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ZDNET's key takeaways
- The Oukitel WP56 is now available for $300 on the official site
- The WP56 is a mid-range phone that performs above its price and has an impressive battery life
- Like most Oukitel phones, the WP56 is very heavy.
Let me set the stage for you.
You're out in the wilderness. Maybe you're working on a job site, or you've taken your Jeep for some off-road action. The terrain and the weather are rough, and you might not have the means to give your phone a charge. On top of that, you might find yourself out there in the middle of the night, and could use some serious illumination.
Also: This cheap Android phone has a display and battery life of a handset that's twice the price
If you're sporting an iPhone or a Pixel phone, you know to be careful with those delicate devices. But you're carrying around the Oukitel WP56, so you have no concerns about the elements or the battery dying on you. You can also shine a very bright LED to light up the area.
All from a single phone.
Oukitel is well-known for its rugged phones, and the WP56 is no slouch. This device can not only withstand the elements, but it can also crank up the volume with a powerful 128dB loudspeaker. Can your iPhone do that?
But what is this phone like to hold in the hand and use?
My experience
Every time I unbox an Oukitel phone, I'm shocked by its weight. Since I've reviewed several of these phones, their heft shouldn't surprise me, and yet here I am. The WP56 weighs 524 grams. That's well more than the iPhone 16 Pro Max (227 grams) and the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (218 grams) combined.
This phone could certainly weigh your pants down.
When you hold an Oukitel phone, it feels like a brick -- not just because of its weight but also because of its ruggedness. You could probably throw this phone at the TV in a fit of pique, and the TV would not fare well.
Also: The most durable Android phone I've tested has a marathon battery (and it's on sale)
The setup of the WP56 is as straightforward as any Android device; once you've completed that task, you'll find yourself at a home screen filled with app launchers and widgets. The first page on the home screen is dedicated (mostly) to Google apps; the one exception is the Cleanup app, and I have no idea what it does.
I'm guessing it cleans the phone's cache or performs some sort of optimization. Regardless, I tend not to trust such apps, so I normally uninstall them. Fortunately, you can do that, as none of the WP56 bloatware is locked from uninstalling.
The good news is that the WP56 doesn't have nearly as much bloatware as I've seen on other devices.
That yellow chevron emits a ton of light.
How does the WP56 perform? Surprisingly well.
The version I was shipped included 12GB of RAM, but (as with most of Oukitel's phones) allows you to expand the RAM up to a total of 36GB (12 physical and 24 virtual). Keep in mind: When using the memory expansion feature, internal storage is used for the virtual RAM. If you bump it up an extra 24GB, that means you lose 24GB of internal storage, so use it wisely. When you enable the memory expansion, you do have to restart the device.
I went ahead and bumped my review unit to the maximum amount of virtual RAM to see if I could notice any performance boost. Before I did that, I ran a benchmark, and here are the results:
- CPU Benchmark: single-core score - 968 and multi-core score - 2560
- GPU Benchmark: 2609
If you compare those results to other phones, a particular picture gets painted. For example, the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra scores around 2136 on the single-core test and 6675 on the multi-core test. As for GPU comparisons, my Pixel 9 Pro scored 8383, so the WP56 is quite a bit behind on that test as well. Notably, the virtual RAM didn't affect CPU benchmarking at all.
Also: Finally, a rugged Android phone that doesn't look like a brick (and won't break the bank)
Clearly, the WP56 is not a flagship device. Instead, this phone sits in the lower midrange section of Android phones. Still, the handset feels like it outperforms its scores. However, if you're more interested in power over ruggedness and battery life, this is probably not the phone for you.
When using the WP56, apps open quickly, and animations are smooth, so it's comparable to most midrange phones I've tested. Where the WP56 really shines is battery life. According to Oukitel specs, the WP56's 16,000 mAh battery can get up to:
- Standby time - 1,818 hours
- Calling time - 117 hours
- Music time - 56 hours
- Video time - 28 hours
- Game time - 21 hours
Those numbers are crazy. I've tested the standby time of other Oukitel models, and they do stand up to the specs. Think about it this way: 1,818 hours is 75 days -- seventy-five days!
ZDNET's buying advice
The Oukitel phones really do appeal to certain user types. You have to love (or need) a good, rugged design, not care about having flagship performance, and want a battery that can last for a very, very, very long time. If that sounds like you, the WP56 could be right up your alley, especially now: The phone is currently selling for only $300 (that's 25% off).
Just remember what you're getting into. Like all of Oukitel's phones, the WP56 is heavy and brick-like. If that's not a deal breaker, the WP56 is a killer deal.
The specs
- CPU - MTK Dimensity 7050 @ 2.6 GHz and 8 cores
- GPU - Mali-G68 MC4
- OS - Android 15
- Display - 6.8" FHD+ at 1080 x 2460 resolution, 120 Hz refresh rate, 396 PPI pixel density, and 550 nit brightness
- RAM - 12GB + 24GB virtual
- Storage 512GB (with expansion up to 2TB)
- Camera - front 32MP with a Sony IMX616 sensor at F2.2 aperture
- Camera - main 108MP with an S5KHM6SX03 sensor at F1.88 aperture
- Battery - 16000 mAh Polymer, 45 W charging with 18 W reverse charging
- Connectivity - 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax (2.4G+5G+WIFI6), Bluetooth 5.2, USB-C
- Sensors - Fingerprint, G-sensor, proximity, ambient light, compass, and gyroscope
- Ruggedness - Rated MIL-STD-810H, rated IP68 (immerse in 1.5m water for up to 30 minutes), rated IP69K
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