAh
Poptel P9000 Max
9000 mAh
Ulefone Armor X
5500 mAh
Oukitel WP2
10214 mAh
CAT S31
4000 mAh
Honor 8X
3750 mAh
Xiaomi Poco F1
4000 mAh
Average Mediatek Helio P60
 
Average of class Smartphone
 
Power Consumption
12%
13%
-12%
-3%
12%
-8%
-3%
-6%
-5%
Idle Minimum *
0.9
0.81
10%
0.92
-2%
1.22
-36%
1.14
-27%
0.73
19%
0.92
-2%
0.65
28%
0.97 ?(0.56 - 1.8, n=6)
-8%
0.897 ?(0.42 - 2.37, n=160, last 2 years)
-0%
Idle Average *
2.04
2.14
-5%
1.9
7%
2.07
-1%
1.99
2%
2.21
-8%
2.3
-13%
1.97
3%
2.36 ?(1.72 - 3.3, n=6)
-16%
1.447 ?(0.69 - 4.26, n=160, last 2 years)
29%
Idle Maximum *
2.09
2.16
-3%
2.19
-5%
2.14
-2%
2.03
3%
2.25
-8%
2.32
-11%
2.01
4%
2.41 ?(1.76 - 3.4, n=6)
-15%
1.628 ?(0.79 - 4.45, n=160, last 2 years)
22%
Load Average *
3.4
3.02
11%
3.1
9%
4.92
-45%
3.72
-9%
2.99
12%
4.37
-29%
4.29
-26%
3.53 ?(2.74 - 4.4, n=6)
-4%
5.5 ?(2.3 - 16.5, n=160, last 2 years)
-62%
Load Maximum *
7.31
4.01
45%
3.12
57%
5.4
26%
5.96
18%
4.12
44%
6.13
16%
9.05
-24%
6.45 ?(5 - 8.3, n=6)
12%
8.16 ?(4.32 - 20.8, n=160, last 2 years)
-12%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The Armor 6 has a 5,000 mAh battery that performed comparatively disappointingly in our Wi-Fi battery life test, during which we set the display to approximately 150 cd/m² and ran a script that simulated the load required to render websites. Our test device lasted for 14:30 hours in this test, which is a good runtime in isolation. However, the CAT S31 and Poptel P60 lasted considerably longer than the Armor 6 despite having the same size or smaller battery capacity.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
14h 34min
Ulefone Armor 6
5000 mAh
Poptel P60
5000 mAh
Poptel P9000 Max
9000 mAh
Ulefone Armor X
5500 mAh
Oukitel WP2
10214 mAh
CAT S31
4000 mAh
Honor 8X
3750 mAh
Xiaomi Poco F1
4000 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
874
1214
39%
1346
54%
845
-3%
1146
31%
1074
23%
852
-3%
808
-8%

Pros

+ well made
+ robust
+ 128 GB of internal storage
+ high-contrast IPS display
+ decent cameras
+ long battery life

Cons

- heavy
- disappointing fingerprint sensor
- low maximum brightness for an outdoor device

Verdict

The Ulefone Armor 6 smartphone review. Test device courtesy of Ulefone Germany.
The Ulefone Armor 6 smartphone review. Test device courtesy of Ulefone Germany.

The Ulefone Armor 6 is an appealing and well-equipped midrange smartphone. The device offers decent protection against the elements and has long, albeit comparatively unimpressive, battery life. Ulefone has equipped the Armor 6 with a fast Wi-Fi chip too, reasonable cameras, and a high-contrast IPS display. Unfortunately, its low maximum screen brightness somewhat limits its utility as an outdoor smartphone.

The Ulefone Armor 6 is worth considering if you need an outdoor smartphone, but only if the price drops by around 50 Euros (~$57). Until then, there are other rugged devices with brighter displays that will be more suited for regular use outside.

The Helio P60 is largely more powerful than our comparison devices, but it is worth keeping in mind that the Armor 6 is more expensive too. The device also has its drawbacks though. The fingerprint sensor is inaccurate and almost unusable in everyday life.  

Overall, the Armor 6 distinguishes itself from its competitors by offering a more powerful and rounded experience. However, the dim display is a misstep, and there are better smartphones for the money if you are not set on buying a rugged device. In short, the Ulefone 6 is one of the best outdoor smartphones on the market, but it is let down by its dark display.

Ulefone Armor 6 - 01/30/2019 v6(old)
Marcus Herbrich

Chassis
88%
Keyboard
70 / 75 → 94%
Pointing Device
85%
Connectivity
45 / 60 → 76%
Weight
87%
Battery
98%
Display
86%
Games Performance
44 / 63 → 70%
Application Performance
64 / 70 → 92%
Temperature
94%
Noise
100%
Audio
66 / 91 → 72%
Camera
66%
Average
76%
84%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Marcus Herbrich, 2019-02- 1 (Update: 2019-02-23)