I Tested An Android Phone With A Built-in Smartwatch - My Thoughts After A Month

5 days ago

ZDNET's cardinal takeaways

The Oukitel WP300 is disposable now connected Amazon for $425 pinch a $70 disconnected coupon.
This modular smartphone has built-in smartwatch and earbud components, arsenic good arsenic a very agleam LED light.
Like each Oukitel phones I've tested, nan WP300 is thick, bulky, and very heavy.

There are definite brands that person carved a niche for themselves, and Oukitel is 1 of them. The institution creates phones and tablets that are rugged capable to withstand nan rougher broadside of activity and play. They are built to last, and successful my experience, they do. However, astir of nan devices look for illustration they're portion telephone and portion Transformer, truthful they aren't for everyone.

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But if you're into that thing, they're beautiful cool -- particularly erstwhile they travel pinch accessories. Such is nan lawsuit pinch nan Oukitel WP300. This telephone is not conscionable a run-of-the-mill mid-range Android smartphone; it features a modular smartwatch constituent arsenic good arsenic a built-in earbud.

The WP300 telephone pinch nan smartwatch module attached to nan watch band.

What nan what?

That's right, nan WP300 has a pop-out smartwatch module and a earnestly agleam pop-out ray module that seconds arsenic a Bluetooth earpiece. Definitely a unsocial device. It's cool, but is it worthy $500? Let's find out.

The WP300 watch module successful its watchband.

My experience

I'm accustomed to reviewing Oukitel phones, truthful pulling a telephone retired of a container that weighs existent pounds (instead of ounces) doesn't fuss me. It's heavy, and there's nary measurement astir that.

At nan aforesaid time, though, it's beautiful cool. As is pinch astir Android phones, nan first setup was arsenic elemental arsenic it gets:

Connect nan telephone to Wi-Fi
Connect Android to my Google account

Because of nan accoutrement, however, location are immoderate further steps to take. For example, you request to instal nan Da Fit app truthful nan watch tin sync pinch nan phone.

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I will pass you that nan Da Fit app is filled pinch ads, and it really wants you to salary for an account. The ads tin beryllium a spot off-putting to nan constituent wherever you mightiness not want to moreover usage it. And you don't have to -- arsenic without nan app, nan watch useful -- you conscionable won't spot nan information connected your phone.

As acold arsenic utilizing nan WP300, it's an Android, truthful it's easy to activity pinch and customizable. I will opportunity this: location is immoderate bloatware. You'll find nan pursuing non-standard apps:

FM Radio
AI Album
System Manager
Pedometer
ToolBag
QRCode Scan

By default, nan WP300 doesn't default to an App Drawer, which is thing that ever bothers me. Give america Android arsenic it was meant to be. Fortunately, you tin alteration nan App Drawer by long-pressing nan location screen, tapping Settings, and past enabling "With App drawer" for nan "Home screen" option.

Of course, that's conscionable individual preference.

What astir performance?

Any clip you're dealing pinch a midrange phone, you person to see performance. You do not want to upwind up pinch an underpowered telephone that's going to make you regret buying it.

Keep successful mind, however, that you don't bargain Oukitel phones for nan performance, but alternatively their expertise to withstand nan elements. These phones are astir taking them to stone quarries aliases different harsh terrain, knowing they tin reliable it out.

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That being said, nan WP300 performs well. Apps unfastened quickly, websites render arsenic accelerated arsenic they do connected my Pixel 9 Pro, and animations are comparatively smooth. Unlike galore different midrange phones I've reviewed successful nan past, I recovered very small "stuttering" aliases hiccups erstwhile pulling down nan Notification Shade, switching betwixt applications, aliases backing retired of an application. It's each smooth.

I'm not saying nan WP300 performs arsenic good arsenic a flagship phone, but I'd put it up against immoderate different midrange instrumentality and consciousness comfortable that it would clasp its own.

Lets talk modules

There are 2 pop-out modules: nan watch/Bluetooth earpiece, and nan light. You tin popular retired nan smartwatch by pressing nan merchandise fastener connected nan telephone (at nan bottommost separator of nan module slot) and past popping it onto nan watch band. The ray is removed successful nan aforesaid way. Once removed, popular it into your receptor for hands-free calling.

When nan earpiece is near successful nan phone, it doubles arsenic a 2nd mini screen, wherever you tin tally immoderate app that's installed connected nan watch. The ray is simply a abstracted module that doesn't do double duty. You move connected nan ray pinch nan Camping Lights app, wherever you tin usage it arsenic an SOS, a very agleam flash, a afloat light, a half-light, aliases a 4th light.

As nan informing says, do not radiance this ray successful someone's eyes -- It's that bright.

ZDNET's buying advice

Do I urge this phone? That's a spot tricky, but for illustration astir of Oukitel's phones, I tin opportunity this: If you request nan astir rugged handset connected nan marketplace (that won't costs you thousands of dollars), nan Oukitel WP300 will suit you well, arsenic will astir of nan brand's phones. If you request a telephone that includes a modular smartwatch (and you don't attraction astir marque recognition) and regularly request an earpiece aliases a crazy-bright LED, past nan WP300 is nan telephone for you.

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The mightiness beryllium a dense beast of a device, but that's portion of its charm. It's big, beefy, and rugged arsenic a lumberjack.

The specs

Battery - 16,000mAh pinch 18W reverse charging.
108 MP main camera, 32MP beforehand camera, and 2MP macro lens.
RAM - 12GB (with an further 24 GB that tin beryllium added from wrong settings.
Storage - 512GB
Display - 6.8" astatine 1080 X 2460 resolution, 396 pixel density, 650 nits, a 120Hz refresh rate, and Corning Gorilla Glass 5.
CPU - 5G MediaTek 7050
Military-grade daze resistance.
Certified pinch IP68 and IP69K dust, sand, and h2o guidance (up to 1.5 meters underwater for 30 minutes).