Oukitel WP210 review: A nice rugged phone without painful compromises

I admit that I approached the Oukitel WP210 with a fair amount of skepticism. My previous experiences with rugged phones always involved compromises – either you got a brick with a 2015 display, or a device that choked on its own performance when opening a second app.

After a week of intensive WP210 testing, I must say that it is the first rugged phone that I can say a lot of people can use as a daily companion. It is still a mobile phone targeting a narrower group of users, but for adventurers, or anyone who needs a rugged phone with excellent endurance, it is a very interesting choice.

It’s not a revolution, though. Oukitel simply took proven components from regular upper-mid-range phones and packaged them into a sturdy body. The result? A phone that not only survives a fall onto concrete but also doesn’t ruin your day with a slow system or a terrible display. And that, in this category, is actually a small revolution.

Package contents: Surprisingly generous

In the box, besides the phone, you’ll find a 45W charger (which is not a given these days), a USB-C cable, a SIM slot ejector tool, and basic documentation. The phone comes with a pre-installed protective film on the display and even a basic silicone case. While it might seem redundant given the phone’s inherent ruggedness, it provides extra protection in case of an edge drop.

Design and build: When a tank tries to be elegant

At 311 grams and 13.7 mm thick, the WP210 is no lightweight. For comparison – the already large iPhone 16 Pro Max weighs 227 grams, and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra weighs 232 grams. The difference of almost 80 grams is noticeable, especially when carrying the phone in your pocket. On the first day, I felt like I was carrying a brick. No exaggeration.

Compared to other rugged phones, however, the WP210 appears almost slim. Oukitel has also avoided the typical “military” design full of screws and protrusions. Instead, you get relatively clean lines with a subtle camera module and an elegant texture on the back.

Three color variants are available – black and gray with a carbon texture, and red with a leather imitation. I tested the black version and must say that the carbon pattern feels premium and is pleasant to hold. It’s not slippery like the glass of regular phones, but not too rough either. The side frame is made of matte metal, which effectively hides fingerprints.

The IP68/IP69K and MIL-STD-810H certifications are not just empty marketing slogans. IP68 means the phone can withstand submersion in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes. IP69K goes even further – the phone should survive even high-pressure hot water cleaning. MIL-STD-810H then tests resistance to drops, vibrations, extreme temperatures (-20°C to +60°C), humidity, and other factors.

In practice, I dropped the phone three times – once from waist height onto a concrete floor (on purpose), once from my pocket when getting out of the car onto gravel, and once it fell out of my hand while taking photos (about 2 meters onto pebbles). The result? Not a single scratch.

Controls and ports

Button placement is standard – on the right, you’ll find the power button and volume rocker, and on the left, a programmable button. All buttons have pleasant resistance and a distinct click, so you can easily find them even blindfolded or with gloves on. I set the programmable button to quickly launch the camera, but you can use it for a flashlight, sound recording, or launching any application.

On the bottom edge, there’s a USB-C port and the main speaker. On the top edge, you’ll find an infrared port.

The SIM slot accommodates two nano SIM cards, unfortunately without the option to expand storage with a microSD card. With 512GB of internal storage, this isn’t critical, but for an outdoor phone where you might want to store offline maps or hours of action videos, a slot would be useful.

Display: AMOLED among rugged phones is like a unicorn

Here comes the first big surprise. The WP210 features a 6.7-inch AMOLED display with a resolution of 1080 × 2412 pixels (20:9 aspect ratio) and a 120 Hz refresh rate. For context – most rugged phones still have IPS LCD displays with 60 Hz. Finding AMOLED in this category is like meeting a unicorn.

AMOLED technology brings all its advantages – perfect blacks (pixels turn off completely), richer colors, and a better contrast ratio.

The 120Hz refresh rate is the icing on the cake. Scrolling is smooth, animations are fluid, and the system generally feels much more responsive. You can choose between automatic switching (1-120 Hz depending on content), fixed 60 Hz, or 120 Hz. I left it on automatic, and it works great.

The maximum brightness of 550 nits (full-screen) is not record-breaking – flagships reach over 2000 nits, and even in the mid-range, you’ll find phones exceeding 1,000 nits. But in direct sunlight, the display is still easily readable; honestly, the brightness seems better to me than the numbers indicate. The display seemed more or less as readable as on the iPhone 16e, which handles 800 nits full-screen. Automatic brightness works reliably and quickly responds to changes in lighting. At night, you’ll appreciate the option to dim the display significantly and turn on the blue light filter.

Gorilla Glass 5 is not the latest generation (Victus 2 currently exists), but it’s sufficient for a rugged phone. After a week of use without a case, I don’t have a single scratch on the display, and I wasn’t gentle with the phone.

An optical fingerprint reader is hidden under the display. It’s not the latest ultrasonic technology, but it works surprisingly fast and reliably. Unlocking takes about half a second, and the success rate is around 90%. The only issue arises with wet or very dirty fingers, which happens in the field.

Hardware: Performance you don’t expect

At the heart of the phone is the MediaTek Dimensity 8200, an octa-core processor manufactured using TSMC’s 4nm technology. Specifically, it features 1× Cortex-A78 at 3.1 GHz, 3× Cortex-A78 at 3.0 GHz, and 4× Cortex-A55 at 2.0 GHz. Graphics are handled by the Mali-G610 MC6.

For comparison – the Dimensity 8200’s performance is between Snapdragon 7+ Gen 2 and Snapdragon 8 Gen 1. In benchmarks, it achieves around 800,000 – 900,000 points in AnTuTu, which is more than double what typical rugged phones with Helio G99 or similar chips can manage.

12 GB LPDDR5 RAM is above standard in this category. Most competitors offer 6-8 GB. In practice, this means you can have 10 applications open without the system needing to close them. Switching between them is instantaneous.

512 GB UFS 3.1 storage provides read speeds around 1900 MB/s and write speeds of 1200 MB/s. This is noticeable when copying large files, installing applications, or working with 4K video. Of the 512 GB, approximately 488 GB is available to the user (the system and pre-installed applications take up the rest).

The phone supports 5G (the important n78 band for the Czech Republic works), Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.3, and NFC for contactless payments. GPS supports all major systems (GPS, GLONASS, Galileo, BeiDou).

Performance in practice: Surprisingly swift

Paper specifications are one thing, reality another. But the WP210 pleasantly surprised me. The system runs absolutely smoothly, without the slightest stutter. Animations are instantaneous, applications open quickly, and multitasking is a joy.

I tried several games. Call of Duty Mobile runs stably at maximum details at 60 fps. Genshin Impact maintains around 30 – 40 fps at high details, which is playable. PUBG Mobile also has no problem. For comparison – with Helio G99 in other rugged phones, you have to go for medium or low details.

In everyday use, I had not a single performance issue. Whether it was editing RAW photos in Lightroom, video editing in CapCut, or using applications like Photoshop Express. The phone handled everything without hesitation.

Camera: 108 megapixels in the field

The main 108MP Samsung S5KHM6SX sensor (1/1.67″, 0.64 μm pixels) looks good on paper. It is complemented by a 2MP macro camera GalaxyCore GC02M1 and a depth sensor GalaxyCore GC032A. The front camera has a resolution of 32 MP (Sony IMX615).

By default, the main camera shoots in 12 MP (9:1 pixel binning), but you can switch to full 108 MP. I recommend sticking with 12 MP – photos are higher quality due to better light and noise handling.

In daylight, photos are sharp, detailed, and with natural colors. HDR works conservatively, so the sky isn’t overexposed, and shadows aren’t artificially brightened. Focusing speed is excellent, except for occasional hesitation with macro shots.

Problems begin in weaker light. Without night mode, photos are very noisy and soft. With night mode (2-3 seconds exposure), the situation improves, but it’s still not on the level of phones in the same class as Pixel 8a, POCO X7 Pro, or Galaxy A56.

Video can record up to 4K at 30 fps or 1080p at 60 fps. Quality is good in good light, and electronic stabilization works decently when walking. In worse light, quality drops rapidly. Audio is average and quite noisy.

The selfie camera provides solid images. Beauty filters are available but not aggressive. However, video is limited to 1080p/30fps.

Sound: Mono, but loud

The WP210 only has one speaker on the bottom edge. It’s a shame, stereo would have been useful. However, the speaker is very loud (up to 95 dB) and surprisingly clear. Bass is lacking, but mids and highs are fine. It’s sufficient for a podcast or YouTube video, but for music, it’s better to use headphones.

Headphones can only be connected via USB-C or Bluetooth (3.5mm jack is missing). Bluetooth supports aptX HD and LDAC, so you’ll get good sound with quality headphones.

Battery: Two days without worries, but…

With a capacity of 8800 mAh, the battery is one of its main advantages. In practice, I achieved the following results:

Light usage (a few calls, WhatsApp, email, some web browsing): 3 days
Normal usage (2 hours YouTube, an hour of navigation, photography, social media): 2 days
Heavy usage (gaming, 4K video, 5G hotspot): 1.5 days

Screen-on time ranges between 8-12 hours depending on intensity. With 60 Hz instead of 120 Hz, you gain about 10% extra, which, from my perspective, isn’t worth the choppy experience.

45W charging isn’t the fastest (some phones can handle 100+ W), but it’s sufficient. You’ll get from 0 to 50% in about 30 minutes, and a full charge takes just under two hours.

It’s a shame that wireless charging is missing. For a phone of this thickness, it would fit. 10W reverse wired charging works – you can charge watches or headphones.

System and software: Clean Android, but…

The WP210 runs on Android 15 with minimal modifications. That’s good news – no bloatware, no aggressive skins. The system looks and behaves like clean Android and in many ways resembles Pixels, although they have their own overlay.

However, there are a few minor adjustments:

• App drawer disabled by default (can be enabled)
• Outdoor Toolbox with compass, spirit level, pedometer, etc.
• Gestures for quick actions (double tap to wake, flip to mute)
• Game mode for performance optimization during gaming

The biggest issue is update support. Oukitel does not promise a specific number of years of updates. Expect 1-2 years of security patches and perhaps one Android version update. For a phone costing 12,000 CZK, this is definitely a disappointment. Especially at a time when most major manufacturers (Samsung, Google, Xiaomi, Vivo, OnePlus…) have learned to provide decent support even for mid-range devices.

Another problem is the missing Widevine L1 certification. Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, and other streaming services will only play video in SD quality (480p).

Price and availability

The Oukitel WP210 is officially sold for 399 dollars (approx. 9,500 CZK) on the manufacturer’s website, and in Europe for 450-500 euros (11,000 – 12,500 CZK). In the Czech Republic, you can get it through importers or AliExpress for 10-12 thousand Czech crowns.

For this price, you get a 12 GB RAM + 512 GB configuration. Other variants are not available. Compared to the competition, the price is fair. For similar money, you either get a rugged phone with worse performance or a powerful phone without ruggedness. The WP210 combines both.

Conclusion: A breakthrough in the rugged phone category

The Oukitel WP210 is proof that a rugged phone doesn’t have to mean compromises in everyday usability. After a week of intensive testing, I can confidently say that it is the best rugged phone I have ever held.

It’s not because it’s the most rugged (there are more robust pieces), the cheapest (Blackview and Doogee are cheaper), or has the best features. It’s because it was the first to find the golden mean between durability and usability.

With the Dimensity 8200, it offers performance comparable to regular mid-range phones. The 120 Hz AMOLED display is something you’ll rarely find in this category, and 12 GB RAM and 512 GB storage are above standard. And all of this in a body that can survive a fall from height, water immersion, and extreme temperatures.

Yes, it has its limitations. 311 grams is a lot. The missing Widevine L1 means Netflix only in SD quality. Unclear software support is a disappointment for a phone costing 12,000 CZK, and the absence of wireless charging in 2025 is a bit surprising.

But when you consider everything you get for the money, it’s an excellent deal. Most people don’t need a rugged phone. But if you’re one of those who do – whether for work, hobbies, or your own clumsiness – the WP210 is currently the best choice on the market.

Editor’s rating: 75 %

How do you like the Oukitel WP210?

We thank Oukitel for providing the phone.