ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The Oukitel WP35 is on the market now from Amazon for $329.
- It presents a formidable battery life, a case that protects the telephone from the weather, and efficiency that belies it is sub-$300 price ticket.
- The telephone is heavy and requires a little bit of tweaking to get a conventional Android expertise.
I’ve reviewed a variety of funds Android telephones. Most of them fall into one among three classes:
- Handsome however underpowered.
- Ugly however performs properly.
- Good wanting and performs higher than anticipated.
I am at all times shocked at what number of fall below the third class, particularly as the value vary drops below $300. One such telephone is the Oukitel WP35 5G. Consistent with Oukitel’s custom, it is a massive, rugged telephone with a large battery.
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Oukitel has been cranking out a majority of these gadgets for some time now and so far as the market is anxious, the clear chief by far. The WP35 is not fairly as beefy as, say, the Doogee V Max Plus, however it’s definitely shut. And at half the price of the Doogee, the Oukitel makes for a formidable gadget.
Oukitel WP35 5G tech specs
- CPU: MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ 5G chipset
- Storage: 264GB (expandable to 2TB)
- RAM: 8GB + 16GB digital prolonged
- Cameras: 64MP predominant digicam (Sony @IMX682) with a 1/1.73″ sensor, a 8MP night time imaginative and prescient digicam, and a 2MP macro digicam
- Battery: 11000 mAh for 60 days of standby, 75 hours of calling, 60 hours music, 15 hours video, and 12 hours gaming
- Show: 6.6″ 2.4K at 1080 X 2408 decision with 400 PPI Pixel Density and Corning Gorilla Glass 5
- Sturdiness: Army-grade drop resistance and IP68 & IP69K waterproof ranking
- Biometrics: Fingerprint and face unlock
- OS: Android 14
- Twin Nano SIM help
- Value: $329 on Amazon or $299 on the Oukitel site
My expertise
What shocked me essentially the most in regards to the WP35 is the scale. Regardless that the telephone contains an 11000 mAh battery, it is not almost as thick as different telephones with the identical huge energy supply. The WP35 is just 14.9 mm thick, the place related telephones (with similarly-sized batteries) might be over 20 mm thick.
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The subsequent factor that caught my consideration was its UI. Oukitel has finished an attractive job with the aesthetics of the interface, giving it an virtually iPhone-like look. Pull down the notification shade and you will get a pleasant blurred background with elegant icons and notifications, and the animations total are easy and well-integrated, with just about no lag.
Concerning the telephone’s biometrics, the facial unlock is almost instantaneous, and the fingerprint scanner (situated on the facet of the gadget), would not really feel like an inexpensive afterthought prefer it does on similarly-priced telephones. In truth, all the pieces in regards to the WP35 is rock strong.
After all, the massive draw to this gadget is the battery, and boy does it overachieve. You’ll not discover a telephone from the most important gamers (Google, Samsung, Nothing, OnePlus, Apple, and so on.) that may compete with the battery life of those Godzilla-sized telephones. In order for you a tool with a battery that may final and final, (and final and final) that is the one for you (particularly if you happen to’re not occupied with paying flagship costs).
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When it comes to performance, I’ve no complaints. Apps set up and open rapidly, the show is greater than vivid sufficient, and there are some somewhat fascinating options you will not discover on different gadgets (such because the underwater mode for the digicam that makes it doable so that you can faucet the display screen and take a photograph, even when underwater).
Should you’re searching for a telephone that may take a beating, final days between costs, performs properly, and will not break the financial institution, the Oukitel WP35 is a superb possibility. It is not with out it is misses although.
First off, like most Oukitel telephones, the UI would not embrace an App Drawer, which bothers me to no finish. I want a minimal dwelling display screen, however with this gadget, all apps set up their launchers to the house display screen (ala iOS), which implies it is not possible to sport a minimal UI.
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Happily, that is simply the default configuration. Should you go to open House Settings (long-press the Homescreen and faucet the Settings icon), after which faucet Launcher Model, you’ll be able to allow the App Drawer. After enabling the App Drawer, you’ll be able to then configure Android to not set up new apps to the House Display screen and also you’re good to go.
One other nit to select is the sound. It is surprisingly quiet. Even maxed out, YouTube movies aren’t actually loud sufficient to take pleasure in. After all, to get round that, join a pair of headphones and it is wonderful.
ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation
The Oukitel WP35 is an excellent discount that may serve anybody who would not thoughts carrying a telephone of their pocket that checks the energy and integrity of their belt. The WP35 weighs about as a lot as my Pixel 7 Professional and Pixel 8 Professional mixed (455 grams), so sure, it is heavy, however it’s as a result of protecting chassis and battery. And for the way properly it is made, it is price each gram.