Here's the cheapest big battery smartphone, and it has one very useful feature

Oukitel WP6 rugged smartphone - $159.99 at AliExpress

Oukitel WP6 rugged smartphone - <a href="https://www.awin1.com/awclick.php?awinmid=6378&awinaffid=103504&clickref=hawk-custom-tracking&p=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.aliexpress.com%2Fitem%2F4001221279003.html" data-link-merchant="aliexpress.com"" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">$159.99 at AliExpress
(£127/AU$228)
The main selling point of the WP6 from Oukitel is its whopping great 10,000mAh battery - one of the largest we've ever seen in a rugged smartphone to date. It's so large, in fact, you can even use it as a power bank to charge other devices in an emergency.

Prioritizing a large battery when buying a modern smartphone often means having to compromise on other features; but not so with the Oukitel WP6.

You may not have heard of the brand, but we reviewed one of its rugged smartphones back in 2018 (the WP2), if you want to get a feel for its devices. The WP6, meanwhile, is available in both orange and black at AliExpress for $159.99 (roughly £130/AU$230).

Despite its entry-level status, the WP6 sports some decidedly mid-range features, such as 4GB of RAM and 128GB onboard storage. It also boasts a 6.3-inch display with a 1080 x 2340 pixel resolution, which is higher than most laptops.

You might also want to check out our the Oukitel WP8 Pro rugged smartphone review.

Its best feature, though, has to be the fact that it is a rugged device, built like a tank with 1.1mm Corning Gorilla Glass, an "aviation metal" frame and IP68 protection.

Another notable feature is its massive 10,000mAh battery - one of the largest we’ve seen in a rugged smartphone to date. With an 18W charger, you should be able to fill it up fairly quickly, and you can also use the WP6 as an emergency portable battery charger if you get caught short.

The device also features an eight-core Mediatek Helio P70 CPU, 48-megapixel Sony camera sensor, 16-megapixel front facing camera and Android 9.0.

It's worth noting the device doesn't support wireless charging or NFC, and we wouldn’t count on Oukitel to provide more than one Android update. 

If you're after an alternative, the Blackview BV9100 has an even bigger battery (13,000mAh), but costs more and has a significantly inferior set of components (slower CPU, a third less memory, half the storage, and a lesser camera sensor).

P.S. - We have requested a WP6 for review, so stay tuned!

Bear in mind

  • If this product comes from mainland China, it will take at least a month to reach either the US or UK (and potentially more). You may be levied a tax either directly or through the courier.
  • If you've managed to get hold of a cheaper product with equivalent specifications, in stock and brand new, let us know and we'll tip our hat to you.
Desire Athow
Managing Editor, TechRadar Pro

Désiré has been musing and writing about technology during a career spanning four decades. He dabbled in website builders and web hosting when DHTML and frames were in vogue and started narrating about the impact of technology on society just before the start of the Y2K hysteria at the turn of the last millennium.