I switched to a 4.7-inch Android cellphone for every week, and it felt like a blast from the previous

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Over the previous decade or so, smartphone makers — I am taking a look at you, Apple — have conditioned us to assume {that a} smartphone must be an enormous slab of glass. “If the screen isn’t at least six inches in size, it’s not a real smartphone!” Whereas actions corresponding to net searching, content material consumption, and gaming definitely profit from a bigger display, not everybody wants a tablet-sized cellphone. 

Generally smaller is healthier.

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The Ulefone Armor Mini 20 Professional goes again to the times of the small screens and sweet bar-shaped handsets that slip simply right into a pocket. And I’ve to say that there is one thing to be stated for having a smaller cellphone. Particularly as a result of small does not imply fragile, as this cellphone goes to point out.  

The Armor Mini 20 Professional is 5.26 inches in size and a pair of.49 inches extensive, which makes it appear tiny subsequent to the iPhone. That’s, till you choose it up and notice it is 0.98 inches thick and 10.6 ounces (over half a pound) in weight. It is a hefty lump for certain, but it surely must be if you see what’s inside.

It incorporates a 4.7-inch IPS show with a decision of 720 x 1600 pixels, a 373 pixel-per-inch density and a 90Hz refresh price, which makes it very straightforward on the eyes and cozy to make use of, regardless of being very a lot on the petite facet. 

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Inside is a Mediatek Dimensity 6300 chipset that includes an octa-core 2.4 GHz processor and Mali-G57 MC2 GPU. Supporting that is 8GB of bodily RAM (preconfigured so as to add one other 8GB of digital RAM) and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. In case you want extra storage, the TF-card slot will settle for microSD playing cards as much as 2TB.

The unit was shipped with Android 14, however Ulefone pushed an Android 15 replace to it, which made it really feel smoother and sooner. This was a pleasant contact.

Powering every part is a 6,200 mAh battery, which is a considerable cell for such a compact handset, and this helps 33W wired charging and has help for 15W wi-fi charging. It could additionally act as a 5W energy financial institution due to the reverse charging function. The cellphone can browse the online of play motion pictures for 22 hours on a single cost, and has a large 14 day standby. 

On the again is a 50-megapixel, f/2.0 digicam powered by Samsung’s Isocell GN1 picture sensor that is good for capturing recollections, taking pictures for stories, and scanning paperwork. Alongside that may be a 64-megapixel Omnvision OV64B evening imaginative and prescient digicam full with two infrared illuminators, which is a superb add-on for many who must prowl round darkish locations in addition to adventurers or engineers. 

Turning to the entrance, there’s the compulsory 32-megapixel selfie digicam powered by Samsung’s GD1 sensor, a terrific photograph and video digicam, and is surprisingly good in low-light circumstances. 

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This model doesn’t have a thermal digicam, but when that is a function you crave, you want the Armor Mini 20T Professional, which provides a FLIR Lepton 3.5 thermal micro-camera to the lineup.  

Surrounding the digicam is a robust 130-LED ring gentle able to a most of 500 lumens, and alongside this are a pair of pink and blue LED warning lights. The LED gentle is insanely vibrant on the most output, and fortunately is adjustable. 

Keep in mind I stated that small would not must be fragile? Effectively, the Armor Mini 20 Professional is constructed to take a beating. It meets MIL-STD 810G requirements and repels water and mud completely due to IP68 and IP69K ranges of safety. 

Because of rugged polymer, robust Corning Gorilla glass, and port covers for the USB-C and three.5mm audio jack ports (sure, this handset has the flexibility to take wired headphones!).    

And when you assume it is odd that it has an audio jack, you higher sit down earlier than you learn the subsequent bit — it additionally has an infrared emitter that can be utilized as a distant management! Sure, this implies you may management your TV or AC unit all out of your smartphone. An old-school function, however a helpful one.

I’ve taken the Armor Mini 20 Professional with me on a couple of hikes and likewise used it as my important handset relating to reviewing outside gear. I like its compact kind, together with the truth that I can by accident drop it or go away it outdoors within the rain as a fill gentle for images, or overlook it on the roof of my truck and discover it frozen stable, I do know it may be OK.  

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There’s one thing refreshing about going again to a sweet bar smartphone. It suits neatly within the hand and the pocket, and affords sufficient display actual property to get stuff executed. Sure, the icons are a bit tiny, and the narrowness of the show takes just a little getting used to, however I used to be shocked how rapidly I received used to it. 

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This isn’t a smartphone for many who reside on TikTok or need the largest display they will discover. It is also not a smartphone for many who need benchmark bragging rights or the very best digicam in the marketplace. The place the Armor Mini 20 Professional shines is if you take it out of the house or workplace and take it out into the workshop or storage or into the woods. This can be a robust handset constructed to service. 

Better of all: the Ulefone Armor Mini 20 Professional is not costly. Priced at $350, it comes with a really middle-of-the-road price ticket, making it good as a secondary cellphone for work.