Oukitel WP61 Plus Review

Oukitel WP61 Plus OS, UI and software

The Oukitel WP61 Plus runs stock Android 16, complete with all the familiar perks. The Lock Screen features a large clock widget paired with a small date widget. The Wallpaper Carousel is enabled by default, and a rotating news snippet appears on the Lock Screen as well. The Home Screen follows a classic layout: a Google search bar at the top with integrated voice search and Lens, a combined clock/date widget, a weather widget, a row of favorite apps, and a docked app row at the bottom. Desktop shortcuts are supported. A second desktop hosts the key pre‑installed apps. If you enable the app drawer from Home Settings, you’ll get access to the full list of installed applications.

The Task Manager displays app previews in a horizontal layout. From each preview, you can open the app info page, launch split‑screen mode when available, make a screenshot, or close the app. The Customization Picker lets you choose wallpapers, themes, styles, screen transition effects, widgets, and Home settings. The latter allows you to enable or disable the app drawer, toggle Google Discover, manage notification dots, manage the app repository, desktop gestures, hot apps, turn on the smart assistant, etc. A swipe down from the top of the display opens the notification shade, while a second swipe reveals the Quick Settings panel. The toggles are arranged across two consecutive pages. Oukitel WP61 Plus comes with a well-rounded suite of pre‑installed apps typical for a modern rugged device. The selection includes AI Beacon, a third‑party browser, Calculator, Calendar, Camera, Camping Lights, Child Mode, Chrome, Clock, Contacts, Drive, Easy Launcher, Files, Find Hub, FM Radio, Game Mode, Gemini, Gmail, Google Discover, Google One, Google TV, Keep Notes, Maps, Meet, Messages, OKGame Center, Pedometer, Phone, Photos, Play Store, QR Code Scanner, Safety, Security, Service Center, Settings, Sound Recorder, TapPic, ToolBag, Torch, Videos, Weather, YouTube, and YouTube Music. The ToolBag app bundles a variety of practical utilities: a compass, sound meter, level (for picture hanging), height meter, gradienter, mirror, magnifier, alarm bell, plumb bob, protractor, and a torch - separate from the standalone Torch app. The Security app offers system maintenance and protection tools, including Clean Up, Virus Scan, App Manager, Network Detection, Floating Window Manager, and Notifications Manager. TapPic provides access to a selection of wallpapers and the option to download additional ones. There's also a dedicated app for the walkie‑talkie functionality, called Talkie, which we cover in more detail in the Connectivity section of this review. The Settings app is divided into two tabs: "Settings" and "Function." The Settings tab contains 23 menus organized into six groups. The first group includes a single entry - "Google Services". The second group focuses on connectivity, containing the "SIM Card & Mobile Data", "Wi‑Fi", and "Connected Devices" menus. The third group begins the "Apps" menu, which provides the familiar options for Assistant settings, screen time, and app management. The "Notifications" menu follows, offering app‑specific controls, notification history, conversations, bubbles, Lock Screen behavior, wireless emergency alerts, and additional toggles. "Memory Expansion" is next, allowing you to add up to 24GB of virtual RAM. The Storage and Battery menus form their own separate group. "Sound & Vibration" appears as the third menu in the third group and includes the standard sliders for media, calls, ring, notifications, and alarms. You can also select ringtones, alarms, and notification sounds, adjust Live Caption settings, and configure vibration and haptics. The "Modes" menu is a new Android 16 feature that lets you use preset modes or create custom ones to streamline your daily routine. All Do Not Disturb settings are now housed here, along with a default Bedtime mode. The "Display" menu covers all the essentials: brightness controls, adaptive brightness, dark theme, night light, lift‑to‑wake, Lock Screen options, screen timeout, display size and text, screen saver, and refresh rate. A dedicated "Wallpapers" menu rounds off the third group. The fourth group has only two entries - "Storage" and "Battery". The fifth group begins with the "Security & Privacy" menu, comprising the standard security system check, followed by the five core security categories: App Security, Device Unlock, Account Security, Device Finders, and System & Updates. Privacy‑related options are grouped under "Privacy Controls", and "Privacy Dashboard". A new addition in Android 16 is the "Advanced Protection" sub-menu, which defends the data on your device from online attacks, harmful apps, insecure connections, and other threats. The "More Security & Privacy" section includes additional controls such as Lock Screen Notifications, App Content settings, Android System Intelligence, Google’s Autofill Service, Extended Unlock, and several other advanced options.

The group continues with standard Android settings for "Location", "Passwords, passkeys & accounts", "Digital Wellbeing & parental controls", and "Safety & emergency". The last menu in the group is "Fingerprint," and it allows you to assign additional functions to the fingerprint IDs you've registered on the device. For example, you can touch and hold the fingerprint sensor to open the Task Manager, snap a photo, or answer a call. The last group comprises four menus - "DuraSpeed", "Accessibility", "System", and "About Phone". The "Accessibility" menu comprises the usual screen reader, display, audio, captions, and interaction controls settings. The "System" menu comprises the language and keyboard options, date and time settings, backup and reset, system updates, scheduled power on & off, and gestures. This "Gestures" menu contains options for double-pressing on the power button, a press-and-hold on the power button, a prevent ringing toggle, navigation settings, navigation mode options, and a one-handed mode toggle. From the latter, you can select either virtual buttons or onscreen gestures, each with its own customization options. The "About phone" menu provides the standard device information, such as model name, basic specifications, the software build version, etc. The "Function" tab comprises seven features presented with icons. The first is "Smart Key" and lets you assign apps and/or functions to a single press, double press, and a long press on the customizable button on the left frame of the handset. Three features are also present as applications - "Childe Mode", "Easy Mode", "QRCode Scan". "Duraspeed" is another feature double here. "Gesture motion" comprises four toggles - three-point screenshot, three-point entry camera, gesture unlock, and gesture double-click. The last feature in this section is "Smart Touch". From here, you can activate a floating dot that can be used for quick access/shortcut to apps, functions, and gestures.