Outdoor tablets are not for everyone. Who needs a piece that weighs more than a kilogram and has a battery life that lasts for days when you only want to occasionally stream series or play a game? Regular tablets are much better suited for such application scenarios.
But for users who need a robust, long-lasting tablet with enormous resistance to environmental influences, such devices are a blessing. The Oukitel RT8, which is being tested today and is brand new on the market, also belongs to this variety. Among other things, there is a 20,000 milliamp hour (mAh) battery on board – that’s more than four times as large as a regular cell phone battery and as large as many power banks (best list). The device also impresses with its fast processor, extremely robust design and extensive scope of delivery. But there are some weaknesses – what they are can be seen in the test. The outdoor tablet currently costs 285 Euro directly in the manufacturer’s shop.
Design & workmanship
When you take the Oukitel RT8 out of its packaging, you immediately notice the heavy weight of the device. The tablet weighs almost one kilogram – that’s really impressive. For comparison: a Samsung Galaxy Tab S9 FE (test report) with 10.9 inches only weighs half as much. Due to the high weight, the user is practically forced to hold the device in both hands; it quickly becomes uncomfortable with one hand.
To make it easier to use and carry the device, there are many accessories included that can be mounted on the back of the device. This includes, among other things, a metal stand that can be moved 180 degrees, a carrying strap and a hand strap. The latter is held on the back of the device by the contact pressure of two fastening bridges; the first two accessories are screwed directly onto the back. For this purpose there are four threads, six included slotted screws and a small screwdriver.
In particular, installing the hand strap was very fiddly with the small screwdriver and the screws that were a bit too short, so we would recommend using a larger screwdriver. Overall, the accessories give a pretty high-quality impression. The same applies to the tablet, the back of which is largely made of rubberized textured plastic, which is interrupted by precisely placed orange accents – an attractive detail.
The cameras on the back don’t protrude too much from the back, but are placed very prominently because of the metal frame. Great: The buttons are made of textured metal and the ports are protected with rubber plugs. The only thing we find unfortunate is that the display edges are a bit too thick. Overall, the design and workmanship are still on point.
Display
The display of the Oukitel RT8 is an 11-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 1920 × 1200 pixels. This means it achieves a Full HD resolution with a pixel density of around 205 pixels per inch – okay, especially for a tablet. Individual pixels can only be recognized if you look for them. It is commendable that a refresh rate of 90 Hertz is available. In the settings there is the option to keep the refresh rate variable depending on the app. If necessary, you can switch back and forth between 60 and 90 Hertz.
The color representation of the display is acceptable, but due to a very clear blue cast, we advise against editing images or videos on it or carrying out other work that requires exact color representation. The viewing angle stability is okay. In our measurements we were able to determine a maximum brightness of over 500cd/m². That’s a pretty good value for a tablet, but a bit low for outdoor use. Reading the contents is not always easy in direct sunlight.
Camera
There isn’t too much to say about the camera. A 48-megapixel main camera with f/1.8 aperture is installed; it is a Sony IMX582 sensor. There is also a night vision camera in black and white with a commendable 20 megapixels and a macro camera with 5 megapixels.
The main camera takes decent photos with a satisfactory dynamic range and good color reproduction. However, these photos quickly tend to turn cool blue, especially on white surfaces – even when viewed on a screen with accurate colors. The night vision camera is accompanied by infrared LEDs and makes scenes visible in monochrome even in complete darkness. When taking photos in daylight, the night vision camera also becomes a stylish black and white filter. The front camera has a resolution of 32 megapixels and is more than usable.
Oukitel RT8 – photo gallery
Oukitel RT8 – photo gallery
Furnishing
The heart and brain of the Oukitel RT8 is a MediaTek Helio G99 processor with a clock speed of 2.2 GHz and a Mali-G57 GPU. The processor is used in many mid-range tablets in the price range under 250 euros and is comparable to the Dimensity 720, which we also know from tablets in this price range. In the everyday test, the tablet masters most tasks without hesitation, and the modern chip ensures a largely smooth user experience. In PCmark Work 3.0 there are around 9500 points, in 3Dmark Wild Life the tablet achieves a confident result of 1350 points. That’s completely fine, but it doesn’t exceed expectations either. However, complex 3D games are not really possible with the device.
There is also 6 GB of RAM and 256 GB of internal storage, which is also completely sufficient. If not, the internal storage can be expanded up to 1 TB with a microSD card. 4G LTE is also supported with band 20. Otherwise, the device has GPS with Glonass, Bluetooth 5.1 with LE support and Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac); more modern versions might have been included, especially with the last two technologies.
The built-in stereo speakers are really very loud, but the sound quality is only sufficient. The voice quality when making calls is okay. The operating system on the device is Android 13 with a security patch from January 2024. Not much is known about Oukitel’s update policy. The operating system is pure Android without any extra user interface or bloatware – that’s nice. The pre-installed digital toolbox expands the device with useful features.
battery pack
One of the biggest highlights of the Oukitel RT8 is of course the battery. A total of two lithium-ion cells with 10,000 mAh each are installed, resulting in a total battery capacity of 20,000 mAh. This isn’t the largest outdoor device battery we’ve ever tested, but it’s very close. In the PCmark Battery Test we got 23 hours of continuous running time with the device, which is really high. In practice, this means a runtime of more than five days; even with very intensive use, it should only end after four days. This is really great. The device is recharged with 33 watts in just over 4 hours – the disadvantage of the large battery.
Preis
You can currently only get the brand new Oukitel RT8 at the market launch in the manufacturer’s web shop, where it is currently only available at a discount until April 12, 2024 285 Euro costs. It is important to select the “EU” button as the plug for the charger when purchasing.
Alternatives
Conclusion
We’ve never had a tablet that lasts almost a week of continuous use. The huge battery is a unique selling point of the Oukitel RT8 – for many people this feature alone should be a reason to buy it. In addition, there is the good performance of the device, an extremely robust design that is suitable for outdoor use with many accessories and much more, such as a night vision camera. For the solid overall package, the only weakness is the dark and not entirely color-accurate screen, and the heavy weight, which is also perceived as a disadvantage, is inevitable. Anyone who is simply looking for the longest possible battery life for their tablet is in good hands here, as is anyone looking for a solid outdoor device.