![\"Ulefone](\"https:\/\/www.zdnet.com\/a\/img\/resize\/17d3bd7654593b3a3b04978fa145305ad76e1917\/2022\/12\/06\/cdd34209-3b14-440d-9dbc-4bfe9c65655a\/img-1242.jpg?auto=webp&width=1280\")
<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n I like all things Apple, especially my iPhone 14 Pro Max<\/span><\/a><\/span>. It's in my hand most of my waking hours.<\/p>\n But I still use an Android phone.<\/p>\n Why? Because it can do things my iPhone can't do.<\/p>\n My previous favorite Android phone was the Ulefone Armor 9<\/span><\/a><\/span>. I've been using this a lot over the last couple of years. Not only has it been my go-to handset when I need something that can put up with the harshest of environments, but it has cool features like a thermal camera and the ability to connect an\u00a0endoscope<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n Also:<\/strong>\u00a0Your next iPhone may feature Apple's biggest camera upgrade ever<\/strong><\/p>\n I used the thermal camera a lot, the endoscope not so much. (But there are times when that's been very useful too.)<\/p>\n Well, the Armor 9 has been upgraded to the new Power Armor 18T<\/span><\/a><\/span>.<\/p>\n It's a beast of a smartphone.\u00a0<\/p>\n Externally, the Power Armor 18T is a highly ruggedized smartphone that's built to take a severe battering. It meets a whole array of standards, including IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810G, which means that it's happy to be immersed in water at depths down to 1.5 meters for 30 minutes, exposed to high-pressure water jets and steam cleaning, and dropped from 1.2-meter heights. Also, it resists dust getting in, shrugs off any acid spills, and it is happy to spend time in low-pressure environments that can destroy other smartphones.<\/p>\n Also:<\/strong> The 5 best rugged laptops<\/strong><\/p>\n It's a tough smartphone. I know, because mine's been out in the rain and ice, got dropped into mud, fell off the tailgate of my truck, and got left outside in a thunderstorm when I forgot about it while reviewing it.<\/p>\n Tough, rugged, yet still stylish<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Adrian Kingsley-Hughes\/ZDNET<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n At the core of the Power Armor 18T is a 2.4GHz Arm Cortex-A78 CPU paired with the Mali-G68 GPU. That's enough power to keep the handset running super-smooth at all times. This is paired with 12GB of physical RAM and the option to augment this with 5GB of virtual RAM for when the going gets tough. <\/p>\n I've found 12GB of RAM to be more than ample and have not seen the need to boost this to the full 17GB.<\/p>\n Also:<\/strong> I put the Apple Watch Ultra through a Tough Mudder<\/strong><\/p>\n But the faster processor, big RAM boost, and doubling of storage capacity are all things I really appreciate in this upgrade.<\/p>\n The power is supplied by an enormous 9600mAh lithium-ion polymer battery, which is charged via the USB-C port or wireless charging. The wireless charging is a big upgrade for me because it means not having to open that waterproof flap on the USB-C port if I'm outside in poor weather conditions. <\/p>\n The 108-megapixel rear camera featuring a huge ISOCELL HM2 1\/1.52-inch sensor delivers some really good photos, even in standard resolution. I've played with this camera in a variety of conditions and it's good. Not iPhone Pro Max good, but still very good for a smartphone that's a fraction of the price of the iPhone Pro Max.<\/p>\n Power Armor 18T camera array<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Adrian Kingsley-Hughes\/ZDNET<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n Do you need 108-megapixel photos?<\/p>\n I can see some minor differences between the standard and high-resolution photos if I really look closely, but I have to admit that I'm happy to stick to regular photos unless I need an image that I might later need to edit heavily or crop a lot. <\/p>\n The 32-megapixel front camera is also pretty good, but I'm not sure if we really need that many megapixels in a front camera as it's hard to see real-world improvements over cameras with a lot lower megapixel counts.<\/p>\n Also:<\/strong> The best rugged tablets<\/strong><\/p>\n But megapixel counts help sell, and as sensors get cheaper, the megapixel counts will go up and up.<\/p>\n On the side of the Power Armor 18T is a port for an endoscope. The Ulefone endoscope<\/span><\/a><\/span> (sold separately) features a 2-meter cable, and is rated to IP67. This is perfect for poking into areas where you can't get your eyeballs, and is a great tool for engineers. There are a lot of USB-C endoscopes available<\/span><\/a><\/span>, but the fact that this one doesn't take up the USB-C port is handy<\/p>\n The real star of the show for me is the FLIR Lepton 3.5 thermal imaging camera. With 160 x 120 resolution and a temperature range of -10\u2103 – 400\u2103, this is an amazing diagnostic tool for technicians. <\/p>\n The thermal camera has four times the resolution of the previous generation of thermal cameras, and that makes for better, crisper, more detailed thermal images.<\/p>\n The thermal camera is the killer feature on this handset<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Adrian Kingsley-Hughes\/ZDNET<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n You can check for overheating components, HVAC issues, doors and windows leaking your precious HVAC heat or cold into the outdoors, car issues, and much more. <\/p>\n Yes, you can get separate thermal cameras for smartphones<\/span><\/a><\/span> — even iPhone<\/span><\/a><\/span> — but nothing beats having one built into your smartphone ready for use.<\/p>\n For me, this is the killer feature.\u00a0<\/p>\nUlefone Power Armor 18T tech specs<\/h2>\n
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As rugged as it gets<\/h2>\n
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The camera<\/h2>\n
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My favorite features<\/h2>\n
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