I tested the AGM G3 Pro and it stands out as a classy rugged phone with a
neat thermal camera but it can be way too expensive

Date:
Sun, 07 Dec 2025 07:47:00 +0000

Description:
The AGM G3 Pro is a rugged phone built for those who need thermal imaging on
a regular basis.

FULL STORY ======================================================================AGM G3 Pro: 30-second review

What I like about AGM is that this company's phones typically arent a rehash of something Ive seen previously, but something unique to this brand.

Available in Carbon Black and Alloy Grey, the G3 Pro sells the robust nature of its construction well with an alloy frame and polymer shell. At just 375g, this rugged design isnt especially heavy, although it has double the battery capacity of a standard phone.

As lovely as it is, the G3 Pro has one special feature that not many competitor devices offer, specifically a thermal imaging camera. AGM quotes a resolution of 512x384, which is probably achieved by interpolation of a 256x192 sensor, but when combined with images captured with the 64MP primary camera, it can deliver some decent results.

This camera offers two thermal ranges, going between -20C to 150C, and
another of 100C to 550C, making it useful for tracking hot water, overheating electronic components and automotive issues.For general phone use, the G3 Pro features a popular MediaTek SoC, 12GB of memory, 512GB of storage, and 5G capability.

In short, there is plenty to like in this phone, with the one possible exception of the price. At nearly 700 Euros, this is one of the most
expensive rugged phones Ive covered for Tech Radar Pro. It is possible to get thermal imaging either in a cheaper design or as an add-on to any Android or iOS phone for much less than this.

What AGM is offering is a decent specification and a clean integration of the thermal camera, but it wants plenty for that privilege. Its the high-ish
price point is certainly what could stop this from being the best rugged
phone choice. (Image credit: Mark Pickavance) AGM G3 Pro: price and availability How much does it cost? $699/545/699 When is it out? Available
now Where can you get it? You can get it in most regions directly from AGM or from many online retailers.

The pricing of this phone is odd, in so many ways. Directly from AGM, US customers pay $699 and in the EU that translates into 699. However, the UK price is 545, which seems to make it even more expensive there for no
obvious good reason.

However, UK customers can also pick it up on Amazon for 599 and AliExpress
for just 481.62. From the same source, US customers pay $515.99, though Im unsure if that includes tariffs.

The EU price from AliExpress is 618.69, which seems excessive when compared with that paid in the USA. To be clear the EU and UK don't apply tariffs to Chinese phones.

For those who want more immediate delivery in the USA, it can be purchased
via Amazon.com for $699 .

Comparing these prices to other thermal phone solutions, its still $100 less than the Ulefone Armor 29 Pro, although that has a faster SoC and AMOLED displays, and double the battery capacity.

But the Doogee Fire 6 Max is only $479.99, the Ulefone Armor 27T Pro is $458.99 and my personal favourite, the Ulefone Armor Mini 20T Pro is $469.99.

The bargain basement is the Doogee Fire 6 with a thermal camera at only $265.99.

Therefore, the AGM G3 Pro is one of the more expensive phones with a thermal camera, although it's also one of the better quality options.

The pricing makes zero sense. Its like AGM decided to offset American tariffs by hiking the European prices, or they wanted to kill demand for some reason.

This is a good phone, and it has a high-quality thermal camera, but it's way too expensive. (Image credit: Mark Pickavance) Value score: 3.5/5 AGM G3 Pro: Specs

Feature

Details

Durability

IP68/IP69K, MIL-STD-810H, drop/water/dust resistant

Battery

10,000mAh, fast wired/wireless charging

Thermal Camera

512x384 resolution, professional-grade

Main Camera

64MP rear, 50MP front, 2MP macro

Display

6.72" FHD+, 120Hz, toughened glass

Performance

MediaTek Dimensity 7300, 12GB RAM, 512GB storage

Connectivity

5G, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC, dual SIM, microSD

Speaker/Light

5W, 116dB loudspeaker, camping LED light

OS

Android 15 AGM G3 Pro: design Large, but not impractical Refined form
Wireless charging

Ive seen way too many rugged phones recently where the scale and weight of these devices made them borderline impractical. Thankfully, the AGM G3 Pro isnt one of those, being just a little heavier and larger than a typical XL design.

And, its subtle styling delivers a device thats easy to hold and use, with
all the buttons, trays and ports where you would normally expect to find
them.

The fingerprint sensor is on the power button on the right side, and the
alloy chassis is sculpted so your thumb naturally rests where it can be
easily read.

Or rather, it does if you are right-handed, and it's much less convenient if you are a lefty.

The inclusion of one feature has defined the back of this phone, and all phones should have an underside this elegant, Ive concluded. By creating a
pad on the back for wireless charging, the back of this phone is dramatically less lumpy than others Ive reviewed, and this extends to the camera cluster that doesnt stand excessively proud of the body.

Between the charging pad and the camera cluster is a large LED array that provides a powerful camping lamp for when you decide to wander around in the woods at night. (Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

My only reservation about the camera cluster is that to provide a grill for a 116dBa speaker, the cluster is shifted to the left, and the main sensor is well away from the centerline of the phone. The macro and thermal sensors are more central, but none are exactly in the middle.

The USB port does have a rubber plug, but because this phone can charge wirelessly, it isnt necessary to keep removing and reinserting it. AGM put another rubber plug over the SIM tray, and like the USB-C cover, it's held in place with a screw, implying that it might be possible to get replacements should they become worn. That might not be the case, but its better than
those designs where they cant be removed at all.

Whats mildly disappointing about the SIM tray is that it's one of those that can take two Nano SIMs or one Nano SIM and a MicroSD card. If there wasnt space for all three, AGM should have made it so that it took one Nano SIM and the MicroSD, and then added a second number via an eSIM. A MicroSD card isnt
a necessity, because this phone comes with 512GB of storage, but the current arrangement, where if you use two SIMs, you cant add storage, is a
compromise.

Overall, the AGM isnt anything radical, but most of the obvious rugged phone pitfalls have been avoided, thankfully. (Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

Design score: 4/5 AGM G3 Pro: hardware Common Dimensity 7300 SoC Decent screen Thermal camera

About half of the better rugged phone designs recently released use a
Mediatek Dimensity 7000 series SoC, and the G3 Pro is no exception, using the most popular Dimensity 7300 variant.

At one time, the SoC darling was the Helio G99, and now its the Dimensity 7300, which Ive seen in the Ulefone 30 series, Doogee V Max series, and now the AGM G3 Pro.

Whats good about this chip is that it's fabricated at 4nm, making it highly power efficient, and the Mali-G615 MC3 GPU that it is part of delivers decent graphics performance.

That graphics engine isnt up to the power of the Mali-G610 MC6 used in the Dimensity 8200, but it's more than sufficient for the average phone user, unless theyre a hardcore gamer.

One place that many phone makers cut costs is with the screen, but AGM included a workable IPS panel that has a natural resolution of 2400 x 1080. Thats sufficient for 1080p video playback, and the 120Hz refresh results in a smooth interface experience. People love the colour gamut of OLED screens,
but they tend to bump the cost of the phone up, and after three years or
more, they can start looking less ideal. The IPS panel in the G3 Pro should still be readable for the entire life of the device.

One inclusion Im less thrilled at is the 116dB loudspeaker, as thats sufficiently loud to damage hearing. Perhaps the market research that drove the inclusion of such a prominent speaker didnt consider that some people think they have exceptional musical choices that should be shared with everyone around them. And those stuck near them might strongly disagree.

The final feature Id like to talk about is the thermal camera, something that has become popular with rugged phone makers, along with projectors, as a special capability that certain trades might find invaluable. (Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The FLIR Lepton 3.5 peaks at 400 C.However, whats slightly curious about the thermal hardware on this phone is that AGM dont say what it is. Ive seen people claiming that it is a FLIR ONE Gen 3, but that only offers a
resolution of 80 x 60.

My first guess was that it was a FLIR Lepton 3.5 previously used in CAT S62 Pro, Ulefone Armor 19T, and Blackview BV9900 Pro, but the quoted temperature range of -20C to 550C (-4F to 1022F) doesnt fit. The FLIR Lepton 3.5 peaks
at 400C.

Other alternatives are the Seek Compact, CompactXR and Compact Pro, but
again, these can reach 550 C.

There is one chip that can do this in common use, and its the one used in the InfiRay P2 Pro, which has a resolution of 256 x 192 pixels, and can have a thermal range of -20C to 550C. AGM claims a 512 x 384 super resolution, which hints that its an interpolation or multi-sample from the real resolution.

Whatever the truth, and Im unsure why AGM is being so coy about this, the results from this sensor are decent, and mainly because it's coordinated with images captured with the conventional rear camera. Thats something that
add-on thermal attachments dont do, in general, and something this does well.

I should say that there are professional thermal solutions with real resolutions greater than this, but theyre expensive and wouldnt easily fit in a phone.

AGM should get some kudos for delivering the thermal solution in the G3 Pro, but less of an accolade for not being open about what technology the phone offers. (Image credit: Mark Pickavance) Hardware score: 4/5 AGM G3 Pro: cameras Rear camera: 64MP Sony IMX682 primary camera, Camera, 2MP BYD BF2257 Macro Camera, Thermal Sensor Front camera: 50MP Samsung S5KJN1 (Image credit: Mark Pickavance)

The more phones I see like the AGM G3 Pro, the less convinced I am that 200MP sensors are any more useful than the 64MP Sony IMX682 primary camera on this phone.

What I like most about its output is that it keeps saturation and contrast levels within a realistic range, avoiding the excesses of HDR and the way it tends to make everything look like plastic.

If you look through the examples, youll see just how clean the captures that this sensor can deliver are. Whats less wonderful is the 2MP macro sensor,
and you wont need to have it pointed out when this kicks in over the 64MP primary sensor.

What this camera cluster desperately needed was some movable optics, because only having 1x and 2x digital zooms seems annoyingly unhelpful.

Ive seen this on phones like the Lenovo ThinkPhone 25, and it elevates the quality of the photographs dramatically.

What AGM did with the camera app was provide plenty of useful modes and features, including slow motion, panorama, time-lapse, document, and dual-view.

Dual view combines video capture of the primary sensor with an inset of the front-facing camera 50MP sensor, providing a live reaction to events.

What I find a little odd is that technically, both front and rear sensors can do 4K, but only the rear sensor will capture 4K, making the Samsung JN1 front sensor completely overkill for 1080p video capture.

I did note that maybe AGM might bump out the 50MP Samsung S5KJN1 for a 50MP Omnivision sensor, since the Android 15 distro was compiled with both supported.

Overall, the photo and video capabilities of this phone are good, but AGM typically takes the Chinese phone makers' view that Widevine L1 encryption isnt necessary, reducing streamed show quality to only 480p with Widevine L3. Not a surprise, but on a phone this costly, I was expecting L1. (Image
credit: Mark Pickavance)

While Ive already mentioned the thermal capability, I should say that the quality of the thermal captures on this device is great. Using the thermal sensor isnt achieved via the main camera app, but the Thermal AGM app. Its packed with useful features, including the ability to bracket specific areas where temperatures are to be tracked and have timed captures. There isnt a huge selection of colour palettes, but enough to provide something workable for most users. You can even set thermal alarms, should you be interested in
a critical thermal event.

The only caveat I experienced with this thermal solution is that if you
select Super Resolution, the frame rate drops dramatically, I estimate to a quarter of its normal rate to deliver that bump in image quality. But if the phone is on a tripod, ideally, this wont be a huge issue. AGM G3 Pro Camera samples Image 1 of 30 (Image credit: Mark Pickavance) Image 2 of 30 (Image credit: Mark Pickavance) Image 3 of 30 (Image credit: Mark Pickavance) Image
4 of 30 (Image credit: Mark Pickavance) Image 5 of 30 (Image credit: Mark Pickavance) Image 6 of 30 (Image credit: Mark Pickavance) Image 7 of 30
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Pickavance) Image 20 of 30 (Image credit: Mark Pickavance) Image 21 of 30 (Image credit: Mark Pickavance) Image 22 of 30 (Image credit: Mark
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Pickavance) Image 29 of 30 (Image credit: Mark Pickavance) Image 30 of 30 (Image credit: Mark Pickavance) Camera score: 4/5 AGM G3 Pro: performance Powerful enough GPU is game-friendly Power-efficient SoC

Phone

AGM G3 Pro

Ulefone Armor Mini 20T Pro

SoC

Mediatek Dimensity 7300

Mediatek Dimensity 6300

GPU

Mali-G615 MC3

Mali-G57 MC2

Mem

MediaTek NPU 656

MediaTek APU

NPU

12GB/512GB

8GB/256GB

Weight

375g

301g

Battery

10000

6200

Geekbench

Single

1026

791

Multi

3003

2141

OpenCL

2560

1478

Vulkan

2509

1481

GFX

Aztec Open Normal

38

17

Aztec Vulkan Norm.

40

15

Car Chase

33

16

Manhattan 3.1

57

25

PCMark

3.0 Score

16286

10975

Battery

34h 4m

19h 22m

Charge 30

%

25

60

Passmark

Score

13665

9654

CPU

6927

4683

3DMark

Slingshot OGL

6612

3806

Slingshot Ex. OGL

5123

2815

Slingshot Ex. Vulkan

4822

2658

Wildlife

3123

1378

Nomad Lite

347

N/A

Ive covered so many phones using the Dimensity 7300 recently that it seemed pointless comparing two of them again, to show almost no difference. So instead, I chose the Ulefone Armour Mini 20T Pro, which has the older and cheaper Dimensity 6300 in a phone that also comes with thermal imaging, but
at a lower price than AGM G3 Pro.

Whats important to realise, looking at these results, is that the 7300 uses a more modern 4nm process, and the 6300 uses an older 6nm fabrication. It also sports a memory bandwidth of 25.6GB/s versus 17GB/s on the 6300.

Obviously, that makes the AGM G3 Pro a much more powerful phone, and with a better GPU, in some tests, it's more than twice as fast.

But where these technical advantages are truly pivotal is in respect of power efficiency, because with only 61% more battery capacity, the AGM G3 Pro lasts 75% longer than the Ulefone Armor Mini 20T Pro. OK, thats only 14%, but given that platform's performance, it would get significantly more done with its 10000mAh battery.

The only real advantage that the Ulefone Armor Mini 20T Pro has is that it recharges much more rapidly, enabling it to get fully recharged from drained in around an hour, whereas the AGM G3 Pro would take at least two hours or more.

The balancing factor in this instance is that the Ulefone Armor Mini 20T Pro can be found for only $424.99 on Bangood for customers in the US. Performance score: 4/5 (Image credit: Mark Pickavance) AGM G3 Pro: Final verdict

The AGM G3 Pro is an excellent option for a person working with plumbing or vehicles, where temperature monitoring is a useful capability.

However, the problem here is that while the USA price of this phone is plausible, the cost in the UK and, oddly, Europe seems excessively high.

While its price in America is predictable, why is it so expensive in Europe?

My guess is that AGM has a limited stock of this line currently, possibly due to the thermal sensor, and thats forcing them to control demand, at least initially.

Hopefully, America will stop beating its buying public with the tariff stick soon, and AGM can better balance production and volume to bring the price of the G3 Pro down for many.

Should those issues be resolved, there is plenty to like here for those who want a go-anywhere phone that has a decent camera and an exceptional thermal capability. Should I buy a AGM G3 Pro? AGM G3 Pro Score Card

Attributes

Notes

Rating

Value

Maker price is too high in some regions

3.5/5

Design

Large but a practical shape and weight

4/5

Hardware

Decent SoC, wireless charging and thermal imaging

4/5

Camera

Good 64MP primary camera, and effective thermal sensor

4/5

Performance

Good performance and excellent battery life

4/5

Overall

A great phone, if only it were cheaper in some places

4/5 Buy it if...

You need a phone for outdoors.
The water- and dust-resistant AGM G3 Pro is suitable for the harshest environments. It's a large phone, but not too big to fit in a pocket, and
easy enough to handle.

You need a decent life on battery.
The power-efficient SoC used in the AGM G3 Pro makes the most of a battery that isn't the biggest available. It should be capable of running for at
least three days if not longer, and it can also be recharged wirelessly.
Don't buy it if...

You are looking for a cheap option.
For phones with a thermal image sensor this isn't the cheapest option. But
you need to decide if you need the quality of the one in here, or if a lower resolution sensor will do the job. Also Consider


Another practical, rugged design with an inbuilt camping light, night vision camera and about 60% of the battery capacity than the AGM G3 Pro. Its cheap, but conversely, the cameras arent as good, and the SoC isnt as powerful. For those needing a cheap, tough phone, the Ulefone Armour Mini 20 Pro might be a good choice as it's easily pocketable. However, for the thermal image sensor you need the Mini 20T Pro, and that isn't as cheap.

Read our full Ulefone Armor Mini 20 Pro review

The ThinkPhone 25 offers a powerful SoC, robust package, practical form factor, high-quality camera sensors and decent battery life at a mid-range price point. But, its not available in the USA, sadly.

Read our ThinkPhone 25 by Motorola review

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



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