OUKITEL U16 MAX Overview

Introduction

Oukitel is one of the manufacturers that release interesting smartphones from time to time. The company is best known for its K4000, K6000, K10000 and K10000 Pro models, which feature large batteries at low to mid-range prices. The U16 Max also has a large battery, but the main selling point here is the 6-inch screen. Let's see if this device can be called a quality tablet phone.

Judging by the reviews of smartphonesXiaomi Mi Max, ZTE Nubia Z11 Max and Umi Max, we can conclude that the screen size of 5.5 inches is the limit for some users, above which it is already inconvenient to work. It is especially inconvenient to make calls and type large amounts of text. On the other hand, viewing multimedia content, reading in a browser on such large screens is a pleasant experience.

Oukitel U16 Max is not too different from the above devices and also poses a number of challenges for the user. Before buying this smartphone, it is recommended to check the size of your palms.

Delivery set

Oukitel's usual orange box contains a standard set. There is a smartphone itself, a USB cable, a charging adapter, a SIM eject tool and a warranty. Like previous smartphones, a screen protector and a transparent film are pre-installed on the device. Headphones are not included in the package.

Hardware and design

The developers drew inspiration from the smartphoneHuaweiMate 8, which came out last year with a screen 6 inches. There is nothing outstanding in the appearance of the new device. The developers made noticeable omissions in ergonomics, since it is difficult to grasp such a large body. In addition, the device weighs 222 g, so it is not easy to hold it for a long time.

All hardware buttons are located on the right side of the case, the fingerprint scanner is located on the back side under the camera. For those with smaller hands, reaching the fingerprint scanner can be problematic as it sits closer to the top than the center of this large device. The metal case is slippery, making it even more difficult to hold.

Since this year's flagships tend to improve the bezels around the screen, this device looks outdated. Even taking into account the price of $125, you can ignore the uncomfortable design and nondescript look. Since this is a large smartphone, you should buy it only when you have a conscious need.

Screen

Large screen is the main advantage of this smartphone, but at the same time the main disappointment. The 6-inch LCD panel has a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixels and a pixel density of 245 ppi, which is barely adequate by modern standards. The poor quality of the screen is especially noticeable due to its large size.

Color reproduction is not too good compared to Xiaomi or Lenovo smartphones at a similar price. Although the colors can not be called washed out, they are somehow different from other smartphones.

Oukitel U16 Max runs on Android Nougat, so the size of the objects displayed on the screen can be changed, which slightly improves the situation and allows you to fit more items on a large screen with a small resolution.

I would like the screen resolution of this device to be 1080p, like Nubia Z11 Max or Xiaomi Mi Max. In its current state, the screen is more of a disadvantage.

Audio and call quality

The smartphone supports European frequency bands in 4G networks LTE. During testing, there were no problems with telephone conversations and mobile Internet connection. Voices sound clear enough, the interlocutors hear you also normally.

The speaker outputs good sound quality, as does the headphone jack. Like past Oukitel smartphones, this one has audio enhancement settings with the ability to change the volume, bass and environment simulation options. The difference after their application is small, it is more noticeable in the headphones.

Camera

The rear camera has a resolution of 13 MP, the front one is 5 MP, the photo quality is average. Even with a good lighting, the photo with the main chamber is obtained unpleasant and contain artifacts along the edges of the image. The dynamic range is rather weak, so for serious shooting this smartphone is better not to use.

There is nothing to say about the front chamber, the photos speak for themselves. They go out quite blurry. For comparison, smartphones like Xiaomi Redmi 4a and Redmi 4 have much better quality cameras.

The rear camera allows you to shoot a video format 1080p with a frequency of 30 frames in Second, but the quality is low and here. With a night shooting, the camera is completely useless, because it cannot focus and capture the color even when the flash is turned on. Frame rate is extremely low.

Software

The Android Nougat 7.1.1 system is installed on the default smartphone. This is close to the clean version of Android, with the exception of the light loader instead of the backup version of the Nougat version. This loader is also not bad, although the icons do not coincide with the design elements.

Software works in most cases stable. Developers did not prevent applications and make big changes in Android. Often, small manufacturers do not solve problems that are found in their changed Android shells, and users have to endure problems. In this case, this is not.

The same update system uses that in most Chinese smartphones. During testing, four updates were received, designed to improve the stability of work. There was no advertising on the smartphone, which sometimes happens on similar devices. In general, there is no complaints about software.

Performance

OUKITEL U16 MAX can easily cope with everyday tasks of smartphones. Even when 5-6 applications are simultaneously launched, no noticeable lags are observed. Promotes this 8-nuclear processor MEDIATEK MT6753 and 3 GB of memory. These specifications are quite sufficient for simple work in social networks and messengers, as well as for not the most difficult games.

It is impossible not to mention the responsiveness of the fingerprint scanner, which quickly recognizes the imprint and gives access to the system. This is especially important since most smartphones in this price range recognize fingerprints too slowly and often have to disable this recognition altogether.

Naturally, benchmarks do not show outstanding results. The indicators are worse than those of the flagships 3 years ago, but in everyday work this does not particularly affect.

Battery life

The battery capacity is 4000 mAh, which is one of the strengths of this device. With a moderate load, the device will work for at least a day, and the duration in standby mode is also high. On average, when using Twitter, WhatsApp, Instagram and playing Clash of Clans, we managed to achieve 5 hours of work with the screen on.

Calls do not put too much strain on the battery and as a result, the phone is well-suited for work. Low screen resolution also contributes to lower power consumption, as does not the most powerful processor. The back side does not get hot despite the metal housing.

It takes two and a half hours to charge from zero to maximum, and there is no support for fast charging. The developers have made changes to clean Android's power saving mode, but it's hard to tell if this has improved power savings.

Conclusion

If you're looking for a big screen smartphone, you can give the Oukitel U16 Max a chance. There's nothing here that you can't find in regular-sized smartphones other than the big screen. The device does some things well, others not so much, so you need to decide depending on your requirements for smartphones and budget.

Performance, battery life and call quality are good, other aspects are bad even for the lower price category. If you want a 6-inch smartphone but aren't willing to spend more than $200, there's not much to choose from. More expensive is the excellent Xiaomi Mi Max 2, which is not available in all countries. Other competitors include the Blu Studio XL 2, Blu Neo XL, andAlcatelPixi 4. They have their own trade-offs, like older versions of Android and smaller batteries, so you have to decide what's important and what's not.

Pros

Cons

Score : 6