Armored phone, the first of its kind with periscope telephoto lens

Blackview says the XPLORE 6 rugged phone is the first in its class to have a periscope telephoto lens, “bringing flagship-level imaging, performance and AI capabilities to the rugged smartphone category.” You’ll also find a 10x teleconverter in the box for even greater optical range.

The Blackview XPLORE 6 is a 5G phone aimed at people who need something more rugged than the average smartphone and don’t mind adding a little bulk and weight to their pocket to get it. Its maker claims it’s the first rugged flagship with a true periscope telephoto lens, which is a more distinctive hook than the usual AI-laden marketing we’ve seen lately.

The main addition is an external lens attachment that extends the camera’s optical reach far beyond what standard rugged phones offer.

It still maintains the oversized battery and armored construction we’ve come to expect from the category, essentially trying to combine flagship camera optics with a phone that wouldn’t mind bouncing off a rock.

The periscope telephoto lens is where the XPLORE 6 really sets itself apart from the crowd. Its 50 MP Samsung JN5 sensor offers a 70 mm equivalent focal length, 3x optical zoom, optical and electronic image stabilization and a 12 cm macro mode.

The box also includes the company’s ZoomX G1 teleconverter, which physically clips onto the phone and takes the system to a 230mm equivalent with 10x optical zoom, which extends to 225x with hybrid zoom. Blackview says the setup can detect subjects from miles away, although that performance at extreme distances will largely depend on visibility and shooting conditions.

The other cameras aren’t exactly neglected either. It includes a 50MP OV50H main sensor measuring 1/1.3-inch, a 50MP 118-degree ultra-wide camera, and a 50MP selfie camera.

Aside from the optics, the device is still a truly rugged phone. To accommodate its massive 12,000 mAh silicon-carbon battery, the chassis measures 18.2 mm (0.72 in) thick and the phone weighs 428 g (15.1 oz). It’s certainly heavy compared to conventional flagships, but that amount buys you IP68/IP69K ingress protection, MIL-STD-810H durability, 120W wired charging, and survival in up to 2 meters (6.5 feet) of water for 30 minutes.

However, beneath all that armor, the specs are decidedly high-end. It runs MediaTek’s Dimensity 9400+ octa-core processor with 18GB of LPDDR5X RAM and 512GB or 1TB of UFS 4.1 storage, backed by vapor chamber cooling. The main display is a 6.73-inch 3.2K AMOLED with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate. There’s also a 1.47-inch rear AMOLED for basic information and (helpfully) selfie previews when using the main camera.

Wi-Fi 7, dual 5G/eSIM support, and Android 16-based DokeOS 5.3 are also on board, along with Gemini and Blackview’s own Doke AI tools.

All of this premium hardware comes at a suitable premium price. Blackview is offering early bird prices of $1,399 for the 512GB model and $1,599 for the 1TB model. The store is currently listing it as a pre-order and it is expected to ship around December. Buyers can make a 10% deposit now and pay the balance before shipping. Regional prices vary.

With the XPLORE 6, you’re paying flagship money for a firmly unconventional phone, but few mainstream smartphones are designed to withstand submersion and then have a 230mm equivalent lens screwed onto the back.

Product page: Blackview XPLORE 6