This tiny Android smartphone is a blast from the past with futuristic durability

Over the past decade or so, smartphone makers -- I'm looking at you, Apple -- have conditioned us to think that a smartphone needs to be a big slab of glass. "If the screen isn't at least six inches in size, it's not a real smartphone!" While activities such as web browsing, content consumption, and gaming certainly benefit from a larger screen, not everyone needs a tablet-sized phone.

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The Ulefone Armor Mini 20 Pro goes back to the days of the small screens and candy bar-shaped handsets that slip easily into a pocket. And I have to say that there's something to be said for having a smaller phone. Especially because small doesn't mean fragile, as this phone goes to show.

The Armor Mini 20 Pro is 5.26 inches in length and 2.49 inches wide, which makes it seem tiny next to the iPhone. That is, until you pick it up and realize it's 0.98 inches thick and 10.6 ounces (over half a pound) in weight. It's a hefty lump for sure, but it has to be when you see what's inside.

It features a 4.7-inch IPS display with a resolution of 720 x 1600 pixels, a 373 pixel-per-inch density and a 90Hz refresh rate, which makes it very easy on the eyes and comfortable to use, despite being very much on the petite side.

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Inside is a Mediatek Dimensity 6300 chipset featuring an octa-core 2.4 GHz processor and Mali-G57 MC2 GPU. Supporting this is 8GB of physical RAM (preconfigured to add another 8GB of virtual RAM) and 256GB of UFS 2.2 storage. If you need more storage, the TF-card slot will accept microSD cards up to 2TB.

The unit was shipped with Android 14, but Ulefone pushed an Android 15 update to it, which made it feel smoother and faster. This was a nice touch.

Powering everything is a 6,200 mAh battery, which is a substantial cell for such a compact handset, and this supports 33W wired charging and has support for 15W wireless charging. It can also act as a 5W power bank thanks to the reverse charging feature. The phone can browse the web of play movies for 22 hours on a single charge, and has a massive 14 day standby.

On the back is a 50-megapixel, f/2.0 camera powered by Samsung's Isocell GN1 image sensor that's perfect for capturing memories, taking photos for reports, and scanning documents. Alongside that is a 64-megapixel Omnvision OV64B night vision camera complete with two infrared illuminators, which is a great add-on for those who have to prowl around dark places as well as adventurers or engineers.

Turning to the front, there's the obligatory 32-megapixel selfie camera powered by Samsung's GD1 sensor, a great photo and video camera, and is surprisingly good in low-light conditions.

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This version does not have a thermal camera, but if that's a feature you crave, you need the Armor Mini 20T Pro, which adds a FLIR Lepton 3.5 thermal micro-camera to the lineup.

Surrounding the camera is a powerful 130-LED ring light capable of a maximum of 500 lumens, and alongside this are a pair of red and blue LED warning lights. The LED light is insanely bright at the maximum output, and thankfully is adjustable.

Remember I said that small doesn't have to be fragile? Well, the Armor Mini 20 Pro is built to take a beating. It meets MIL-STD 810G standards and repels water and dust totally thanks to IP68 and IP69K levels of protection.

And if you think it's odd that it has an audio jack, you better sit down before you read the next bit — it also has an infrared emitter that can be used as a remote control! Yes, this means you can control your TV or AC unit all from your smartphone. An old-school feature, but a useful one.

I've taken the Armor Mini 20 Pro with me on a few hikes and also used it as my main handset when it comes to reviewing outdoor gear. I love its compact form, along with the fact that I can accidentally drop it or leave it outside in the rain as a fill light for photography, or forget it on the roof of my truck and find it frozen solid, I know it's going to be OK.

There's something refreshing about going back to a candy bar smartphone. It fits neatly in the hand and the pocket, and offers enough screen real estate to get stuff done. Yes, the icons are a bit tiny, and the narrowness of the display takes a little getting used to, but I was surprised how quickly I got used to it.

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This is not a smartphone for those who live on TikTok or want the biggest screen they can find. It's also not a smartphone for those who want benchmark bragging rights or the best camera on the market. Where the Armor Mini 20 Pro shines is when you take it out of the home or office and take it out into the workshop or garage or into the woods. This is a tough handset built to service.

Best of all: the Ulefone Armor Mini 20 Pro isn't expensive. Priced at $350, it comes with a very much a middle-of-the-road price tag, making it perfect as a secondary phone for work.