Bitdefender Antivirus Free may be the lowest and most basic free antivirus software product in the Bitdefender range, but don’t let that put you off. Sure, there’s no VPN, password manager or parental controls, but Bitdefender Antivirus Free does include precisely the same leading-edge antivirus protection as Bitdefender’s big suites, all at zero cost, and that works for us.

We’re less impressed by the platform support: Bitdefender Antivirus Free is strictly Windows only, a problem when Avast and Avira have free products for Windows, Mac, Android and iOS. But if the focus on Microsoft isn’t a problem, could Bitdefender Antivirus Free be the best malware removal and protection suite for you? We put the app through some very in-depth tests to find out.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free: Getting started

You can’t install Bitdefender Antivirus Free without setting up an account. That’s quick, easy and free, but it does mean handing over your email address. Avast Free Antivirus and Avira Free Security can be installed and used without registration or handing over any personal details.

This isn’t just about privacy; there are practical issues, too. Because Bitdefender requires you to log into an account, it knows the number of devices you’re protecting, and currently limits you to a maximum of three. Avast and Avira don’t know who you are, and you can install their apps wherever you like.

We noticed another complication. Bitdefender Free Antivirus is only available if you have a new Bitdefender account with no subscription. If you’re currently protecting three laptops with a Bitdefender Total Security license, for instance, there’s no way to add a free license to give another laptop basic protection. There’s a workaround - create a new Bitdefender account with a different email - but we’d much rather the problem didn’t exist at all.

On the plus side, signing up for a Bitdefender account does get you access to live support, not something we see with other free antivirus. That’s potentially very important, because antivirus issues can be complex. If you run into technical troubles, having access to live expert help could make all the difference.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free: Features

The Bitdefender Antivirus Free dashboard gives easy access to the app’s core antivirus features. Quick Scan speedily checks the most commonly-infected areas of your device; System Scan takes its time to inspect absolutely everything; the Scheduler allows you to set up scans to run automatically when you’re not around, and you can manage Exceptions (files you tell Bitdefender to ignore because it flags them incorrectly) and Quarantine (where Bitdefender securely locks away blocked files.)

The app is missing some of Bitdefender’s more advanced antivirus features. There’s no Rescue Environment, unfortunately, to remove stealthy threats which can’t be touched when Windows is running. That’s bad news if you’re suffering a serious infection, and not a problem we had with Avast Free Antivirus, which supports creating a bootable rescue scanner and has many other scan types.

The app doesn’t have Bitdefender’s ransomware remediation, either, a valuable extra layer which can restore encrypted files after a ransomware attack. 

Bitdefender Antivirus Free doesn’t include any of Bitdefender’s bonus privacy or security tools. There are buttons for the firewall, antispam, parental controls, anti-theft, the performance optimizer and more, but they all display a padlock icon which means they’re not accessible unless you pay to upgrade.

The VPN is one of the few without a padlock, but not because there’s a free version: you just get an option to install a 7-day trial of Bitdefender’s free VPN. That’s still welcome, but if you’re looking for an antivirus suite with a free VPN, Avast One Essential is a better option. Its VPN has major restrictions - can’t change location, no kill switch - but the 5GB a week data allowance is generous, and it might work for simple tasks.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free is best described as ‘basic’, then, but that’s not necessarily bad news. Avira Free Security includes extras like a password manager and software updater to check for missing software patches, but they’re limited, and we suspect most people won’t use them more than once. If you only want quality antivirus, Bitdefender’s stripped-back design may appeal more than the ‘here, have loads of features you don’t need’ approach used by many competitors.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free: Protection

We begin checking antivirus effectiveness by monitoring results of nine regular tests from top labs including AV-Comparatives, AV-Test, SE Labs and MRG Effitas. The tests measure protection, performance, usability and more, and we combine their scores into a single aggregate figure to give us an overall measure of antivirus effectiveness.

Bitdefender is currently equal first with Avast and McAfee, an excellent result. ESET, F-Secure and Norton are equal fourth, while Avira trails a little in seventh place.

We ran further tests of our own, attempting to access 50 brand new phishing URLs on a Bitdefender-protected system. The results were a little below average, with Bitdefender blocking 64% of threats. (Avast blocked 86% in its own tests, and Avira reached an excellent 90%.)

Phishing results can vary hugely depending on the test URLs, though, and Bitdefender scored much better on our malware tests. We gave Chrome 50 links to malicious files, and Bitdefender blocked 92% at the domain access or download level, and the remaining 8% as they were saved to our hard drive, for a perfect 100% protection rate. Other free antivirus apps got close - Avira managed 90%, Avast 94% - but Bitdefender is the only provider in recent testing to score 100%. Even most paid apps can’t manage that.

Bitdefender Antivirus Free: Final verdict

Bitdefender Antivirus Free is a great malware-hunting performer, but is still fractionally behind Avast in independent testing. As Bitdefender also leaves out tools which Avast includes, such as a bootable scanning, it means you’re a little less likely to be able to remove an infection if something does penetrate your defenses. 

The difference is fractional, though, and not enough to outweigh your personal preferences in other areas. If you only need Windows antivirus, and you trust Bitdefender more, don’t like Avast’s more pushy marketing or need its stack of extras, Bitdefender Antivirus Free is still one of the very best zero-cost malware hunters around.

We list the best cloud antivirus.

One of the big concerns about choosing the best free antivirus is what key features the provider might have left out. Avira Free Security tries to deal with this worry by not only offering antivirus, but also adding a reassuringly long list of bonus features: VPN, password manager, PC privacy tools, device cleanup, anti-phishing browser extensions, and more.

There are still plenty of restrictions. Browsing protection is limited to browser add-ons, for instance. The VPN doesn’t allow you to choose your location, and it only offers a tiny 500MB data a month (yes; a month.) But does Avira Free Security really give you enough core protection layers to keep you safe from harm? We ran the suite through our intensive series of security tests to find out.

Avira Free Security: Desktop and mobile

Avira Free Security earned its first big plus point before we even installed it. Unlike Bitdefender Antivirus Free and many others, you can use it without creating an account, or handing over your email address or any other personal information. Avira prefers that you register, and you’ll get a ‘Register’ icon on the dashboard as a reminder, but that isn’t necessary.

With no account, that means Avira can’t limit the number of devices where you can install its software, and you’re free to use it wherever you like. Avira Free Security is also available for Mac, and mobile devices can use Avira Antivirus Security for Android and Avira Mobile Security for iOS.

We’re focusing on Avira Free Security for Windows in this review, but if you’d like to know more about what other platforms can do, or what extras you get in Avira’s paid products, check out our Avira Prime review for an in-depth look.

Avira Free Security: Getting started

Avira’s Windows installer did an excellent job of setting up Avira Free Security on our test laptop, walking us through every stage and keeping us informed of what was happening.

When the process was complete, Avira ran its all-in-one Smart Scan, checking for malware, privacy problems, outdated apps, performance issues, network security problems and more. Although it’s covering a lot of ground, the process is surprisingly quick, and Avira displayed a report of our device ‘issues’ in barely a minute.

Along with telling us our device was ‘virus free’, Avira also explained that we had 684 MB of disk clutter we could delete, five apps were slowing our boot time, three ‘outdated apps’ were missing updates, and there were ‘21 privacy settings to fix.’ Although that sounded intriguing, most of these issues were either no big deal, or we couldn’t fix them with the free version, anyway. Avira’s Smart Scan regularly teased us with lists of ‘problems’, but then, when we clicked ‘Fix’, explained we had to pay for an upgrade to resolve them.

While that might seem a little annoying, at least initially, it’s no great surprise. You’re getting the app for free; some sort of advertising is inevitable. And there are ways to avoid at least some of these sales pitches.

Once we learned that Smart Scan was mostly about marketing, for example, we dialed down the upselling by running ordinary antivirus scans instead. Quick Scans are just as speedy and focused entirely on the information we needed to know (‘were we malware free?’), without any unnecessary extras: perfect.

Avira Free Security: Protection

Avira’s paid products are regularly assessed by the top antivirus labs, giving a useful general idea of how Avira compares to the competition.

Avira’s overall results are a little disappointing right now, with the company ranking 7th out of 10 in our aggregate score chart covering nine top reports. (Avast, Bitdefender and McAfee came equal first; Microsoft, Total AV and Trend Micro were bottom of the list.)

The aggregate score covers many areas, though, including Android effectiveness, performance and more. If you’re only interested in Windows protection, the results are much better. Avira managed an excellent third place in AV-Comparatives’ latest Real-World Protection test, for instance (behind Avast and AVG), blocking 99.8% of threats with zero false positives.

It’s important to remember that these results are measuring the performance of Avira’s paid products. That gives us a good baseline to understand how the company compares to the best of the competition, but as Avira Free Security doesn’t have full web protection, it won’t block as many threats.

We tested this by attempting to access 50 shiny new phishing URLs obtained from experts OpenPhish. The results confirmed that Avira Free Security really doesn’t have any web protection, as the app couldn’t block a single site.

Fortunately, Avira has a separate free Browser Safety extension for Chrome, Edge, Firefox and Opera. This is more limited because it only protects the browsers where you install it, while system-level protection covers all your apps, but it’s still a huge improvement. We tested the same phishing URLs with Avira Browser Safety installed, and it blocked 90%, as good as a result as we’d expect to see from any paid antivirus.

Malware detection is more challenging, but again, Avira Browser Safety made a big difference. When we attempted to download 50 malicious files, Browser Safety blocked 36% before we could even access the URLs, and another 54% as the files were saved, for an overall protection rate of 90%.

We’ve seen others score higher - Avast Free Antivirus blocked 94% of our test threats in its last review, Bitdefender Antivirus Free an amazing 100% - but 90% is better than many, and it’s not the end of the story. If you do run a dangerous file, Avira’s behavior monitoring layer detects and blocks most threats.

Avira Free Security: VPN and other Tools

Although this review is mostly about Avira Free Security’s core antivirus features, there’s a lot more to it, and we’ll quickly run through what’s on offer here. (Take a look at our Avira Prime review for more detail or if you’re interested in the extra functionality offered by the paid apps.)

Avira Free Security includes a free VPN, but beware, it’s about as basic as you’ll see. It automatically connects you to your nearest location, with no ability to change country. There’s no kill switch in the free version (that’s a paid extra), and you’re limited to a tiny 500MB a month. For comparison, Avast One Free gives you 5GB a week.

Still, the VPN works, it’s reasonably fast, easy to use, and might just about do as an emergency backup for two minutes of browsing on public Wi-Fi.

Avira’s Password Manager covers the basics, collecting credentials when you first type them and automatically completing login forms when you revisit sites. Mobile apps and browser extensions for Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Opera mean you can use it almost anywhere. It’s limited, with no ability to create identities, save details like addresses and fill in forms, but might be handy if you don’t currently have any password manager at all.

Avira’s Software Updater and Driver Updater tools scan your PC for missing app and device updates, issues which could leave you with security vulnerabilities. These had a little value for us, finding three app updates and one driver on a new laptop. Although it’s good to know about these, Avira Free can’t install the updates automatically (that’s a paid-only feature), leaving us to find, download and install them ourselves.

Elsewhere, Avira’s File Shredder securely deletes confidential files to ensure they can’t be undeleted. There are far more configurable free tools around which do something similar, but it could be useful if you regularly handle documents with sensitive information.

Avira Free Security: Final verdict

Avira Free Security has more features than just about everyone else, but there are more compromises and limits, too. 500MB of data a month is one of the lowest allowances we’ve seen, and while Avast and Bitdefender’s free apps include system-wide web protection, Avira’s is only available for paying customers. It’s still a good product, and if you’re a fan of Avira then it’s worth a look, but everyone else will get better protection from the likes of Avast One Essential or Bitdefender Antivirus Free.

We've also listed the best cloud antivirus.

The Sihoo M76A-M101 Ergonomic Office Chair is a lightweight, minimalist chair with one standout feature. It has a clean and simple look, making it suitable for almost any working environment. It is designed to accommodate nearly any body size. My primary team member who uses this chair is 5'1", and it fits her perfectly. What's impressive is that I can also sit comfortably in this chair. Unlike some of the best office chairs designed only for taller individuals, this one can appeal to a wide range of people. Whether you’re short or tall, this chair adjusts to fit your body perfectly, providing the comfort and support needed for long hours at the desk.

Sihoo designed this chair to be lightweight for easy maneuvering, and the breathable mesh keeps you cool even during intense work sessions. Sihoo also added a unique coat rack on the back of this chair. Initially, I thought it was a gimmick, but it turned out super helpful, especially here in Central Illinois, United States, where I live, since the seasons are so dramatic. Coats are needed for a good chunk of the year -- winter, spring, and fall.

Sihoo M76A-M101: Unboxing & first impressions

The Sihoo M76A-M101 comes securely packaged, with all parts neatly organized. The assembly process is straightforward and took about 21 minutes from chair opening to sitting in the chair and adjusting the settings. The chair’s lightweight design is immediately noticeable, making it easy to move even before assembly. Once out of the box, the chair appears modern and sleek, with a design emphasizing functionality over flair. The mesh material feels durable and breathable, and the adjustable components move smoothly. The armrests have a notably cheap feeling; however, they still fulfill their duty. The chair cushion is comfortable, and the backrest is supportive. All around, this is a simple chair. And sometimes, that's precisely what you need — a chair, not a space station.

Sihoo M76A-M101: Design & build quality

The M76A-M101 chair by Sihoo is designed with ergonomics in mind. It features a sleek, double-jointed headrest that easily adjusts for neck support, and a larger, higher backrest that enhances overall back comfort. The lumbar support is also highly adjustable, ensuring that users can find the right fit for their lower back. This has proven true for taller and shorter users, which is impressive for such a simple chair.

Despite its lightweight nature, the chair feels sturdy. The flip-up armrests are a convenient addition, especially for those who need to fit the chair under a desk or prefer a more open seating space. Although they could drop down and raise like some other popular chairs, flipping them back entirely gets the armrests out of the way, which is helpful in some settings. The breathable mesh used for the backrest and seat ensures that the chair remains cool and comfortable, even during long periods of use. The seat cushion is soft yet supportive, made from a thick sponge wrapped in high-quality mesh.

Sihoo M76A-M101: In use

The Sihoo M76A-M101 ergonomic office chair has been great to use. As mentioned, my team has been using this chair for nearly two months now. This chair shines in its adjustability. The headrest, armrests, and lumbar support can all be customized to the user’s preference, ensuring a comfortable seating experience. The chair also offers a 120° recline for when you need a quick break and need to kick back.

I briefly mentioned it before, but the most unique part of this chair is the coat rack. Specifically, having a coat rack on the back of your chair has proven helpful if used in an office or a home office. Even in warmer months here in Illinois, the coat rack has come in handy for a rain jacket, and soon, it will come in handy for a winter jacket. This helps keep the jacket off the backrest and, therefore, not have you lean back on the coat, especially if it's wet. It’s a small but thoughtful addition that keeps your workspace tidy by providing a place to hang your jacket or even a hat.

While working in this chair, we found the flip-up armrests super helpful. Flipping up these arms while using the chair with some desks has made it easy to slide the chair under the desk.

Sihoo M76A-M101: Final verdict

The Sihoo M76A-M101 is a well-rounded ergonomic office chair that delivers on comfort, adjustability, and practical features. Its lightweight build and easy assembly make it an attractive option for both home and office use. While the coat rack might not be essential for everyone, it’s a nice touch that adds to the chair’s overall functionality. If you’re looking for a versatile chair that fits a range of heights and needs, the Sihoo M76A-M101 is worth considering.

Looking to brighten up your workspace? We've reviewed the best standing desk and the best office desk models you can get.

Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie: 30-second review

The tough phone market is highly competitive, with each model striving to distinguish itself from the other. The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra's Walkie-Talkie edition sets itself apart from most other mobiles with a set of usual features, such as Walkie-Talkie, FM Radio, and Endoscope accessory option, combined with an ultra-tough, outdoor-ready design.

While many rugged phones are built tough, the Armor 26 Ultra stands out with its additional functions and features. The headline feature is the phone's ability to function as a walkie-talkie, supporting both mobile radio and DMR modes with UHF or VHF antennas. These antennas are included in the box, providing flexibility for different types of communication and are especially useful where the network signal is low.

In addition to standard apps for streaming services and video conferencing, the Armor 26 Ultra includes a standard FM radio, allowing you to tune into traditional wireless radio stations without relying on digital connections. 

If these features haven't already marked this phone out as something a bit different, then the range of accessories takes its use a step further. Alongside the usual cases and straps, there's a plug-in endoscope, which is invaluable for seeing around bends, inside walls, or behind sinks. 

Performance-wise, the Armor 26 Ultra is solid. It runs a mid-level mobile processor and GPU that's more than enough for most applications and the slightly older Android 13 OS. However, at the core, this phone is designed for work purposes. Its build quality ensures it can withstand being trampled, bashed, thrown, dropped from heights, and submerged in water, making it one of the toughest smartphones available.

The added features, like the plug-in endoscope, are innovative, though the method of attaching it by means of small screws is fiddly, but once installed it's extremely handy. The UHF walkie-talkie feature and FM radio, on the other hand, are well thought through, with a dedicated antenna for UHF or VHF needing to be fitted depending on the system you and the team are using. Using the walkie-talkie feature requires another Armor 26 Ultra or compatible walkie-talkie, but once channels are confirmed, the operation is simple with a recording feature that adds to the functionality. 

Ultimately, the Armor 26 Ultra is unique compared to the best rugged phones we've reviewed. It's perfectly suited for businesses with employees working on-site, and it offers durability and several communication options, from standard 5G mobile networks to more traditional Walkie-Talkies.

Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? Starting from $699?
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it directly from https://www.ulefone.com/

The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra is priced at approximately $699, making it a premium option in the rugged smartphone market. It is available for purchase directly from the Ulefone official website by clicking here and through various online retailers such as Amazon and AliExpress. 

• Value: 4 / 5

Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie: Specifications

Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie: Design

The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra is purpose-built for outdoor use, with every detail designed for ruggedness. The phone is significantly larger and heavier than, say, an iPhone 15 Pro measuring in at 179 x 83 x 25.5 mm and weighing 600g. This size is matched by a robust design featuring angular lines and yellow accents that all come together to emphasise its tough, outdoorsy nature. The exterior is made from hard rubberised plastic that provides shock protection against knocks and drops.

Reflecting the intended market for which the phone is designed there are a range of accessories including a holster-style phone case that clips onto a belt making it ideal for on-site use. The phone's front features a large 6.7-inch touchscreen display, accompanied by a small front camera for video calls. The back houses a tri-camera setup, including a 200MP main camera and a substantial speaker unit that ensures loud audio for the walkie-talkie feature and FM radio.

On the left side, the phone features a dual SIM and TF microSD card slot, a yellow walkie-talkie shortcut button, and contacts for connecting the optional endoscope. The base includes a USB Type-C port for charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The right side has a red SOS button, a power button with biometric fingerprint recognition, and volume controls. Finally, a flap on the top conceals the socket for UHF or VHF antennas to enable the walkie-talkie functionality.

While the size and weight of the phone are large and relatively weighty, it has been ergonomically designed and is comfortable and easy to hold.

• Design: 5 / 5

Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie: Features

• 15,600mAh battery
• IP68/IP69K and MIL-STD-810H certification

When it comes to features, the Armor 26 Ultra is packed with more than most. Starting with its tough credentials, it has IP68/IP69K and MIL-STD-810H certification, which means it's waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof. It also stands up to military-grade drop testing, making this phone suitable for use on building sites or as a great option if you're hiking off the beaten trail and need a phone that can survive all elements and conditions. To ensure the screen stays intact even after a big drop, it features Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which also offers increased scratch resistance with a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.

The 6.78-inch Full HD screen has a 120Hz refresh rate, providing smooth motion graphic when gaming or watching videos. The multi-touch display features IPS technology which produces a clear crisp and bright image. The phone supports 5G networks, enabling fast connections to mobile networks for quick downloading of content and files, provided there is a signal, otherwise there's Wifi 6 support if available and the Walkie-Talkie feature. 

Powering the phone is the MediaTek Dimensity 8020 chip with an octa-core CPU and advanced Mali-G77 MC9 GPU, with processing speeds up to 2.6 GHz. It comes with up to 12 GB of LPDDR4X RAM (12 GB + 12 GB Virtual RAM) and 512 GB of UFS 3.1 ROM, expandable to 2 TB with a TF microSD card.

Imaging is another standout feature with a 200-megapixel main camera that uses a Samsung ISOCELL HP3 1/1.4" sensor and EIS for blur-free images. There's a 64-megapixel night vision camera with a Night Elf Ultra 3.0 algorithm and two IR LEDs, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide macro lens with a 117.3° field of view. On the front there's a 50MP Selfie camera.

The phone is powered by a huge 15,600mAh battery, offering up to 1,750 hours of standby time, 56 hours of talk time, and 23 hours of video playback. The rated capacity is actually 7,800mAh with a high voltage of 7.74V, claimed to be equivalent to the larger capacity. Such a large battery could take a long time to charge, but thankfully, the phone comes with a 120W flash charger. It can also charge through the PD protocol with a Type-C to Type-C cable. One of the notable accessories available for the Armor 26 Ultra is the 33W fast charging dock, allowing you to pop the phone into the dock for automatic charging when connected to AC power. This setup is similar to most walkie-talkies and reinforces the phone's design for building sites and similar trades.

A nice feature of this large-capacity battery is reverse charging. If your earbuds, watch, or other devices need a power boost, simply connect them to the phone via a USB cable, and they can use the phone's charge.

The smartphone apps included enhance its features, making it more versatile than other rugged phones. These include the camera app to connect to the endoscope for inspecting hard-to-reach places, the walkie-talkie app for direct communication, and the FM radio app for listening to traditional radio stations even without a digital signal.

• Features: 5 / 5

Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie: Performance

• Excellent processing power
• Plenty of storage options

When testing the performance of the Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra, it was essential to consider both its durability and functionality in various applications.

The first aspect to investigate is the build quality and toughness, given its certifications. The Armor 26 Ultra claims to withstand harsh conditions, and our tests confirmed this. The phone was dropped from 1.5 meters onto a hard surface multiple times. Despite its 600g weight causing significant impact, the phone survived with minimal damage. It endured being thrown, trampled on different surfaces, and sustained scratches and dirt without any functional issues.

For water resistance, we submerged the phone in a river for 30 minutes. After ensuring all ports were sealed, we retrieved the phone, wiped it clean, and it functioned perfectly. 

Next, we assessed the Armor 26 Ultra's additional features, such as the endoscope and walkie-talkie functions. Attaching the endoscope was a bit cumbersome, requiring the unscrewing of a bolt on the side to connect the contacts. Once connected and secured, the endoscope provided a clear 720p HD view, allowing users to inspect hard-to-reach areas with the built in LED light helping to throw some illumination where needed. This feature is particularly useful for trades that require detailed inspections in confined spaces.

The walkie-talkie function was tested by pairing the phone with an existing UHF walkie-talkie system. Setting the UHF antenna, included in the box, to the correct frequency was straightforward. The communication was clear, and the ability to record conversations for later review could be a valuable feature. 

Switching the phoens testing to actual use and it seemed that the data processing capabilities were good with it able to handle everyday tasks with ease. Using standard applications like Google Docs, the phone was able to handle the review and editing of documents with ease and the large touchscreen made navigating those documents as well as browsing the internet easy. 

In terms of processing power, the Armor 26 Ultra surpassed expectations for a rugged phone. It handled more intensive applications like Adobe Lightroom and CapCut without issue, enabling quick image enhancements and social media edits. The 5G connectivity ensured fast upload speeds, and it was tested on the Vodafone network in the UK. Benchmarking results showed that while it may not compete with high-end smartphones like the iPhone 15 Pro, it performed exceptionally well compared to other rugged smartphones, often surpassing their performance.

Overall, the Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra proves to be a highly durable options perfect for all weather conditions and ideally suited to trade and construction sites. 

• Performance: 3 / 5

Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie: Final verdict

The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra offers far more than most rugged smartphones. Its tough design ensures it can withstand more abuse than most, and it also surpasses other rugged phones in durability and build quality. The unique feature set, including the ability to convert the phone into a fully functional walkie-talkie, makes it an excellent choice for use on building sites, allowing multiple Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra's Walkie-Talkie Edition devices to keep everyone on-site updated.

For individual tradespeople, the plug-in two-meter endoscope enables the ability to inspect of areas that would otherwise be impossible to access. The built-in traditional wireless radio adds to its overall appeal, especially in locations where internet connections are weak or non-existent.

While the processing power doesn't match that of high-end smartphones, it is sufficient for browsing the internet, making calls, and utilising the various handy accessories available for this phone. For these uses, it has ample power.

The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra's Walkie-Talkie Edition is a solid choice for use on building sites and by tradespeople. It provides a an excellent option for communication through both standard mobile networks and through the UHF/VHF walkie-talkie function, making it a great choice anyone who needs a rugged smartphone.

Should you buy a Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

For more durable devices, we've tested and reviewed the best rugged tablets, the best rugged laptops, and the best rugged hard drives

Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie: 30-second review

The tough phone market is highly competitive, with each model striving to distinguish itself from the other. The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra's Walkie-Talkie edition sets itself apart from most other mobiles with a set of usual features, such as Walkie-Talkie, FM Radio, and Endoscope accessory option, combined with an ultra-tough, outdoor-ready design.

While many rugged phones are built tough, the Armor 26 Ultra stands out with its additional functions and features. The headline feature is the phone's ability to function as a walkie-talkie, supporting both mobile radio and DMR modes with UHF or VHF antennas. These antennas are included in the box, providing flexibility for different types of communication and are especially useful where the network signal is low.

In addition to standard apps for streaming services and video conferencing, the Armor 26 Ultra includes a standard FM radio, allowing you to tune into traditional wireless radio stations without relying on digital connections. 

If these features haven't already marked this phone out as something a bit different, then the range of accessories takes its use a step further. Alongside the usual cases and straps, there's a plug-in endoscope, which is invaluable for seeing around bends, inside walls, or behind sinks. 

Performance-wise, the Armor 26 Ultra is solid. It runs a mid-level mobile processor and GPU that's more than enough for most applications and the slightly older Android 13 OS. However, at the core, this phone is designed for work purposes. Its build quality ensures it can withstand being trampled, bashed, thrown, dropped from heights, and submerged in water, making it one of the toughest smartphones available.

The added features, like the plug-in endoscope, are innovative, though the method of attaching it by means of small screws is fiddly, but once installed it's extremely handy. The UHF walkie-talkie feature and FM radio, on the other hand, are well thought through, with a dedicated antenna for UHF or VHF needing to be fitted depending on the system you and the team are using. Using the walkie-talkie feature requires another Armor 26 Ultra or compatible walkie-talkie, but once channels are confirmed, the operation is simple with a recording feature that adds to the functionality. 

Ultimately, the Armor 26 Ultra is unique compared to the best rugged phones we've reviewed. It's perfectly suited for businesses with employees working on-site, and it offers durability and several communication options, from standard 5G mobile networks to more traditional Walkie-Talkies.

Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? Starting from $699?
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it directly from https://www.ulefone.com/

The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra is priced at approximately $699, making it a premium option in the rugged smartphone market. It is available for purchase directly from the Ulefone official website by clicking here and through various online retailers such as Amazon and AliExpress. 

• Value: 4 / 5

Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie: Specifications

Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie: Design

The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra is purpose-built for outdoor use, with every detail designed for ruggedness. The phone is significantly larger and heavier than, say, an iPhone 15 Pro measuring in at 179 x 83 x 25.5 mm and weighing 600g. This size is matched by a robust design featuring angular lines and yellow accents that all come together to emphasise its tough, outdoorsy nature. The exterior is made from hard rubberised plastic that provides shock protection against knocks and drops.

Reflecting the intended market for which the phone is designed there are a range of accessories including a holster-style phone case that clips onto a belt making it ideal for on-site use. The phone's front features a large 6.7-inch touchscreen display, accompanied by a small front camera for video calls. The back houses a tri-camera setup, including a 200MP main camera and a substantial speaker unit that ensures loud audio for the walkie-talkie feature and FM radio.

On the left side, the phone features a dual SIM and TF microSD card slot, a yellow walkie-talkie shortcut button, and contacts for connecting the optional endoscope. The base includes a USB Type-C port for charging and a 3.5mm headphone jack. The right side has a red SOS button, a power button with biometric fingerprint recognition, and volume controls. Finally, a flap on the top conceals the socket for UHF or VHF antennas to enable the walkie-talkie functionality.

While the size and weight of the phone are large and relatively weighty, it has been ergonomically designed and is comfortable and easy to hold.

• Design: 5 / 5

Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie: Features

• 15,600mAh battery
• IP68/IP69K and MIL-STD-810H certification

When it comes to features, the Armor 26 Ultra is packed with more than most. Starting with its tough credentials, it has IP68/IP69K and MIL-STD-810H certification, which means it's waterproof, shockproof, and dustproof. It also stands up to military-grade drop testing, making this phone suitable for use on building sites or as a great option if you're hiking off the beaten trail and need a phone that can survive all elements and conditions. To ensure the screen stays intact even after a big drop, it features Corning Gorilla Glass 5, which also offers increased scratch resistance with a fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating.

The 6.78-inch Full HD screen has a 120Hz refresh rate, providing smooth motion graphic when gaming or watching videos. The multi-touch display features IPS technology which produces a clear crisp and bright image. The phone supports 5G networks, enabling fast connections to mobile networks for quick downloading of content and files, provided there is a signal, otherwise there's Wifi 6 support if available and the Walkie-Talkie feature. 

Powering the phone is the MediaTek Dimensity 8020 chip with an octa-core CPU and advanced Mali-G77 MC9 GPU, with processing speeds up to 2.6 GHz. It comes with up to 12 GB of LPDDR4X RAM (12 GB + 12 GB Virtual RAM) and 512 GB of UFS 3.1 ROM, expandable to 2 TB with a TF microSD card.

Imaging is another standout feature with a 200-megapixel main camera that uses a Samsung ISOCELL HP3 1/1.4" sensor and EIS for blur-free images. There's a 64-megapixel night vision camera with a Night Elf Ultra 3.0 algorithm and two IR LEDs, a 50-megapixel ultra-wide macro lens with a 117.3° field of view. On the front there's a 50MP Selfie camera.

The phone is powered by a huge 15,600mAh battery, offering up to 1,750 hours of standby time, 56 hours of talk time, and 23 hours of video playback. The rated capacity is actually 7,800mAh with a high voltage of 7.74V, claimed to be equivalent to the larger capacity. Such a large battery could take a long time to charge, but thankfully, the phone comes with a 120W flash charger. It can also charge through the PD protocol with a Type-C to Type-C cable. One of the notable accessories available for the Armor 26 Ultra is the 33W fast charging dock, allowing you to pop the phone into the dock for automatic charging when connected to AC power. This setup is similar to most walkie-talkies and reinforces the phone's design for building sites and similar trades.

A nice feature of this large-capacity battery is reverse charging. If your earbuds, watch, or other devices need a power boost, simply connect them to the phone via a USB cable, and they can use the phone's charge.

The smartphone apps included enhance its features, making it more versatile than other rugged phones. These include the camera app to connect to the endoscope for inspecting hard-to-reach places, the walkie-talkie app for direct communication, and the FM radio app for listening to traditional radio stations even without a digital signal.

• Features: 5 / 5

Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie: Performance

• Excellent processing power
• Plenty of storage options

When testing the performance of the Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra, it was essential to consider both its durability and functionality in various applications.

The first aspect to investigate is the build quality and toughness, given its certifications. The Armor 26 Ultra claims to withstand harsh conditions, and our tests confirmed this. The phone was dropped from 1.5 meters onto a hard surface multiple times. Despite its 600g weight causing significant impact, the phone survived with minimal damage. It endured being thrown, trampled on different surfaces, and sustained scratches and dirt without any functional issues.

For water resistance, we submerged the phone in a river for 30 minutes. After ensuring all ports were sealed, we retrieved the phone, wiped it clean, and it functioned perfectly. 

Next, we assessed the Armor 26 Ultra's additional features, such as the endoscope and walkie-talkie functions. Attaching the endoscope was a bit cumbersome, requiring the unscrewing of a bolt on the side to connect the contacts. Once connected and secured, the endoscope provided a clear 720p HD view, allowing users to inspect hard-to-reach areas with the built in LED light helping to throw some illumination where needed. This feature is particularly useful for trades that require detailed inspections in confined spaces.

The walkie-talkie function was tested by pairing the phone with an existing UHF walkie-talkie system. Setting the UHF antenna, included in the box, to the correct frequency was straightforward. The communication was clear, and the ability to record conversations for later review could be a valuable feature. 

Switching the phoens testing to actual use and it seemed that the data processing capabilities were good with it able to handle everyday tasks with ease. Using standard applications like Google Docs, the phone was able to handle the review and editing of documents with ease and the large touchscreen made navigating those documents as well as browsing the internet easy. 

In terms of processing power, the Armor 26 Ultra surpassed expectations for a rugged phone. It handled more intensive applications like Adobe Lightroom and CapCut without issue, enabling quick image enhancements and social media edits. The 5G connectivity ensured fast upload speeds, and it was tested on the Vodafone network in the UK. Benchmarking results showed that while it may not compete with high-end smartphones like the iPhone 15 Pro, it performed exceptionally well compared to other rugged smartphones, often surpassing their performance.

Overall, the Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra proves to be a highly durable options perfect for all weather conditions and ideally suited to trade and construction sites. 

• Performance: 3 / 5

Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie: Final verdict

The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra offers far more than most rugged smartphones. Its tough design ensures it can withstand more abuse than most, and it also surpasses other rugged phones in durability and build quality. The unique feature set, including the ability to convert the phone into a fully functional walkie-talkie, makes it an excellent choice for use on building sites, allowing multiple Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra's Walkie-Talkie Edition devices to keep everyone on-site updated.

For individual tradespeople, the plug-in two-meter endoscope enables the ability to inspect of areas that would otherwise be impossible to access. The built-in traditional wireless radio adds to its overall appeal, especially in locations where internet connections are weak or non-existent.

While the processing power doesn't match that of high-end smartphones, it is sufficient for browsing the internet, making calls, and utilising the various handy accessories available for this phone. For these uses, it has ample power.

The Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra's Walkie-Talkie Edition is a solid choice for use on building sites and by tradespeople. It provides a an excellent option for communication through both standard mobile networks and through the UHF/VHF walkie-talkie function, making it a great choice anyone who needs a rugged smartphone.

Should you buy a Ulefone Armor 26 Ultra Walkie-Talkie?

Buy it if...

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For more durable devices, we've tested and reviewed the best rugged tablets, the best rugged laptops, and the best rugged hard drives

The Backforce V Plus is the latest in the line of gaming chairs that can also function as an office chair.

Like so many of the best office chair models we've reviewed, it is designed with both gamers and professionals in mind, blending the two worlds seamlessly. The mix of customizable features, comfort, lumbar support, personalization options, and eco-friendly materials make up a fantastic option for consumers.

Backforce V Plus: Price and Availability

The Backforce V Plus is available for around €499 (roughly $535), with shipping options primarily in Europe. Custom patches and other upgrades can add to the cost. The chair’s price places it in the higher mid-range, competing with some top-tier gaming chairs, but with the unique appeal of eco-friendly materials. It's currently available from the official website by clicking here.

Backforce V Plus: Unboxing and First Impressions

The Backforce V Plus Chair arrives in a dense yet relatively compact box. The chair took a while to build, even for someone who spends quite a bit of time building chairs. The tools and diagrams aren't user-friendly, so allocate some extra time to read the instructions carefully. It took me about 1-2 hours to fully assemble, and having an additional set of hands to help lift and fit parts together is highly recommended.

Once assembled, the chair looks impressive—sleek, stylish, and clearly designed with durability in mind, but the effort required to get it there could be off-putting for some.

Backforce V Plus: Design and Build Quality

The Backforce V Plus chair is known for its robust build, made possible by recycled PET fabric. It also offers customization options, such as velcro patches on the backrest's shoulder area, adding a fun gamer element and allowing users to personalize their chairs. 

However, its heavy and bulky design may not be suitable for those with limited space, as it's challenging to maneuver, especially in smaller areas. The chair's eco-friendly materials, including Oeko-Tex 100-certified fabric, make it stand out from competitors, but some users may find the texture slightly rough for long sessions. Despite having a plastic base, as opposed to the aluminum bases of its competitors, the chair remains sturdy and well-built.

Backforce V Plus: In Use

After assembly, the V Plus provides comfortable and ergonomic support. The adjustable lumbar support and synchro-tilt mechanism offer personalized back support, making long gaming or work sessions easier on the body. The armrests are flexible but lack resistance, making them prone to unexpected shifting. We had to be careful not to lean on them aggressively during testing. Despite its sturdy build, the chair's weight makes moving difficult, and the lack of softer fabric limits all-day comfort. While we appreciate using recycled materials, the rough texture might only suit some. Some members of my team don't mind it, while others find the rough material uncomfortable.

Regarding other features, the seat depth and tilt adjustments are intuitive, allowing customization based on body type and preference. One of my team members, who is 5 feet 6 inches tall, has adjusted the backrest, seat depth, armrests, and seat height to fit perfectly.

Initially, the chair felt firm and supportive, perhaps too much so. However, over time, it has softened up.

Backforce V Plus: Final Verdict

The Backforce V Plus is a well-built, comfortable, and eco-friendly gaming chair with strong ergonomic features and customizable options. However, it has its flaws: some buyers may be put off by the challenging assembly process and high price. For those who value durability, sustainability, and personalization, it's a worthy investment.

If you're looking for a home office chair suitable for gaming, this chair is a good option for your home workspace. Additionally, this chair could be an excellent fit if you want the gamer look. However, if you're not into gaming and don't like the gamer aesthetic, there may be a better chair for you.

For more workspace essentials, we've assembled the best standing desk and the best office desk options out there.

Doogee T30 Max: 30-second review

Out of the box, the Doogee T30 Max is instantly impressive, with one of the most stylish, minimalistic looks for a tablet of this size. It's really slim and light but feels robust and premium with a stylish black titanium alloy finish that looks superb. The build quality is far greater than the price would suggest.

Like so many of the best business tablets we've reviewed, the system runs on Android 14, which enables the smooth operation of the entire Google Office suite. With the optional keyboard, this tablet can essentially function as a standard Chromebook. Using the pressure-sensitive stylus, the tablet is fast and responsive, and able to navigate between applications quickly. The split-screen function allows you to see two applications side-by-side, making multitasking easy. For instance, you can edit a video in CapCut while uploading it to social platforms simultaneously, streamlining the whole process.

Applications installed on the tablet are fast and responsive when used with the Google Docs suite. Using the stylus to copy and paste between apps quickly is smooth and without the jitter often seen in cheaper tablets. The internal storage is 512GB, which can quickly fill up if you're shooting videos and stills. However, alongside the network SIM slot, there's also a slot for a TF or microSD card up to 2TB, vastly expanding the internal storage options.

The ability to plug external storage devices through the USB Type-C port further boosts the storage potential. This is especially useful for transferring files to the tablet ready for editing. While editing video, you can start to feel the processing being pushed, but for the most part, it copes relatively well.

For entertainment media, such as playback and streaming video content, the Doogee T30 Max is able to process HD and 4K video content with ease. Even for most gaming, the tablet seems to be fine-tuned to cope with  3D Graphics and the demands of games such as Call of Duty and CarX Street. The only times you really start to see it struggle are with the slight responsiveness delay when using the stylus in applications such as SketchBook and when editing 4K video.

The Doogee T30 Max is one of the best tablets for anyone looking for a stylish, sleek, slim, and lightweight tablet. It's perfect for office tasks, playing back video on popular streaming services, editing video and images, and a little light gaming.

Doogee T30 Max: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? Starting from £289 / $349
• When is it out? Available now
• Where can you get it? You can get it directly from Doogee Website

The Doogee T30 Max is well-priced, making it a great option for anyone looking for a high-quality tablet without breaking the bank. As of now, the tablet is available for purchase directly from Doogee's official website by clicking here and other major online retailers such as Amazon. Pricing typically ranges from around £289 or $349.

• Value: 4 / 5

Doogee T30 Max: Specifications

Doogee T30 Max: Design

The design of the Doogee T30 Max gives it an instantly premium look and feel with its full titanium alloy build. The body is extremely well-finished, featuring a 12.4-inch screen that takes up the vast majority of the front of the tablet. The small front camera is discreetly integrated into the top middle of the border rather than occupying screen space. The back of the tablet has a slightly matte leather-like finish, providing a good tactile feel and a firm grip. On the back, you'll also find the dual AI-enhanced cameras: a larger 50MP main camera and a 2MP macro camera, accompanied by a small light for portrait shots.

The top edge of the tablet houses the power button and volume controls, maintaining a minimalist look. The right side features the first two speaker areas at the top and bottom, with a USB Type-C connector in between for charging and connecting accessories. The base of the tablet includes connection points for the optional magnetic keyboard. On the left side, there are two more speaker slots, a SIM slot that holds up to two SIMs and a TF or microSD card, and a biometric fingerprint scanner for secure access.

Overall, the design of the Doogee T30 Max is sleek and minimalistic. The included case, while not the most premium, offers adequate protection for the tablet and doubles as a stand when needed.

• Design: 4 / 5

Doogee T30 Max: Features

The Doogee T30 Max impresses with its stylish looks and equally impressive range of features. The 12.4-inch 4K IPS screen is fully touch-sensitive with 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity when used with the active stylus. It also features a certified quad box speaker system with smart PA, providing decent sound quality for multimedia and gaming. Running on the Android 14 OS, it integrates seamlessly with a range of apps, making it ideal as a portable office solution. Internally, it comes with 512GB of storage, expandable to 2TB with a TF or microSD card.

Delving a little deeper into the features and the large 12.4-inch touchscreen dominates the front of the tablet, offering an ultra-clear 4K resolution display with 1.07 billion colours. The screen is bright at 600 nits maximum brightness and supports full P3 and HDR10 dynamic range. This makes it perfect for creative use, allowing for precise control with the active stylus, which promises to mimic traditional art tools for more natural drawing and writing experiences. However, we did find a certain amount of lag between drawing and displaying, which means we wouldn't recommend it for those looking for the best drawing tablet.

The slim, lightweight design makes it highly portable, weighing just 687g and measuring 285.1 x 185.4 x 7.9 mm. It comes in two colour options: graphite black and dark green, with a tactile leather back for a premium feel. Secure access to the table is quick with biometric fingerprint or face recognition.

One of the standout features is the integrated speakers, boasting a 6CC super large sound cavity for superior audio quality. The tablet supports Widevine L1, ensuring the highest quality streaming from providers like Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, Amazon, and Disney+. The screen also has chip-level intelligent blue light protection, natural brightness adjustment, and manual colour and temperature adjustment.

Powering the tablet is the Helio G99 octa-core processor, combined with the Mali-G57 MC2 GPU, 8GB of internal RAM, and up to 20GB with extended RAM. The 10800mAh battery provides up to 710 hours of standby time, 5.5 hours of web surfing, 8 hours of video playback, and up to 46 hours of music playback. It supports fast charging, providing 2 hours of video playback with just a 15-minute charge.

For imaging, the tablet features an impressive 50MP rear camera with AI enhancements and a 2MP macro camera, perfect for close-up shots. The front 20MP camera is ideal for video conferencing, supported by a built-in mic. 

Accessories include a simple case, keyboard case, mouse, and an active pressure stylus. The tablet supports dual SIM cards and has band Wi-Fi, GPS, Galileo, Beidou, and AGPS for satellite navigation. The ability to add a TF or microSD card for storage expansion is another neat feature, making the Doogee T30 Max a highly versatile option.

• Features: 4 / 5

Doogee T30 Max: Performance

• High resolution screen
• Highly responsive touch screen

The initial setup is straightforward, utilising the usual Android process of signing into your Google account. Android 14 ensures a smooth and user-friendly experience as ever and connecting the device to a network is easy; connect through WiFi or just pop your device SIM card into the carrier, and it instantly connects to a 4G signal. A notable feature is the dual SIM support, allowing seamless switching between networks for consistent connectivity. During the test, both Vodafone and EE SIM cards provided strong signals and good internet speeds.

The tablet's build quality stands out, with a robust titanium alloy casing and a fingerprint-resistant touchscreen. Opening the tablet is fast with the biometric fingerprint scanner and face recognition working quickly when you need access and also providing that extra level of security.

The tablet comes with a range of pre-installed apps, but additional downloads like Google Docs are necessary for a full test. To assess performance comprehensively, we installed benchmarking software, Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop, Sketchbook, and Call of Duty.

Starting with Google Docs, the applications run smoothly, and the touchscreen is intuitive to use. The on-screen keyboard is functional, but the handwriting keyboard activated by the stylus offers a more natural and efficient input method, especially across Google apps.

The USB Type-C port allows for easy expansion and connectivity. We tested several USB Type-C sticks, and they were accessed directly through the Google file manager, enabling quick transfer and use of images in Lightroom and other applications. 

The main option for expanding the internal storage is through adding a TF or microSD card up to 2TB, this is quick to do with the card simply sitting alongside the SIM cards in the carrier. This feature is ideal for managing large files, such as high-resolution images and videos.

All Google Docs applications performed flawlessly, with the split-screen feature enabling the use of two apps easily. This is particularly useful for research and document editing.

For image editing, Adobe Lightroom performed impressively, handling high-resolution images smoothly. The pressure-sensitive stylus provided precise control, making fine adjustments easy and intuitive. Sketchbook also worked well, despite a slight lag in brush actions, which for experienced users will be distracting, however, most occasional users shouldn't be too bothered.

Video editing in CapCut and GoPro Quik was decent enough with the tablet handling full HD footage smoothly, edits were generally quick with just a few pauses as the system caught up with the processing, and uploads back to the cloud were seamless.

For entertainment, the 4K screen resolution and quad speakers deliver excellent streaming quality. Gaming performance was also surprisingly good, with games like CarX Street and Call of Duty running smoothly, though the tablet did heat up slightly during extended play.

Overall, the Doogee T30 Max delivers solid performance across various tasks, including document management, image editing, video editing, and light gaming. Benchmarking results place it in the medium range of tablets, highlighting its excellent value considering the price.

• Performance: 3 / 5

Doogee T30 Max: Final verdict

The Doogee T30 Max is a competent large-screen tablet that should suite for all but that highest demand users. It's well-suited for office work, including editing documents and spreadsheets, browsing the internet, making video calls, and light multimedia editing. The tablet handles all Google apps smoothly and offers good speed and responsiveness. The dual SIM card feature is a great addition, allowing you to select two different network providers for constant connectivity. Storage expansion up to 2TB with a TF or microSD card or external storage via the USB Type-C port adds flexibility.

Performance-wise, the T30 Max handles applications like Lightroom and CapCut well, enabling quick image and video editing. However, it's important to note that this is a relatively affordable tablet, so it may not handle the latest high-resolution footage as efficiently as higher-end models. It's designed for editing mobile, action camera HD, and 4K footage. For entertainment, the Wi-Fi L1 support ensures high-quality streaming from major online services, and the CPU and GPU provide decent gaming potential.

While the T30 Max may not be the most powerful tablet on the market, it delivers impressive performance for its price. Coupled with the stylus, it offers intuitive workflows, making it effective for general use. Dedicated artists might find the slight lag of the stylus in applications like Sketchbook is a bit irritating, but for most it's fast enough to prove effective. Still, for general use and the ability to utilise the stylus, it remains a decent all-around tablet for both business and home use. Overall, the Doogee T30 Max offers good value for money, making it a worthwhile option for those seeking a versatile and affordable tablet.

Should you buy the Doogee T30 Max?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

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