As someone who likes being prepared for whatever comes their way, I often find myself carrying a handful of extra items to ensure I have the tools to complete a job. Daily driving, an iPhone 17e is a handy tool for the many tasks I generally need to complete, but what about those people who want more out of their phone? Things like being able to hold a charge for days on end, wanting an extra-bright flashlight, or other outdoorsy tasks that phones aren’t usually capable of? Meet the Oukitel WP63, a rugged phone meant for the outdoorsman who wants a true Swiss Army Knife of a phone.
First off, the most noticeable thing I immediately found with the Oukitel WP63 is that, not only is it a very large phone, it is also much heavier than a traditional smartphone at nearly 1.4 lbs (629 grams). This is not a phone you are likely going to be carrying in your pockets, if it even fits in the first place. The whole phone is built with a mix of metal and rubber for maximum durability. Oukitel claims the phone can withstand a 1.5 m drop, and I would feel confident in saying everyday drops and incidents should not pose too big of a problem for it.
Looking around the phone, the right side has the traditional power and volume buttons. Running down the left side, you find the SIM/MicroSD card slot, a programmable button, and the first of the Oukitel WP63’s many party tricks: a built-in USB Type-C cable (more on this soon). The top and rear also feature extra functions you don’t typically find on most smartphones. The top of the phone stores the built-in igniter, while the back features the camera array, a loudspeaker, and the camping torch light. Despite all the space around the frame, Oukitel still did not add a 3.5mm headphone jack, something I think would’ve been beneficial and is required to use the included FM radio app.
The display on the Oukitel WP63 is a 6.67” panel with a 120 Hz refresh rate, although the resolution is only 720p, making it less sharp than most phones on the market; this may be bothersome to power users, but this isn’t a phone meant for that group. The display was still smoother than that of my daily driver iPhone 17e, but it does have a much sharper display than the Oukitel. The display also did not get nearly as bright as I would’ve hoped, especially considering it is a phone meant for being outdoors and on the go. Where the Oukitel reaches a maximum of 480 nits of brightness, my iPhone can reach double that quite easily.
“Where the Oukitel WP63 surprised me was with their addition of a night vision camera. This was the first time I have seen or used this feature on any phone I have tested to date, and found it rather neat to have available.”
Powered by a Unisoc T765, this is far from the most powerful chip on the market in phones these days. While it will certainly perform well enough to handle any modern-day app, along with some games, don’t expect the Oukitel WP63 to be doing all your video and photo editing like a current flagship model. I still had no issues when it came to browsing the web, watching some YouTube videos, or even doing the tasks I find myself doing on a daily basis with no troubles at all. Most users searching for this type of phone should have no issues taking care of whatever they need to do quite easily.
The same can be said when it comes to the camera setup on the Oukitel WP63. It certainly won’t compare to modern-day flagships, or even some mid-range devices. Colours were true to life and as I would want on a camera, without oversaturating, as you may see on Samsung devices. While overall sharpness left something to be desired, pictures were still overall pleasant to my eyes.
In lower-light situations, the Oukitel WP63 tended to struggle to capture enough lighting, making me feel like I was using an older phone from a few years back. Colours quickly became colder-looking and lacking some clarity, and looked much softer. Those wanting to capture more night shots may want to use a more premium device to capture photos.
Where the Oukitel WP63 surprised me was with their addition of a night vision camera. This was the first time I have seen or used this feature on any phone I have tested to date, and found it rather neat to have available. Photos did come out very soft, but I found this feature very useful when trying to navigate my house during a blackout at night, where I didn’t want to wake up my girlfriend by using a flashlight.
Audio quality was a bit of a double-edged sword on the Oukitel WP63. While you won’t find any stereo speakers on the phone itself, you will find a 3W loudspeaker for playing media. While it certainly was capable of reaching quite loud volumes, at higher levels it would start to distort with some music I tried playing. When it did work properly, this was a great feature for playing music at bonfires or events where I wanted to make sure everyone in a larger area could hear it.
Battery life was exceptional on the Oukitel WP63, and I could easily get several days of use on a single charge doing regular tasks and using it for a handful of hours each day. Considering there is a massive 20,000 mAh battery internally, one would certainly expect nothing less. The battery is also so large that Oukitel has built in a charging cable into the phone to reverse charge other phones or devices with up to 18 W of power, making it very useful for times when your friends or family members may need a quick top-up of power, or perhaps your earbuds need charging when you are away from any other charger. Even when using the Oukitel WP63 as a Wi‑Fi hotspot at home, I could use it in that mode for several days before having to recharge.
Amongst the Oukitel WP63’s many other party tricks, one of the most unique features is its built-in igniter. At the top of the phone, a small igniter can pop out and be used to start fires when out in the wilderness, in emergency situations, or even if you can’t find or don’t have a lighter in most circumstances. It is important to note that the igniter will get quite hot to the touch, so don’t come into contact with it immediately after use, and give it time to cool down before storing it.
“All in all, the Oukitel WP63 is quite the nifty phone, loaded with a number of features that outdoorsmen will certainly appreciate and find themselves using quite often.”
Also, on the Oukitel WP63 is its incredibly bright torch light that can easily light up a large area with ease. On camping trips, this torch had no trouble lighting up forest areas and made it feel as if someone was shining car headlights into the darkness. This also proved very useful during blackouts to light up various parts of the house so I could see, without having to search for my different flashlights.
All in all, the Oukitel WP63 is quite the nifty phone, loaded with a number of features that outdoorsmen will certainly appreciate and find themselves using quite often. For the average user, this phone may be a little large and heavy, although if you enjoy phones of that nature, you will likely appreciate the phone as well. For me, I will be sticking with my iPhone 17e for its compact and lightweight form factor, as I generally prefer smaller devices.
