Bison, that’s a unique name to call a smartphone, but if you’ve seen the Umidigi Bison in person, then you’ll understand why. Straight out of the box, the phone looks robust and rugged.
You don’t get the any of that sleek and well-rounded finish we’ve come to associate with Umidigi. Instead, this phone looks like a brick. It’s thick, there are visible screws on its margins, there’s a latch for a safety belt, and in general, it just comes off as a phone built for a construction worker.
But that’s all intentional; the Umidigi Bison wasn’t made for your average smartphone user. It’s a rugged, tough and sturdy device with both IP68 and IP69k ratings for people who wander off to harsh environments with their smartphones in hand.
Umidigi Bison – Design
| Form factor | Rubberized shock resistant polycarbonate |
| Build material | Plastic edges and back |
| Weight | 250g |
| Thickness | 12.8mm |
| Available colors | Cyber Yellow | Lava Orange |
The Umidigi Bison weighs a hefty 250 grams. It’s 12.8mm thick, 162.5mm tall and about 80mm wide across. These dimensions are pointer enough to the design language of the smartphone. It wasn’t made to look especially flattering, but it does look and indeed feel very well built.
The back
At the back, you get a durable plastic build with guard bumps on the phones’ edges that presumably serve for added drop protection. Again, no sleekness here and all around you’ll find markings and design etches that scream bold and rugged.
Everything is interrupted on the top right corner by a very noticeable but still fitting square camera bump. And at the bottom of the smartphone is another very prominent design feature the tether for a latch if you ever need one.
The sides
The Umidigi Bison ships with an assortment of buttons all mounted to the sides of the phone. On the right, you have a volume rocker, the power button and a customizable button. On the left, there’s another customizable button below the fingerprint sensor.
The front
The front of the Umidigi Bison is where the resemblance to other Umidigi smartphones begin to show. You get a trademark teardrop notch that’s on a screen with very familiar bezels and yes, a chin too. If you’ve seen the Umidigi A7 Pro, the similarity is almost unmistakable. Fair to note that the bulky build of the Umidigi Bison does make its bezels and chin stand out more, but overall it’s a decent looking screen.
The bottom
At the bottom of the phone is a USB port and yes, the Umidigi Bison comes with USB C. On top, there’s the customary 3.5mm headphone jack.
Umidigi Bison – colour options
Umidigi released the Bison in two colour variants – Lava Orange and Cyber Yellow. Despite the naming, both variants are mostly black with Cyber Yellow and Lava Orange colours only appearing as accents on the back of the phone.
Umidigi Bison – Performance and spec-sheet
| Processor (CPU) | Mediatek Helio P60 Octa-core 2.0GHz clock speed |
| Graphics processor (GPU) | ARM Mali G72 MP3 |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Storage capacity | 128GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.1 |
| Micro-SD card support | Yes | Dedicated slot |
| Micro-SD card capacity | 256GB |
The Umidigi Bison is as rugged on the performance front as it is on the design front.
Processor
Onboard the Umidigi Bison you’ll find the Mediatek Helio P60 processor. Released in 2018, this is an octa-core midtable chip with a max clock speed of 2 GHz. On the Umidigi Bison, it’s paired to an ARM Mali-G72MP3 GPU that reportedly ships with its own dedicated AI processing framework.
The Helio P60 is the same chipset you’ll find on phones like the Oppo Realme 1, 2, 3 and 3i as well as on the Nokia 5.1 plus. It’s comparable to the Snapdragon 660 and is actually built on a better 12nm architecture which should translate to better power savings and task efficiency. Note, however, that the Snapdragon 660 edges over the Mediatek Helio P60 in performance tests.
And speaking of performance tests, the Umidigi Bison scores 144189 points above the Oppo Realme R5, the Vivo X21 and even the Xiaomi Mi6X on the AnTuTu benchmark.
RAM and Storage
The RAM on the Umidigi Bison is a sizable 6GB. You get 128GB UFS 2.1 storage as standard, so this device is well and capable of delivering to the storage requirements of heavy smartphone users. The 6GB RAM onboard the Umidigi Bison is an LPDDR$X dual-channel setup that’s fully optimized for all forms of multitasking.
Bar the mid-level processor the Umidigi Bison packs all the hardware to support the performance-oriented smartphone user needs. Even the processor is not all that shabby, while it’s certainly not the best out there, with a 2.0GHz max clock speed and an octa-core setup it still is very capable.
Umidigi Bison – Camera
| Main camera sensor | Triple 48MP | 16MP | 5MP | 5MP |
| Optical image stabilization | Nil |
| Aperture size | F1.8 |
| Selfie camera sensor | Single 24MP |
The Umidigi Bison’s back camera is a quad setup with a 48MP primary, 16MP ultra-wide, 5MP depth and 5MP macro lens. At the front, the phone features a single 24MP front-facing camera with an F/2.0 aperture.
The back camera setup has all bells and whistles to make for an excellent shooter, especially considering f/1.7 aperture on the 48MP primary camera. Pictures quality looks great and sharp on the first impression. On the flip side, though, there’s no mention of any image stabilization technology on this camera setup. And, from experience that could be the difference between taking an awesome picture or one that’s unsightly in many real-world situations.
The Umidigi’s Bison F/2.0 front camera like the front camera is well specced to perform great. Both front and back camera setups combine with the onboard artificial intelligence (AI) processing module to optimize shooting scenes and throughput picture quality. Officially Umidigi says it has included AI beautify and AI scenes detection functionality into the camera software. This is all to help users produce sharper, clearer and more in-tone photos.
Umidigi Bison – Video quality
As for video quality, both back and front camera setups on the Umidigi Bison are capable of shooting full HD 1080p videos at 30fps. The phone doesn’t support 4K shooting if that matters to you.
Umidigi Bison – Display quality
| Display type | LCD IPS display |
| Display size | 6.3 inches |
| Display resolution | 2340 x 1080 pixels |
| Pixel density | 409 PPI |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz |
| Display protection | 2.5D Corning Gorilla glass |
| Display notch type | Tear drop notch |
With the Umidigi Bison, you get a 6.3 inch full HD plus screen with an actual resolution of 2340 x 1080 pixels and a pixel density of 409 PPI. Those are standard display quality numbers for a very good mid-range smartphone, so no complaints here. In fact, I’d go on to say that it’d be pretty hard to find another smartphone offering with a better screen at this price range.
Display panel
The display of the Umidigi Bison is an IPS LCD panel. It’s not as vibrant and ‘detailed’ as what you’ll get from the OLED panel on pricier phones but it still looks good all in all. The contrast is excellent, and colour quality is actually more realistic than what you’d get on OLED screens. Everything is protected by corning gorilla glass, but there’s no official word on the actual gorilla glass variant.
Umidigi Bison – Special features
| Extras | Yes AI Thermometer Extra customizable button IP68, IP69K water resistant Liquid cooling |
| Notification light | No |
| Biometric validation | Yes Facial recognition support Side mounted fingerprint sensor |
The Umidigi Bison is a unique phone, unique in the sense that you get a myriad of features you’d not usually see on a mid-range smartphone. Umidigi says it’s an ‘all-new design for sports and outdoors,’ and in practice what that means is you get:
Full-on IP68 and IP69k certifications.
The IP68 rating is a certification for water and dust resistance. This is what you’ll get with most high-end smartphones on the market today.
The IP69k rating certifies that the Umidigi Bison can withstand high pressure and high-temperature exposure to water. The Exact word from Umidigi is that the Umidigi Bison can ‘withstand a thermal steam wash test, resisting high water pressure of 100 bar(1450 psi) and high water temperature of 80 ℃.’
Two extra side-mounted buttons for added control
On both sides of the Umidigi Bison, you’ll find a fully customizable button that can be mapped to whatever function you want. That’s a neat and handy feature to have on any smartphone.
A glove mode function
If you’re outdoor using your Umidigi Bison in harsh conditions (as it was meant to be used) chances are that you’ll be wearing a hand glove. Umidigi has thought about this and programmed the phone’s touchscreen to work even when your gloves are on. Fair to note that this is not an entirely new feature, this function has been on high-end smartphones from manufacturers like Samsung for a while now.
An assortment of special sensors
Your typical mid-range smartphone might come with a barometer, an accelerometer and probably a geo-compass— the Umidigi Bison ships with all of that and then some. You get an extra bundle of sensors that includes a speedometer, a digital protractor, a pedometer, a noise detector, and a bubble level detector. Umidigi says it has equipped its devices to be the ultimate companion for your adventures.
A liquid cooling system
A handful of manufacturers are now integrating liquid cooling systems into their smartphones, and Umidigi just joined the list with the Bison. At the core of the Umidigi Bison is a 4-layer cooling system that Umidigi says helps to expand the heat dissipation area by more than 200%. In practice, this should translate to better cooling and improved performance and usability on the Bison.
Battery life and performance
| Battery type | Li-polymer |
| Removable | No |
| Battery capacity | 4150mAh |
| Battery charger | 18W fast charger |
| Fast charging support | Yes |
| Charging port | USB C |
The Umidigi Bison draws power from a sizable 5000mAh battery, and quite simply that’s good enough. It’s the perfect complement to the spec-sheet of this phone. If you’re planning to use this phone for what it was intended for you shouldn’t have any trouble getting it through two to three days of normal usage.
To power up the phone, Umidigi has included an 18W fast charger in the box.
Pricing and availability
The Umidigi Bison costs about $239 and the price seems to be on a downward trend. When I first reviewed this it was a hefty $299. It’s available on both Amazon and AliExpress. If you need help with shopping on AliExpress check my guide here
Bottom line – should you buy the Umidigi Bison?
| What you’ll like on the Umidigi Bison | What’s not so nice on the Umidigi Bison |
| Rugged and solid build quality | Pricy |
| Excellent battery life | Bulky not so sleek design |
| Quality display | |
| Top tier specifications and performance | |
| Built for the outdoors | |
| Liquid cooling |
If you’re hiker, an off-roader or any other form of an adventurer, it’s hard to find another smartphone that’s tailored for durability and performance at this price point. It’s a solid phone, and you shouldn’t have any regrets with it.
On the other hand, if you’re the typical smartphone user, then this is certainly out of your radar. You’ll be better with other Umidigi options like the Umidigi A7 Pro or other smartphones from manufacturers like Infinix or Tecno.
- Buy the Umidigi Bison on Amazon by clicking here
- Or on AliExpress by clicking here
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Umidigi Bison – full technical specifications
| Smartphone name | Umidigi Bison |
| Display type | LCD IPS display |
| Display size | 6.3 inches |
| Display resolution | 2340 x 1080 pixels |
| Pixel density | 409 PPI |
| Refresh rate | 60Hz |
| Display protection | 2.5D Corning Gorilla glass |
| Display notch type | Tear drop notch |
| Processor (CPU) | Mediatek Helio P60 Octa-core 2.0GHz clock speed |
| Graphics processor (GPU) | ARM Mali G72 MP3 |
| RAM | 6GB |
| Storage capacity | 128GB |
| Storage type | UFS 2.1 |
| Micro-SD card support | Yes | Dedicated slot |
| Micro-SD card capacity | 256GB |
| Form factor | Rubberized shock resistant polycarbonate |
| Build material | Plastic edges and back |
| Weight | 250g |
| Thickness | 12.8mm |
| Available colors | Cyber Yellow | Lava Orange |
| Android version | Android 10 |
| Main camera sensor | Triple 48MP | 16MP | 5MP | 5MP |
| Optical image stabilization | Nil |
| Aperture size | F1.8 |
| Selfie camera sensor | Single 24MP |
| Aperture size | F1.8 |
| Battery type | Li-polymer |
| Removable | No |
| Battery capacity | 4150mAh |
| Battery charger | 18W fast charger |
| Fast charging support | Yes |
| Charging port | USB C |
| Extras | Yes AI Thermometer Extra customizable button IP68, IP69K water resistant |
| Notification light | No |
| Biometric validation | Yes Facial recognition support Side mounted fingerprint sensor |
| Price | $239 |
| Amazon | Check current price |
| AliExpress | Check current price |
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