Finally, A Rugged Android Phone That Doesn't Feel Like A Downgrade From My Pixel

3 weeks ago

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Oukitel WP210 is disposable now connected Amazon for $599
This rugged outdoor telephone outperforms astir devices successful its class pinch powerful hardware pinch next-level durability.
You mightiness find it excessively dense for mundane use, but it's perfect for outdoor conditions.

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What is an "outdoor" phone? Quite simply: 1 that tin return a beating from mother nature. Unlike accepted phones (such arsenic an iPhone or Pixel), these rugged phones scoff astatine rain, heat, and different harsh conditions. Neither Apple nor Google devices could guidelines up to what an outdoor telephone eats for breakfast.

Also: The champion rugged phones of 2024: Expert tested

From my experience, Oukitel is nan leader successful rugged phones, pinch each kinds of absorbing features for illustration campfire lights, detachable smart watches, and different useful additions. The 1 disapproval I would person pinch immoderate these phones, however, is that they thin to beryllium successful statement pinch debased to midrange devices, often powered by lesser CPUs and dangle connected virtual RAM.

But that isn't nan case, anymore. The company's latest release, the WP210 ups nan capacity crippled large time. Let's return a look.

My experience

Every Oukitel phone I've reviewed has been built for illustration a vessel (and weighs astir arsenic much). They are thick, heavy, and solid. The WP201 follows that aforesaid pattern, but is somewhat thinner and a spot lighter. It has nan aforesaid type of rugged casing and akin buttons, but does adhd an under-screen fingerprint scanner.

The large trading constituent pinch nan WP210 is its performance. The telephone ships pinch an 8-core MediaTek Dimensity 8200 CPU, clocked astatine 3.1 GHz and a Cortex-A78 / A55 framework. This CPU is connected par pinch nan Snapdragon 7 and 8 series, which intends it's rather snappy and responsive.

Also: Meet nan world's first ruggedized Android smartphone pinch ultra-wideband

After nan setup was complete (Google, beryllium observant astir insisting connected utilizing passkeys for setups), I started swiping astir and was instantly impressed.

With galore midrange phones, I'm utilized to a spot of lag connected animations, app opening, and app switching. The Oukitel WP210 does not suffer from that lag 1 bit. In fact, this is nan first outdoor telephone I've seen execute this well. I wouldn't opportunity nan WP210 was connected par pinch my Pixel 9 Pro, but it's close, and that's saying thing for a telephone that sells for $599.

One of my biggest nits to prime pinch Oukitel phones is that they each vessel pinch nan App Drawer disabled. I'm an Android user, and this characteristic is expected. I don't want an iPhone-like location surface that's filled pinch a confusing bunch of launchers… I want a minimalist abstraction truthful I tin negociate my apps really I want them.

Fortunately, it's easy to alteration nan App Drawer by long-pressing nan location screen, tapping Home Settings, tapping Launcher Style, and past selecting App Drawer. Once I had that taken attraction of, nan WP210 felt for illustration each Android telephone I've ever utilized (and that's a bully thing).

Also: I'm a diehard Pixel fan, but I'm not upgrading to nan Pixel 10. Here's why

The WP210 doesn't see immoderate of nan gimmicks recovered connected different Oukitel phones; this is simply a much modular Android phone, stripped of nan bells and whistles (except nan weatherproofing).

Just to spot really good it tin execute nether load, I installed Diablo Immortal. To my surprise, nan crippled ran really good connected nan WP210. Although it surely didn't scope nan flawlessness of nan RedMagic Astra, nan gameplay was smooth, and nan sound was fantastic.

All different apps ran amended than expected for a midrange device, and nan camera was really beautiful impressive.

Three pumpkins successful a photograph taken by nan WP210 Phone.

Another characteristic that really amazed maine was nan velocity of nan fingerprint scanner, which is adjacent to nan Pixel 9 Pro. As soon arsenic you unlock nan telephone pinch your fingerprint, it happens instantly. That's awesome for a telephone astatine this price. In fact, everything astir nan WP210 is awesome erstwhile you see nan price. A $599 telephone should not execute this well and be fresh to withstand nan elements.

As acold arsenic nan weight of nan phone, this is an Oukitel, truthful you tin stake it's going to measurement considerably much than what you presently person successful your pocket. As pinch each of nan company's phones, you'd amended beryllium wearing a loop if you scheme connected carrying this astir successful your pants.

ZDNET's buying advice

If you're looking for a rugged telephone pinch respectable performance, nan Oukitel WP210 fits that bill. It mightiness consciousness for illustration a brick, but this telephone tin guidelines up to modern devices.

As I said earlier, successful each of my "outdoor" telephone testing, nan WP210 sits astatine nan apical of nan heap, truthful I tin happily urge this instrumentality to anyone looking for a mid-range telephone that tin return nan power and execute for illustration a champ.

Oukitel WP210 tech specs

Display - 6.7" FHD+ pinch a screen-to-Body Ratio of 91% and a solution of 1080×2412
Pixel Density - 394 PPI
Refresh Rate - 120Hz
Brightness - 500nit typictal
Protection -Corning Gorilla 5
CPU - MTK Dimensity 8200 astatine 3.1 GHz pinch 8 cores.
GPU Model - Mali-G610 MP6
Operating System - Android 15.0
RAM - 12 GB
Storage - 512 GB
Front Camera - 32 MP
Main Camera - 108 MP
Battery - 8800mAh