Oukitel WP13 Review

Design, build and controls

The first thing that makes an impression is that the Oukitel WP13 is a lightweight rugged smartphone. Yes, indeed. We have reviewed many ruggedized devices and it is normal for them to be bulky and heavy. When put next to a regular smartphone with a 6.5+ display and a 5000+ mAh battery, the WP13 is wider, taller, thicker, and heavier. But when put next to other rugged smartphones with similar specs, it is lighter, indeed, with its 291 g. The model is 84.4 mm wide, 175.8 mm high, and 14.2 mm thick. This means it has quite a footprint. The body is all-black with small accents in either black or orange. We are reviewing an "orange" version. The Oukitel WP13 is IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810G certified. According to Oukitel, it can survive drops from up to 1.5 meters and can withstand a 30-minute soak in up to 1.5 meters of water. Dusty environments wouldn't be a problem as well as situations with extreme temperatures, increased pressure, etc. The body combines a bit of metal, tough polycarbonate, and shock-absorbing rubber. The hybrid, dual-SIM tray and the USB Type-C port have protective caps. Of course, the front of the handset is dominated by the display. The inner frame that rims the screen is made of resilient polycarbonate. As a rule, it is higher than the glass surface in order to protect it if the device is dropped face down on a completely flat surface. The top bezel is 5 mm thick, the bottom one is 10 mm (1 cm) thick, and the side bezels are 3.5 mm thick. The center of the top line of the screen is occupied by a V-shaped notch for the 8MP front camera. The LED notification light and proximity/light sensors are placed to the left. The top of the bezel is occupied by an elongated earpiece. By default, the device arrives with the gesture navigation turned on. It works great and is the better choice over an on-screen navigation bar as it takes a lot of screen space and appears above the already very thick bottom bezel. You can customize both types of navigation. The back of the smartphone has a modern and pleasing to the eye design. The rear shell is covered with rubber for shock absorption and better grip. The latter is also improved by the curved sides of the back panel. The vertical stripes, Oukitel logo, and "waterproof" sign are nice design elements complementing the camera module that dominates the rear shell. The camera module has an octagonal shape with curved corners and houses three cameras, an infrared thermal sensor, and a LED flash. It is covered with glass but there's no available information of its protective qualities. According to Oukitel, the camera is sealed and suitable for underwater photography. At the bottom, the main element in accent orange color is a place to attach a holding strap. The top and bottom frame along with the four corners are reinforced and covered with a shock-absorbing rubber that finishes with thin plastic elements in the accent orange color. The top frame is bare and has an IP-68 sign. The botto one houses the USB Type-C port, speaker, and microphone hole. The two side frames are made of metal and are attached to the chassis with visible screws. The left one is where you will see the hybrid SIM tray and the customizable button. The right frame is the home of the Volume Up and Down buttons and the Power button, which also features an embedded capacitive fingerprint sensor.