Ulefone Power Armor 18T Rugged Phone

This is a substantial piece of hardware, as evidenced by the photo. It's side by side with a Sonim XP8 to give an idea of just how big this phone is. I've been using the 18T for about two weeks at this point, running it on the Verizon network. On initial unpacking, I installed an existing SIM from one of my devices. In order to connect with data, I did have to adjust the settings through Network& Internet to change the APN. After that, the connection to 4G has been excellent. No 5G testing, as it's not yet available in this area. I'll rate the data transfer as excellent with 4G, and connection via WIFI the same. Phone calls in my remote area, and texting have been perfect. Of note, the Gboard is large enough on this phone, a person with small hands could touch type. Initial startup and transfer of accounts was easy, as were updates. Currently Android 12. Also, I installed a Samsung 512 10 micro SD, no issues. I played with the phone a few days to get a feel for it. Once satisfied it was stable, I ordered the case and the endoscope to further enhance the experience. Let's talk cameras. No, this is not an iPhone, a Google phone, or a high end Samsung. It's a Ulefone rugged device, which I feel very satisfied with camera performance and processor performance. Within that context I rate this device excellent. Both front and rear cameras focus and execute images swiftly and accurately. Where this phone shines are the macro and FLIR devices. The macro works better without the cover, as you have to get very close to focus. I've used the FLIR so far on tracing wiring, to image wildlife at night, and it's sensitive enough to visualize the circulatory system on the arm of a thin person. (I'm in the medical field, and was experimenting) I'll call it a poor man's ultrasound via thermal imaging. That's the radial artery on the left arm in the image. It's a very useful tool. The endoscope is as well, to be used mechanically and medically. Let's talk battery. According to the manual, they request you run the battery down the first two or three times. That takes some doing, running the battery down. So far, I have charged this phone three times. The supplied 66W charger is excellent, as is the battery life. Apps installed. There's a ToolBag app with all manner of devices for construction, and they work! Drawbacks? This is heavy, but I can manage it. I'd say from how solid this feels, you could knock someone out with it. If you use the belt clip, either wear a belt, or very tight pants. Overall, I rate this an excellent purchase for the price point. It's early on in the ownership, but I'm still learning the device and it's capabilities, and already it's a big help to me. Far more than a phone. Update July 2024: This device continues to perform reliably, and has been genuinely used. The only failure I've had is the lanyard, which is in no way a reflection of the device. We've made a change on carriers, as T-Mobile offered 5G internet in our area. The only device that gave issue was the lone iPhone in the herd. The installation of the 5G SIM in this device has improved the network experience. The only issue I've noticed is if you're in an area that has spotty or non existent 5G, turn it off, and allow 4G to do the job. Otherwise, you may notice 5G is slow, slow, slow. Overall, I give this device a high score, just remember this is a hefty chunk to carry.

I'll start out with saying this is the 3rd Ulefone I have used, and it is by far the best phone for the dollar I have had the pleasure to put in my hands. I have used a 6E (great phone for a budget phone), I have used an Armor 9 (definitely a step up in performance and capability), and now the Power Armor 18T. This phone is unreal. All using the same SIM card provided through AT&T. Yes, I said AT&T. It worked without any issues. Just a quick notification to their Advanced Technical Department (611) to let them know I switched the SIM to a different phone. I have only had the phone for a little over a week and I think I had it on the charger when I first got it and I have 79% charge on it remaining. Now I will say that I am not one to have it in my hands at all times, my work does not permit that option, but I do play a ton of music through Bluetooth every day. I have tried the facial recognition and the fingerprint ID, and they both work fantastic. I just chose not to use them as I don't need them. The cameras, yes, I say cameras as it also has the Infrared camera as well, they both work great. The High-Definition screen makes photo's I have taken in the past look even better than they did before. The IR camera is so defined I even double checked it with a laser thermometer, and it was within .5 degrees f. of the camera. I must say that this phone is substantial. It is a heavy phone, and the screen is much bigger than any phone I've had in the past. This is another reason I like it, as my eyes aren't getting any younger. The screen saver glass that was provided in the box is great quality and was easy to install, that is if you've done it before, you will have an idea of what is involved in the preparation process. I also purchased the hard case for this phone and compared to cases I've used in the past, It gets a little to get used to not having edging around the top/bottom or either side of the phone. In the little over a week, I have not had any issues with inadvertent button pushes more than once. It even goes into my phone cradles in all out vehicles. I think it may be a little too big for a standard Weather Tech cup holder though. I'm no "Tech Master" or Cell phone Gurue but all in all; Great phone, great price, and features out of this world. Add a Tara-bite of memory like I did, and you'll be in great shape for a long time. Update: This Phone is still working fantastically. The battery life is absolutely amazing. I had an issue with the battery level indication showing 45% battery life left and overnight it went to zero. I contacted Ulefone customer service, and they did a remote check on the phone. Completed an update and now the indicator is right on. I must say, the customer service is fantastic. It is a pain to have to E-mail back and forth, as I'm in Florida and they are in China but, if it's not an emergency, they are the best cell phone customer service I have ever dealt with.

Was unsure reading reviews if it would work on Verizon but I took my already activated sim card from old phone straight into this phone and it worked great even on 5g. I did have to turn on VoLTE mode to get phone calls to work. Phone in general is great. I don't care about size and weight and this one's like carrying a brick(it's nearly 2x of my old Samsung Note9). What you gain in actual functionality is great I wanted a real 3.5mm audio jack, an sd card slot, durability.... honestly no case needed, and a huge battery. Secondary things I like are the reverse wireless charging (can wirelessly charge other devices from my phone) and the flir camera.

Edit: Customer service has reached out to clarify the reasoning behind why Sprint will not allow this phone on the network. Old Sprint is CDMA and Tmobile is GSM (the same as this phone). I was already on the Sprint network before the merge so I'm technically old Sprint. . Cons: • It cannot connect to Sprint. Even though TMobile+Sprint "merged", per the employee at the TMobile store said that these two networks has not "fully merged". He also said he only works for Tmobile so he was unable to help me. 🥴 So, if you are originally Sprint, I wouldn't take the chance unless you're able to get in touch with Sprint customer service and see what kind of backdoor they can open to help activate this phone and allow in the network. Pros: • Phenomenal shipping - got it the next day once we purchased. • Thermal camera was cool even though it was a little slow. • Fingerprint scanner was nice and is on the power button - very similar to my Zflip 4. • It felt durable and had a nice weight in the hand - it wasn't too heavy but also wasn't too light. • The motion smoothness was soooo smooth and so nice. The phone also responds nicely to little taps on the screen as well. • The camera was very nice and similar to the Galaxy S22/23 (couldn't remember which one we compared it to). Came out clear and HD even when zooming in on the photo. • Absolute perfect rugged outdoor phone. I sadly have to return this phone bc it's not compatible with Sprint network, but this phone IS good for the price. Once you turn on the phone and activate it, it will go thru a process where it will adjust the phone based upon your usage. Most phones do this (my Zflip4 does and it was a 2 day process bc I hardly ever touch my phone) and just keep in mind the phone is simply trying to understand you and will adjust the speed for you. I'm just adding this in here bc I've seen some of the reviews where they said the phone was slow or something similar.

This is not the first Ulefone that we have purchased. It is the second T series phone. It has great battery life of more than one day, functionality i.e., thermal, endoscope, wireless charging, laser measurer). We purchased additional products like the case to protect the phone from falls. The battery life lasts days so you can take it to a remote area where you might not have charging capabilities. The flashlight is really bright. The camera takes great, clear pictures. It is tough but keep it tethered to a lanyard with Caribiner so that it does not touch the ground or water when falling out of a shirt pocket. I think this phone could take a beating and still work fine. It is very heavy but why it is also sturdy. It has a good memory plus the availability of an SSD slot, which most phones have gone away with so this is a plus that you will not run out of memory. Not sure why other phones do not have an SSD slot any longer. That is a huge benefit in my opinion. We did have one issue with wireless charging, but Ulefone's customer service was fantastic. They were very responsive and worked with us to get the issue resolved in a timely manner. The reason we upgraded from the T9 is that there were so many upgrades, such as wireless charging, battery life, camera quality. The T9 charging port was damaged and why it was time to upgrade. Wireless charging will save the port and more convenient. This model T18 also had so many other cool features or upgrades from the T9. In summary, we are tied to Ulefone for future phone purchases, as long as they keep these qualities for future phones: SSD card slot, wireless charging, good camera, fantastic battery life, rugged, etc.