Full disclosure : HikeWithKids isn't going to turn into a phone review site. I realise with this being my second post regarding rugged phones (first one here) in a short time, it may appear to be the case. A little more disclosure : I paid for this phone, myself with my money. This isn't a sponsored review in any way.

Now that's all out of the way. Let's dive in!

As I noted in my last post discussing rugged phones, I think they're a great tool if you're spending time outdoors.

While I love my 2018 purchase, I made the decision a little over a month ago to upgrade to something faster and more modern. Enter the Ulefone Armor 9.

Side by side comparisons with the King Kong 3 show a phone of similar size, but sporting a much larger display.

For the Armor 9 I also ordered a case, once you put it in the case and compare it to the King Kong 3, WOW what a chunker! It makes the already large King Kong 3 look puny. The case takes a little while to get used to (and makes every phone you handle afterwards feel insubstantial) but I have to admin, I kind of like it.

The paper differences for a few key "things that matter" are below. You can find more detailed reviews of the Armor 9 as a phone on sites. If you're into pouring over technical specifications these are below. The short-version is that two of my major gripes with the King Kong 3: camera and speed/responsiveness are addressed by the Armor 9. In addition the two special "extra" features: the endoscope and FLIR camera take this phone and elevate to something entirely different.

Feature	Armor 9	King Kong 3
CPU	Mediatek MT6779 (Helio P90)	Mediatek MTK6763T ( Helio P23 )
RAM	8GB	4GB
Storage	128GB	64GB
Camera	64Mpix	13Mpix
Operating System	Android 10	Android 8.1
Positioning Systems	GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS	GPS, GLONASS
Battery	6600mAh	6000mAh
Special Features	FLIR Camera, Endoscope	-

In the box the Armor 9 comes with a few extras you don't normally see: a glass screen protector, a micro-USB to USB-C adapter and a USB-OTG cable. This is in addition to the more normal things: charger, lanyard, SIM eject tool.

So back to the "special" features. To introduce the endoscope I'll digress for a moment and talk about the accessories. I ordered the Armor 9 together with a case and endoscopic camera.

You've seen the case in the comparison photos above and yes as I stated, it really IS a chunker. It makes the phone very reassuring to hold in risky situations however and together with the clip and carabiner attachments provides some great ways to hold the Armor 9.

The endoscope is quite unique. There are tons of cheap USB endoscopes that use the USB port on your phone (just search eBay if you want one). The one that comes with the Armor 9 is different because it uses dedicated pogo-pins on the phone. This has two advantages: you don't loose your waterproofing by using it and you don't risk breaking your phone's USB port if you drop it while in use. I'm not providing a detailed review on the endoscope however as it's not really an accessory I think helps me get the kids outdoors.

Built in to the Armor 9 there is also an FLIR camera. This is paired with a 5Mpix camera and together these produce thermal images.

While a heater and kettle are decidedly indoors items, I've tested the FLIR outdoors and it's great! Can't find possums at night? Try the FLIR and suddenly they're visible!

Finally I'm going to talk about the Camera (and dedicate a bit of space to it). The Armor 9 camera is great! I'll caveat the statement that it's great in my primary use-case: taking photos outdoors. Take the following photos for example, captured in Wide and 4:3 formats. I've captured each image on the Armor 9, the King Kong 3 and the OnePlus 7T Pro (my daily driver). I've turned on watermarking on the phones that support it (so not the King Kong 3) but either way the order will always be the Armor 9, the King Kong 3 and the OnePlus 7T Pro. Wide first.

Then 4:3.

The Armor 9 produces bright and clear images, perhaps a touch too bright but with spectactuar detail in the shadows on the opposing river bank. While the OnePlus 7T Pro produces slightly more pleasing photos (at least to my eye), the Armor 9 is a significant improvement compared to the King Kong 3.

Let's take a look at a few more photos.

Armor 9, the King Kong 3 and the OnePlus 7T Pro (Wide):

Armor 9 and the OnePlus 7T Pro (4:3): Sorry, no photos for the King Kong 3. Somehow I missed this one.

Armor 9, the King Kong 3 and the OnePlus 7T Pro (Wide):

Armor 9, the King Kong 3 and the OnePlus 7T Pro (4:3):

Overall, the Armor 9 takes decent photos and makes a great case for being a phone that you can take out exploring and never feel like you're missing something. There is one perculiarity to be aware of however. It defaults to 64Mpix photos. It's important to understand the sensor in the Armor 9 is a Quad Bayer sensor. What this means is that the photos aren't really 64Mpix, they're 16Mpix photos. Unfortunately every time you open the camera app you need to manually go back to 16Mpix photos.

To highlight this fact I've attached some photos at the default 64Mpix and I've also forced the OnePlus 7T Pro to take photos at 48Mpix. In both instances there's no extra detail to be found zooming in, just blur. The images are likely to be compressed on my site, so you can download a ZIP of the full resolution samples here.

The order of photos is Armor 9, OnePlus 7T Pro, Armor 9, OnePlus 7T Pro.

In conclusion

I love it! The Armor 9 is a great upgrade from the King Kong 3 and adds some unique features that mean it'll offer something new (FLIR camera) for night walks and something practical (endoscope) while working around the house. More importantly the Armor 9 is a real phone in rugged form rather than a compromised device that happenes to have been hardened. No more compromising on camera or speed or screen size.