Oukitel U18 which is another budget device from Oukitel provides decent value for the money you pay. Following the notch mania, it comes with a big display with a big notch on top of it. Talking about the specifications, the internals is powerful enough to handle general apps but you will not be able to play high-end games. One thing which is great is the battery life. U18 comes with a big battery to keep it going without the need of recharging again and again. With that being said, there is no headphone jack on this device which seems weird on a smartphone this thick.
Let's jump right toward the review of Oukitel U18 starting with the stuff that comes in the box.
Inside the Box
Oukitel U18 comes in a bigger than usual square package which enhances the unboxing experience. You get a white color box with Oukitel branding on the front and some key specifications of the device on the back. Overall the package box is made out of high quality material. Cracking up the box open, you will find the following stuff.
Oukitel U18
Power adapter
USB Type-C CableCable
Screen protector
Transparent back cover
Warranty card
User manual
Type-C to 3.5 mm audio jack dongle
SIM ejector
There is no shortage of any important stuff except the earphones. Although, almost every other smartphone now-a-days ships without an earphones in the box. The screen protector comes preinstalled on the device. Another useful thing which is the transparent back cover is made out of quality material to keep the device safe. As said earlier that the package is big. The dimensions of the box are 7.09 x 4.72 x 2.36 inches. While the total weight of the box including the Oukitel U18 is 360 grams. Overall the unboxing experience is great.
Enough about the packaging, let's talk about the device now.
Design and Build
Holding the device for the first time, I was actually amazed at how comfortable the device is to hold considering the thickness and bulkiness. Honestly, Oukitel U18 is not a thin or light device but it manages to fit comfortably in the hands. Oukitel is using zinc alloy for the frame which makes the device durable. The front of the device is covered with 2.5D curved glass and the rear is covered by a 3D curved back cover. The rear cover has a brushed metal finish with another texture running around the camera module. You can get a better understanding by looking at the image down below. There are two color options Black and Golden and for the black model is the one to go with.
Talking about being thick and heavy, Oukitel U18 will actually make you feel uncomfortable by the numbers on paper. The device is 10 mm thick and has an overall weight of 213 grams. However, as I said earlier, in reality, the device is comfortable to hold because of its design language.
Coming towards the front, Oukitel U18 comes with a large 21:9 display with a notch just like the iPhone X. The notch portion houses the front camera, proximity sensor, earpiece and the ambient light sensor. However, unlike the iPhone X, there is a chin at the bottom which some will find ugly. Since the cost of eliminating the chin by folding the display is too much, U18 goes with the chin option just like many other Android smartphones.
Other than that, the volume key and the power button is on the right while you have the Hybrid SIM slot the left of U18. Coming towards the bottom, you have a USB Type-C charging port along with a speaker. However, there is no audio jack and you get a dongle in the box. Turning the phone around, you will find the dual camera setup along with LED flash, fingerprint scanner, and Oukitel branding.
Wrapping it up, the overall build quality is amazing for the phone in the budget segment.
Display
Following the iPhone X notch trend (iPhone X was not the first phone with a notch), Oukitel U18 comes with a gigantic display along with a big notch. But the story here is a little different. Let me tell you why. Since the display on this device is a 21:9 Full HD+ panel. The 21:9 ratio is not usual and most of the apps will end up with black edges on this display. But that does not mean the display is bad or something. Oukitel U18 also uses a 2.5D curved glass for giving a premium look to the display.
Since the display has 1512 x 720 resolution, the quality is decently sharp with great color reproduction. Viewing angles are amazing due to the IPS LCD panels on this device. Talking about the notch, it will be uncomfortable for users who will be using a notch phone for the first time. Since there is less space for the icons to fit, only useful information like clock, signal strength etc are displayed. Which means that not all your notification icons will be visible to you immediately. The can be uncomfortable for many users.
Taking the phone out for a walk, you are not going to face any issue as the brightness is enough to be decently usable under direct sunlight. Reading news, blogs etc are also not going to be an issue, however, you might be able to notice some pixelation. Taking care of the display protection, Oukitel U18 ships with a pre-installed screen protector which can protect the display from minor dust particles or scratched from the stuff in your pockets.
Well, honestly if you can bear the black edges on 3rd party apps the display on Oukitel U18 is pleasant enough to enjoy anytime anywhere.
Performance and Memory
For moderate users who frequently use general apps like Whatsapp or Facebook and does not play any heavy games much, Oukitel U18 is gonna be a great buy. As like other devices in the similar segment, U18 is also powered by a mid-tier SoC which is unable to handle model 3D title at max settings.
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