These $300 powerful Android phones have no business being so good for the money

ZDNET Highlights

• Oukitel WP58 Pro is available on the official site for only $289
• This phone is robust and performs more like a midrange phone than a low-end device
• Like most Oukitel phones, the WP58 Pro is heavy.

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I’ve been reviewing Oukitel phones for quite some time now and I’ve rarely been disappointed. Sure, they’re as heavy as bricks and don’t perform as well as flagship devices like my Pixel 9 Pro, but these phones are a viable option… especially if you work in a harsh environment or love the great outdoors, where rivers flow, rocks fall, and darkness prevails.

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When Oukitel manages to combine a phone that is tough as nails with performance that exceeds expectations, then that device can be considered a winner.

Did WP58 ProThe performance impresses me so much that I can reach that rare category where rudeness meets performance? read on.

my experience

Like every Oukitel phone I’ve reviewed, I know what to expect as soon as the lid is removed from the box. The phone will be heavy. Now, the WP58 Pro isn’t as heavy as other Oukitel phones, but it’s definitely heavier than anything you currently carry.

I turned on the device, went through the onboarding process, and then started using the phone.

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The first thing that impressed me was the smoothness of the animation. I’m used to budget phones having significant delays in animations and opening apps, but the WP58 Pro didn’t suffer due to low system resources. The phone runs Android 15, which helps with zipiness (there was a marked performance improvement from Android 14 to 15).

I was surprised to find that the phone I was given had only 8 GB RAM. The last phone I used with 8GB RAM performed exactly as expected… slow. Somehow, Oukitel has managed to squeeze a little more speed out of midrange specs.

Of course, there’s always built-in RAM expansion, which uses the storage space as extra RAM. With this feature you can double the amount of effective RAM on the system. Is it worth losing 8 GB of storage space? I enabled the RAM expansion feature to see if I noticed any difference. My immediate impression was that it was actually slowing down the phone a bit. Suddenly, the animations lagged a bit. However, when I had multiple apps open the RAM expansion helped.

Then I disabled RAM expansion to see if I was imagining the slowdown. To my surprise, the WP58 Pro performed slightly better with the extension on (especially with multiple apps open).

To really test the device, I installed diablo immortalThe game has to download a large file, which takes much longer than expected. This could be attributed to Blizzard’s servers, my ISP, or even the phone itself.

While downloading the required file, various cut scenes in the game played which were (for the most part) smooth. What really impressed me was the sound. WP58 Pro loudI had to reduce it to quarter volume as it became uncomfortable.

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Playing Diablo Immortal on the WP58 Pro wasn’t bad at all. I experienced some lag, but it wasn’t bad enough to make the game unplayable. Again, this phone was not designed with gaming in mind (at least not at the level expected for such games).

crazy bright lights

Another thing I’ve become accustomed to with Oukitel phones are the gimmicks they often include, like removable smart watches, remotes, small secondary screens, and camping lights.

If you have never experienced an Oukitel camping light, I am warning you now: do not turn it on by lighting it in front of you as it is extremely bright. Ambient light produces 900 lumens, while white light produces 1,000 lumens. To use the light, you need to open the Camping Light app and select the type of light you want to use. You can select from SOS, Super, Full, Half, Quarter, as well as three different colors (white, together, warm).

weight and battery

The WP58 Pro isn’t as bulky as some other phones made by Oukitel, but it’s definitely heavier than anything you currently carry around with you. The WP58 Pro weighs 370 grams, while the Pixel 9 Pro weighs 199 grams.

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That weight is due to the protective case and large battery. The WP58 Pro packs a 10,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging and 10W reverse charging. For reference, my Pixel 9 Pro has a 5,060mAh battery, which I can last a day and a half with (if I’m careful).

The WP58 Pro battery barely budged from its 79% charge upon arrival. After 24 hours of testing, the battery level of the phone dropped to only 65%. That’s impressive and something my Pixel 9 Pro can only dream of doing.

ZDNET’s shopping advice

It’s nice to see an Oukitel phone that takes performance just as seriously as it does. however WP58 Pro It’s not the most powerful phone on the market, if you need something that can withstand the elements and perform better than a Pentium 75 running Windows Vista, this might be the phone you want.

The WP58 doesn’t mind being heavy, but when you can get midrange performance for the low price of $290 (and you need something far tougher than the Pixel Fold), it’s a great option.

Specifications

• 6.7″ display, smooth 120Hz refresh rate
• 10,000mAh battery with 33W fast charging and 10W reverse charging
• Up to 24GB RAM + 512GB storage.
• Octa-core processor (UMS9621S) for efficient performance.
• 64MP triple camera system for crystal-clear photos
• Dual Camping Lights with Independent Control
• 5G connectivity for lightning-fast network speeds
• Android 15 Operating System
• Weight – 370 grams
• Camp Light – 900-lumen ambient light and 1,000-lumen white light