Oukitel RT1 rugged Android tablet review

Two minute review

A rugged tablet for just over $200, that’s what Oukitel, a challenger brand that usually delves into rugged smartphones, sent us for review. And on paper, it ticks all the right boxes; we love the form factor, the fact that it can accommodate two 4G SIM cards, runs on a fairly recent Android build, has two Samsung-sourced 16-megapixel camera sensors and, icing on the cake, a big 10,000mAh battery. And lest not forget that it is a waterproof and shock resistant tablet. We’d probably balk at a $400 price tag but at $210, it’s a steal.

Pricing and availability

The Oukitel RT1 is available at Banggood from as little as $209.99 at the time of writing; that’s about £160 or AU$289 excluding delivery and local taxes.

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Design

At 825g, the RT1 is about twice the mass of a similar 10.1-inch tablet like the Sony Xperia Z. Much of it is due to the reinforced body with necessary additions such as rubberized corners and a metal frame to improve shock absorption. At 251 x 170mm for a thickness of 14.5mm, it is reasonably portable without feeling too hefty. Since this is a shock-resistant tablet, it does come with IP68 and IP68K ratings as well as MIL-STD-810G.

Oukitel’s logotype adorns the rear of the tablet as well as a subtle post-modernist design. A 16-megapixel rear camera with a flash LED is inconspicuously located on the top right. Flip the tablet over and you’re greeted by the 10.1-inch FHD+ display that is covered by a layer of glossy glass, one that sadly hasn’t been coated with an oleophobic substance. The screen is very much prone to fingerprints even when the protective plastic film has been removed. Somewhere on the top bezel is a 16-megapixel front facing camera.

On the left of the tablet are, covered by rubber flaps, a Type-C connector, a SIM Tray and a microSD card slot. You can load two 4G SIM which is a rather enticing prospect. On the opposite side are the volume rocker and a power button. Two speaker grills can be found on the longer side of the tablet - hiding two real speakers - with what looks like a microphone pin hole on the other edge. There’s no POGO connectors which indicates that Oukitel doesn’t plan any optional accessories like vehicle charging docks.

Hardware

At the heart of the RT1 is a Mediatek system-on-chip, the Helio P22, with a PowerVR GPU, 4GB system memory and 64GB onboard storage. As expected at this price point, you only get DDR3 RAM and eMMC; Oukitel still managed to squeeze in a sizable 10Ah battery which can charge other devices as it supports OTG. When it comes to connectivity, there’s Wi-FI 5, Bluetooth 5.0 and 4G LTE. Sadly, there’s no NFC.

Performance and in use

Despite its eight cores, the P22 is an entry level processor by any measure and that’s understandable given the price tag. The 18W charger is optional as you should be able to use any recent Type-C charger to power this tablet. As expected, it runs on Android 11 with a stock UI, which is our preferred option. The display is bright and offers good contrast except in bright sunlight outdoors, given its average 350nits brightness.

You get the usual assortment of apps available on all Mediatek-powered rugged devices. This one, called Toolbag, includes a sound meter and a protractor. No other bloatware as is usually the case on consumer smartphones. The front and rear cameras do a decent job of capturing pictures, moving or not, just make sure you’ve got plenty of ambient light.

Should i buy the Oukitel RT1?

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