Review: Oukitel WP35 thinnest rugged 5G phone with 11000 mAh battery

Review unit provided by Oukitel

Oukitel has just released their new Oukitel WP35 rugged 5G phone in early 2024. This is a decent looking phone where the main selling features are the huge multi-day 11,000 mAh battery and the vibrant, bright and sharp 6.6-inch LCD display.

Price of the phone is USD 179. This phone provides pretty good value for money considering the price point.

Video review

Specifications

• Display: 6.6-inch IPS LCD
• Resolution: 1080 x 2408 @ 60Hz
• Glass: Gorilla Glass 5
• Chip: MediaTek Dimensity 6100+
• RAM: 8GB + 16GB shared RAM
• Storage: 256GB
• SIM tray: 1 nano SIM + 1 micro SIM, or 2x nano SIM
• OS: Android 14
• Battery capacity: 11,000 mAh, 18W fast charge
• IP68 & IP69K waterproof
• Rear camera: 64MP main, 8MP Night Vision IR, 2MP macro
• Front camera: 36MP
• Biometric unlock: Face, fingerprint
• NFC: Only for Google Pay
• Dimensions: 172.2mm x 81mm x 15.3mm (height, width, thickness)
• Weight: 360g

360g with solid build quality. The edges are all beveled to make it comfortable to hold in hand.

Image quality of the 64MP camera is alright in good light and not that good in low light, which is not surprising. I don't find the 8MP night vision and 2MP macro lens to be that useful.

The phone has IP68 and IP69K water resistance. Speaker is loud but audio sounds hollow, and audio only comes out from the bottom speakers. There's no 3.5mm audio jack.

Fingerprint scanner on the power button is fast and effective. The phone is thick but that's the compromise of having a huge battery capacity.

I have no idea how the red side shortcut button can be customised.

OS is almost stock Android 14 with a minimal but beautiful, thankfully, user interface. There is Google Play Store so you can install apps for more features that you need.

Display is bright, vibrant and sharp. Brightness is not high enough for use under direct sunlight, but if there's shade then it's fine.

Review

So I've been using this phone for several weeks now and here are the pros and cons at a glance

+ Decent looking design (subjective)
+ 6.6-inch display is vibrant and bright
+ Pixelation is not noticeable with 1080 x 2408 resolution
+ Has 5G support
+ Fast smooth performance even with multiple apps opened
+ Multi-day battery capacity
+ Comes with a transparent plastic case and screen protector applied
+ Dual SIM tray with microSD card support
+ Has NFC but only supports Google Play
+ Face and fingerprint unlock is fast and effective
+ Android 14 with no bloatware
+ Has Google Play Store
+ UI is beautiful
+ Water resistance for use in rainy weather
- No 3.5mm audio jack
- OS has limited features
- Slow charging speed because battery capacity is huge
- Night vision and macro cameras are not that useful
- Shortcut button did not work, and no customisation available through settings
- Speaker loud but audio sounds hollow
- Audio only comes out from bottom speaker and also not from top.
- Heavy at 360g, but considered light compared to other rugged phones
- No power bank feature

This phone is for people who want a simple phone with good display, long battery life and strong rugged build quality

Design of the phone looks good enough. The bright, vibrant and sharp display is a key selling point.

Overall user experience is smooth and I did not encounter any issues. I did not experience any lag even with multiple apps opened. 8GB RAM is a lot. The user interface actually looks good to my pleasant surprise.

The OS does not have many features so you'll have to install your own launcher or other apps from the Google Play Store for more features.

Light gaming is possible but not at the best visual quality or highest resolution.

The main selling point of this phone is the multi-day battery life. If you need a phone with extra long battery life, this is the phone to consider.

The compromise is of course the increased weight which is 360g. The phone is heavy but it's not that heavy. This phone requires 2-hand usage not because of the weight but because of how big the display is. When commuting on public transport, I find that holding the phone up to near face level (to prevent neck strain) is tiring.

The features budget phones usually sacrifice are cameras and speaker quality. The main 64MP camera is decent but the night vision and macro lens are not that useful. Speakers are loud but sound hollow.

This phone provides good value for money in my opinion. The main downside to me is audio quality, the other downsides are mostly limitations due to the price point.

Availability

This phone is available from AliExpress and Outkitel online store.

PROMO CODE: Teoh on Tech