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Oukitel U18 Smartphone Review

Apple iPhone X for the price-conscious. The Chinese manufacturer Oukitel does not go out of its way to denounce its smartphone’s similarity to Apple’s flagship device (iPhone X), instead the company actually goes so far as to compare both its mid-range U18 offering and Apple’s top-end smartphone, the iPhone X, on its own website. What it has to offer, besides the notch, you can find out in our review.
Oukitel U18

Just from its overall look you would never be able to tell that the U18, which has clearly been inspired by the Apple iPhone X and the Huawei Mate 10 Pro, is a smartphone from the 130 to 150-Euro (~$204-236) price range. This is because the Chinese manufacturer opts for a modern, bezel-less design. The smartphone features a 5.85-inch, 21:9 IPS display with a resolution of 1512x720. The display is also “adorned” with the rounded edges at the top and the bottom.

Analogous to the similarly-looking smartphones from Cupertino and Shenzhen, the mid-range device from Oukitel also sports a dual-camera set-up on its back. The Oukitel smartphone can be unlocked via “Face ID”, thanks to its 13 MP front-facing camera, and it also has a fingerprint scanner on the back.

The Oukitel U18 has a total of 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB of internal storage at its disposal. The storage capacity can be increased by up to 64 GB with a Micro SD card. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek 6750T, whose eight cores can reach up to 1.5 GHz. 

The competition in this price range is intense, and some imported smartphones in particular can offer partially better specs. These include: the Bluboo S8, the Leagoo Kiicaa Mix and the Doogee BL5000. There are also local competitors such as the Nokia 5 and the BQ Aquaris V to consider as well as the Huawei Y6 Pro 2017. All of the above-mentioned devices are viable competitors, which we have included in this review for comparison purposes. 

Oukitel U18 (U Series)
Processor
Mediatek MT6750 8 x 1.5 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
4 GB 
Display
5.85 inch 21:9, 1512 x 720 pixel 286 PPI, Capacitive, Multi-Touch, LCD IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
64 GB eMMC Flash, 64 GB 
, 53.1 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: USB Type-C, Card Reader: Mirco SD cards up to 64 GB, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: motion sensor, proximity sensor, OTG, HotKnot, Fast Charging
Networking
802.11a/b/g/n (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.2, 2G/GSM 850/900/1800/1900MHz (B5/B8/B3/B2), 3G/WCDMA 900/2100MHz, 4G/FDD-LTE 800/900/1800/2100/2600MHz (19/20, 8, 3, 1, 7), Dual SIM, LTE, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 10 x 150.5 x 73.2 ( = 0.39 x 5.93 x 2.88 in)
Battery
4000 mAh Lithium-Polymer
Operating System
Android 7.0 Nougat
Camera
Primary Camera: 13 MPix Dual camera13MP+5MP, contrast -AF, Dual-LED flash, Videos @1080p/​30fps
Secondary Camera: 8 MPix Interpolated to 13MP
Additional features
Speakers: Mono, Keyboard: OnScreen, Keyboard Light: yes, USB cable, headphone jack adapter, modular AC adapter, plastic case, Oukitel UI, 12 Months Warranty, fanless
Weight
214 g ( = 7.55 oz / 0.47 pounds), Power Supply: 45 g ( = 1.59 oz / 0.1 pounds)
Price
150 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - Thick Oukitel mobile

Color variants of the Oukitel U18
Color variants of the Oukitel U18

The case of the Oukitel U18 is composed of glass as well as a plastic back cover. The smartphone’s case is very rigid, thanks to its metal edges, which surely make a considerable contribution to the overall weight of the device, which amounts to a cool 214 grams. The non-removable plastic back cover does not bend easily but is somewhat slippery. The smartphone feels very good in the hand, despite its thickness of 10 mm and its high weight.

The rounded edges of the U18 can be described as relatively thin. That being said, the smartphone offers only a moderate screen-to-body ratio of 78%, due to its large top and bottom lips. However, when compared to the rest of the competition in this price range, such a result looks quite good. 

The build quality is absolutely satisfactory, even though the power button and the volume rocker are quite wobbly. That being said, the power button and the volume rocker do have very clear actuation points.

Oukitel U18
Oukitel U18

Size Comparison

155 mm / 6.1 inch 76 mm / 2.99 inch 10 mm / 0.3937 inch 210 g0.463 lbs150.5 mm / 5.93 inch 73.2 mm / 2.88 inch 10 mm / 0.3937 inch 214 g0.4718 lbs149.5 mm / 5.89 inch 70.6 mm / 2.78 inch 8.4 mm / 0.3307 inch 200 g0.4409 lbs149.7 mm / 5.89 inch 72.5 mm / 2.85 inch 8.05 mm / 0.3169 inch 148 g0.3263 lbs148.1 mm / 5.83 inch 73 mm / 2.87 inch 8.4 mm / 0.3307 inch 165 g0.3638 lbs143.9 mm / 5.67 inch 71 mm / 2.8 inch 8 mm / 0.315 inch 145 g0.3197 lbs141 mm / 5.55 inch 75.8 mm / 2.98 inch 7.9 mm / 0.311 inch 153 g0.3373 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity - HotKnot instead of NFC

The Oukitel U18 does not have an NFC chip and instead features MediaTek’s own HotKnot solution. The proprietary MediaTek technology functions similarly to NFC - when two devices with imbedded HotKnot chips come into contact with each other, data transfer is made possible.

The amount of eMMC storage space (64 GB) that the Oukitel U18 offers is actually pretty generous for a mid-range device. However, only 51 GB is available to the user, the rest is occupied by the OS. Moreover, the storage capacity can be increased by up to 64 GB with the help of a Micro SD card, and both internal and external storage can also be merged.

The device uses a USB Type-C port on the bottom for charging. However, this port can only run at USB 2.0 speeds. The port also supports On-The-Go (OTG) functionality, which means you can connect an external storage device or a keyboard to the smartphone. Other connectivity features include: FM radio, Miracast and support for wireless-streaming. Casting screen content to a Sony Android TV works flawlessly.

Software - Stock Android without notch optimization

The Oukitel U18 runs Android 7.0 Nougat with the January 2018 security patch. Because Android 7.0 does not feature native support for a notch you cannot pull down the notification shade when you slide your finger down the notch. Whether there will be an update to Android 8.1 and whether this update will include native support for the notch is unclear.

Another “problem” with the notch is that it “occupies” the area of the screen that is typically reserved for system notifications. So there is not enough space for such notifications. After all, there is barely enough space for the battery, Wi-Fi and signal indicators.  

The U18 comes with a nearly stock Android skin. Other software functions such as three-finger screen-shot, one-handed mode and gesture control are also installed. However, the settings menu for gesture control functionality is rendered in English, even though our system language is set to German. 

Communication and GPS - LTE Band 20 is supported

The U18 features Bluetooth 4.2. The integrated Wi-Fi module supports the IEEE 802.11 a/b/g/n (dual-band) standards and operates in the 2.4 and 5 GHz spectral bands. The range as well as signal stability are quite average. In close proximity to our router (Telekom Speedport, W921V), the signal attenuation amounts to -46 dBm.

The data transfer speeds between the smartphone and our reference-grade router, Linksys EA 8500, are very good. The transfer rates of over 100 Mbit/s are quite impressive for a device with this price tag. Moreover, the transfer rates remained constant over the course of our Wi-Fi test.

For wireless communication, the Oukitel smartphone supports GSM (quad-band), UMTS (dual-band) and LTE. All in all, the number of supported frequency bands is comparatively low. Thanks to dual SIM functionality, you can use two nano SIM cards at the same time. Both SIM-card slots feature support for LTE. Unusually for an imported device, the Oukitel U18 supports LTE band 20 (800 MHz), which is of particular importance to those who reside in rural areas in Germany.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
HTC U11 Plus
Adreno 540, SD 835, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
583 MBit/s +472%
BQ Aquaris V
Adreno 505, 435, 32 GB eMMC Flash
222 MBit/s +118%
Nokia 5
Adreno 505, 430, 16 GB eMMC Flash
112 MBit/s +10%
Oukitel U18
Mali-T860 MP2, MT6750, 64 GB eMMC Flash
102 MBit/s
Doogee BL5000
Mali-T860 MP2, MT6750, 64 GB eMMC Flash
90.7 MBit/s -11%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
Adreno 405, 425, 16 GB eMMC Flash
47.4 MBit/s -54%
Bluboo S8
Mali-T860 MP2, MT6750, 32 GB eMMC Flash
46.5 MBit/s -54%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
Mali-T860 MP2, MT6750, 32 GB eMMC Flash
45.1 MBit/s -56%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Smartphone
  (last 2 years)
376 MBit/s +239%
HTC U11 Plus
Adreno 540, SD 835, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash
345 MBit/s +211%
BQ Aquaris V
Adreno 505, 435, 32 GB eMMC Flash
287 MBit/s +159%
Nokia 5
Adreno 505, 430, 16 GB eMMC Flash
122 MBit/s +10%
Oukitel U18
Mali-T860 MP2, MT6750, 64 GB eMMC Flash
111 MBit/s
Doogee BL5000
Mali-T860 MP2, MT6750, 64 GB eMMC Flash
101 MBit/s -9%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
Adreno 405, 425, 16 GB eMMC Flash
51.7 MBit/s -53%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
Mali-T860 MP2, MT6750, 32 GB eMMC Flash
37.4 MBit/s -66%
Bluboo S8
Mali-T860 MP2, MT6750, 32 GB eMMC Flash
33.2 MBit/s -70%
GPS indoors
GPS indoors
GPS outdoors
GPS outdoors

The device uses Assisted GPS (aGPS) and GLONASS for geolocation. Outdoors, the U18 takes some time to determine your location and exhibits a margin of error of four meters. Indoors, even a weak signal is enough to acquire a location with a margin of error of three meters. We also took the smartphone with us on a nine-kilometer bike ride, after which we compared the results of the U18 to those of the professional navigator Garmin Edge 500 to see just how accurate they are. All in all, there was a 150-meter discrepancy between the two devices, which is not a bad result for a device in this price range. This kind of performance should be more than sufficient for navigation with a car or bicycle.

GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Garmin Edge 500
GPS Oukitel U18
GPS Oukitel U18
GPS Oukitel U18
GPS Oukitel U18
GPS Oukitel U18
GPS Oukitel U18

Telephony and Call Quality - Oukitel U18 impresses

We do not have any complaints when it comes to call quality. The caller is easy to understand, and we were also understood quite well. The phone app resembles the standard Android telephone app a lot. The interface is simple and easy to use. 

Cameras - Oukitel smartphone with a dual-camera set-up

Front-facing camera
Front-facing camera

The main camera features the Sony IMX135 CMOS image sensor with a resolution of 16 MP (3456x4608). The f/2.0 aperture in our review device ensures that the images look bright and well-detailed when shot under good lighting conditions. However, the focus is not very precise and the dynamic range could have been wider as well. There is also an additional 5 MP camera on the back, the purpose of which we were unable to determine. It is not used for zooming and the depth-of-field effect works well even when the small 5 MP camera is covered up. 

Nevertheless, the image quality is still good for a device with this price tag. The sharpness (see the test chart) and the color reproduction are okay and the shutter speed is also in good order. However, under poor lighting conditions, the auto-focus reaches its limit and the images appear blurry and lack definition.

The front-facing camera has a resolution of 8 MP, which can be interpolated up to 13 MP, and it has an f/2.8 aperture. The picture quality of the Galaxy Core GC80254 image sensor is disappointing. The images are often noisy and lack sharpness most of the time. It can record 720p video at 30 FPS. The rear camera can shoot video in 1080p at 30 FPS.

Depth of field
Depth of field
Standard mode
Standard mode
HDR mode
HDR mode

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

Accessories and Warranty - Standard fare

The box contains the device itself, a quick-start guide, a wall wart as well as a USB charging cable and a headphone jack adapter. Moreover, there is also a transparent plastic case from Oukitel in the box. The box does not contain a USB Type-C headset. 

The Chinese manufacturer provides a 12-month international warranty for its device. You can learn here what to watch out for when buying a smartphone from foreign firms. Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies and Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

Input Devices and Handling - Unnecessary restrictions

The Oukitel U18 is controlled via the standard Android on-screen buttons such as the “Back” button, the “Overview” button and the “Home” button. The capacitive touchscreen works well and can register up to five inputs at the same time. Straight out of the box, the smartphone uses the stock Android keyboard.

The fingerprint scanner on the back works fast but not very reliably. Moreover, it takes a while for the screen to turn on after you wake the device from stand-by mode. Besides the fingerprint reader, you can also use the face ID feature to unlock the smartphone, which works surprisingly well even in poor lighting conditions. The fact that you cannot use both options at the same time is quite puzzling. The ability to use the two security features at the same time would have brought additional value to the smartphone. Oukitel should rectify this situation via a software update. 

Display - Bright but not evenly-lit

Pixel arrangement
Pixel arrangement

The U18’s 5.85-inch display has a resolution of 1512x720 and an aspect ratio of 21:9. This leads to a pixel density of 285 ppi. This is why the screen content does not look very sharp. However, this resolution is more than sufficient for day-to-day use.

The maximum brightness (565 cd/m²) is very high. However, the brightness distribution of 83% is very poor. When you enable the adaptive brightness feature, the display brightness actually reaches 613 cd/m². 

The black value of 0.55 cd/m² is somewhat high for an IPS panel. The panel has a contrast ratio of 1:1027. The realistically-oriented APL50 test pattern, which consists of evenly distributed dark and bright areas, turns in a maximum brightness of 570 cd/m² and a black value of 0.56 cd/m². This corresponds to a good contrast ratio of 1:1018.

525
cd/m²
559
cd/m²
551
cd/m²
521
cd/m²
565
cd/m²
553
cd/m²
468
cd/m²
530
cd/m²
540
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 565 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 534.7 cd/m² Minimum: 23.94 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 83 %
Center on Battery: 565 cd/m²
Contrast: 1027:1 (Black: 0.55 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 7.1 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.2 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.85
Oukitel U18
LCD IPS, 1512x720, 5.85
Bluboo S8
IPS, 1440x720, 5.70
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50
Doogee BL5000
IPS, 1920x1080, 5.50
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
IPS, 1280x720, 5.00
Nokia 5
IPS, 1280x720, 5.20
BQ Aquaris V
IPS, 1280x720, 5.20
HTC U11 Plus
Super LCD 6, 2880x1440, 6.00
Screen
-6%
11%
-23%
9%
12%
17%
33%
Brightness middle
565
544.2
-4%
441
-22%
519
-8%
393
-30%
630
12%
578
2%
361
-36%
Brightness
535
539
1%
444
-17%
506
-5%
388
-27%
635
19%
583
9%
356
-33%
Brightness Distribution
83
95
14%
91
10%
89
7%
90
8%
90
8%
91
10%
90
8%
Black Level *
0.55
0.67
-22%
0.44
20%
0.52
5%
0.42
24%
0.57
-4%
0.49
11%
0.21
62%
Contrast
1027
812
-21%
1002
-2%
998
-3%
936
-9%
1105
8%
1180
15%
1719
67%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
7.1
7.4
-4%
4.1
42%
9.1
-28%
5.8
18%
5
30%
5.4
24%
2.5
65%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
13.7
10.8
21%
8.8
36%
19.6
-43%
8.7
36%
8.7
36%
9.1
34%
5.3
61%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.2
8.1
-31%
4.9
21%
12.7
-105%
3
52%
6.9
-11%
4.3
31%
1.7
73%
Gamma
2.85 77%
2.01 109%
2.36 93%
2.34 94%
2.31 95%
2.37 93%
2.13 103%
2.21 100%
CCT
7153 91%
8989 72%
7549 86%
9611 68%
7060 92%
8736 74%
7400 88%
6580 99%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

The picture quality of the IPS panel seems pretty impressive during normal use: Screen content is rich in contrast and the colors look good as well. However, objective measurements paint a slightly different picture: According to our colorimeter, which runs SpectraCal's CalMAN software, the U18’s display is on the “cool" side with a color temperature of 7153 K (6500 K is the ideal). Furthermore, the DeltaE 2000 deviations for both the grayscale (6.2) and the colors (7.1) are also quite strong (DeltaE less than 3 is the desired value). That being said, these figures are perfectly satisfactory for a smartphone in this price range. 

Colors (sRGB)
Colors (sRGB)
Color Space (sRGB)
Color Space (sRGB)
Grayscale (sRGB)
Grayscale (sRGB)
Saturation (sRGB)
Saturation (sRGB)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
15.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 4.8 ms rise
↘ 10.8 ms fall
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 31 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
42.8 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21.6 ms rise
↘ 21.2 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 66 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

Thanks to the high brightness of the LCD display, screen content is quite readable under the open sky, even when you are standing in direct sunlight. As is often the case, the viewing angles of the IPS panel are very good. When viewed from the sides or the top/bottom, the display loses a little bit of brightness. However, at acute angles, screen content becomes marred by a bluish or a yellowish cast.

Oukitel U18
Oukitel U18
Oukitel U18
Oukitel U18

Performance - Oukitel’s phone is on the same level as the competition

The Oukitel U18 is based on a 64-bit MediaTek MT6750 from 2016 and has 4 GB of RAM at its disposal. The clock rates of the eight Cortex A53 cores can reach up to 1.5 GHz in performance mode and up to 1 GHz in energy-saving mode. The ARM-based Mali-T860 MP2 serves as the GPU and features a maximum core clock of 520 MHz.

During normal use, the MT6750 provides a pretty good user experience. When you navigate through the system menus, nothing seems to lag or stutter and the experience, in general, is pretty smooth. However, once the processor is taxed, the device starts lagging, stuttering and freezing, especially when opening apps. Over the course of our review, a number of apps spat out various error messages, which went away after restarting the device. The benchmark results of the Oukitel U18 are on the same level as those of the competition.

AnTuTu v7
Total Score (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
54989 Points
HTC U11 Plus
217442 Points +295%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (52278 - 56639, n=10)
54391 Points -1%
CPU (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
24710 Points
HTC U11 Plus
73074 Points +196%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (23454 - 26669, n=10)
24798 Points 0%
UX (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
14412 Points
HTC U11 Plus
43739 Points +203%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (14268 - 15471, n=10)
14682 Points +2%
MEM (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
4411 Points
HTC U11 Plus
16148 Points +266%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (4039 - 5154, n=10)
4519 Points +2%
AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Bluboo S8
42181 Points
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
41507 Points
Doogee BL5000
43679 Points
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
36414 Points
Nokia 5
45274 Points
BQ Aquaris V
44029 Points
HTC U11 Plus
183057 Points
Average Mediatek MT6750 (38547 - 44842, n=17)
41781 Points
PCMark for Android
Work performance score (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
4532 Points
Doogee BL5000
4349 Points -4%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
4491 Points -1%
Nokia 5
5060 Points +12%
BQ Aquaris V
4694 Points +4%
HTC U11 Plus
7964 Points +76%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (3667 - 4532, n=13)
4271 Points -6%
Average of class Smartphone (10884 - 19297, n=2, last 2 years)
15091 Points +233%
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
3358 Points
Bluboo S8
3347 Points 0%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
3118 Points -7%
Doogee BL5000
3254 Points -3%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
3363 Points 0%
Nokia 5
3807 Points +13%
BQ Aquaris V
3687 Points +10%
HTC U11 Plus
6695 Points +99%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (2782 - 3394, n=17)
3221 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (9101 - 12871, n=4, last 2 years)
10872 Points +224%
BaseMark OS II
Overall (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
899 Points
Bluboo S8
965 Points +7%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
888 Points -1%
Doogee BL5000
309 Points -66%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
733 Points -18%
Nokia 5
958 Points +7%
BQ Aquaris V
828 Points -8%
HTC U11 Plus
3447 Points +283%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (253 - 965, n=19)
663 Points -26%
Average of class Smartphone (411 - 11438, n=158, last 2 years)
5704 Points +534%
System (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
1838 Points
Bluboo S8
1971 Points +7%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
1870 Points +2%
Doogee BL5000
1885 Points +3%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
1195 Points -35%
Nokia 5
2154 Points +17%
BQ Aquaris V
1600 Points -13%
HTC U11 Plus
5926 Points +222%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (1077 - 2003, n=19)
1776 Points -3%
Average of class Smartphone (2376 - 16475, n=158, last 2 years)
9621 Points +423%
Memory (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
798 Points
Bluboo S8
974 Points +22%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
786 Points -2%
Doogee BL5000
782 Points -2%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
689 Points -14%
Nokia 5
788 Points -1%
BQ Aquaris V
557 Points -30%
HTC U11 Plus
3376 Points +323%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (609 - 1288, n=19)
833 Points +4%
Average of class Smartphone (670 - 12306, n=158, last 2 years)
6230 Points +681%
Graphics (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
640 Points
Bluboo S8
644 Points +1%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
638 Points 0%
Doogee BL5000
641 Points 0%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
436 Points -32%
Nokia 5
740 Points +16%
BQ Aquaris V
779 Points +22%
HTC U11 Plus
6086 Points +851%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (471 - 649, n=19)
585 Points -9%
Average of class Smartphone (697 - 58651, n=158, last 2 years)
13900 Points +2072%
Web (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
698 Points
Bluboo S8
701 Points 0%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
664 Points -5%
Doogee BL5000
10 Points -99%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
802 Points +15%
Nokia 5
671 Points -4%
BQ Aquaris V
676 Points -3%
HTC U11 Plus
1159 Points +66%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (9 - 1137, n=19)
446 Points -36%
Average of class Smartphone (10 - 2145, n=158, last 2 years)
1487 Points +113%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
608 Points
Bluboo S8
603 Points -1%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
599 Points -1%
Doogee BL5000
612 Points +1%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
664 Points +9%
Nokia 5
671 Points +10%
BQ Aquaris V
637 Points +5%
HTC U11 Plus
1935 Points +218%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (590 - 682, n=18)
618 Points +2%
Average of class Smartphone (800 - 9574, n=90, last 2 years)
5063 Points +733%
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
2617 Points
Bluboo S8
1790 Points -32%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
2613 Points 0%
Doogee BL5000
2617 Points 0%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
1858 Points -29%
Nokia 5
2849 Points +9%
BQ Aquaris V
2378 Points -9%
HTC U11 Plus
6771 Points +159%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (1790 - 2765, n=18)
2520 Points -4%
Average of class Smartphone (2630 - 26990, n=90, last 2 years)
13549 Points +418%
3DMark
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Score (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
10117 Points
Bluboo S8
6840 Points -32%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
10247 Points +1%
Doogee BL5000
10180 Points +1%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
6175 Points -39%
Nokia 5
9529 Points -6%
BQ Aquaris V
9955 Points -2%
HTC U11 Plus
41644 Points +312%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (5606 - 10269, n=18)
9018 Points -11%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
10100 Points
Bluboo S8
7155 Points -29%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
10296 Points +2%
Doogee BL5000
10094 Points 0%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
5528 Points -45%
Nokia 5
9684 Points -4%
BQ Aquaris V
10252 Points +2%
HTC U11 Plus
58307 Points +477%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (5884 - 10361, n=18)
9007 Points -11%
1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Physics (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
10143 Points
Bluboo S8
5926 Points -42%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
10081 Points -1%
Doogee BL5000
10492 Points +3%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
10466 Points +3%
Nokia 5
9023 Points -11%
BQ Aquaris V
9039 Points -11%
HTC U11 Plus
20820 Points +105%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (4811 - 10553, n=18)
9040 Points -11%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
559 Points
Bluboo S8
493 Points -12%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
548 Points -2%
Doogee BL5000
553 Points -1%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
55 Points -90%
Nokia 5
581 Points +4%
BQ Aquaris V
604 Points +8%
HTC U11 Plus
4982 Points +791%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (136 - 559, n=18)
471 Points -16%
Average of class Smartphone (712 - 7285, n=52, last 2 years)
3495 Points +525%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Graphics (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
484 Points
Bluboo S8
452 Points -7%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
480 Points -1%
Doogee BL5000
484 Points 0%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
43 Points -91%
Nokia 5
503 Points +4%
BQ Aquaris V
532 Points +10%
HTC U11 Plus
6060 Points +1152%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (109 - 484, n=18)
411 Points -15%
Average of class Smartphone (618 - 9451, n=52, last 2 years)
3845 Points +694%
2560x1440 Sling Shot OpenGL ES 3.0 Physics (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
1219 Points
Bluboo S8
718 Points -41%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
1091 Points -11%
Doogee BL5000
1100 Points -10%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
897 Points -26%
Nokia 5
1268 Points +4%
BQ Aquaris V
1146 Points -6%
HTC U11 Plus
3071 Points +152%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (694 - 1219, n=18)
1059 Points -13%
Average of class Smartphone (1093 - 4525, n=52, last 2 years)
2989 Points +145%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
393 Points
Bluboo S8
337 Points -14%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
386 Points -2%
Doogee BL5000
390 Points -1%
Nokia 5
298 Points -24%
BQ Aquaris V
317 Points -19%
HTC U11 Plus
3732 Points +850%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (105 - 393, n=19)
324 Points -18%
Average of class Smartphone (286 - 7890, n=102, last 2 years)
2665 Points +578%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Graphics (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
329 Points
Bluboo S8
293 Points -11%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
323 Points -2%
Doogee BL5000
327 Points -1%
Nokia 5
245 Points -26%
BQ Aquaris V
263 Points -20%
HTC U11 Plus
3987 Points +1112%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (83 - 329, n=19)
272 Points -17%
Average of class Smartphone (240 - 9814, n=102, last 2 years)
2655 Points +707%
2560x1440 Sling Shot Extreme (ES 3.1) Physics (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
1195 Points
Bluboo S8
710 Points -41%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
1226 Points +3%
Doogee BL5000
1216 Points +2%
Nokia 5
1227 Points +3%
BQ Aquaris V
1144 Points -4%
HTC U11 Plus
3049 Points +155%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (702 - 1233, n=19)
1086 Points -9%
Average of class Smartphone (858 - 4679, n=102, last 2 years)
3119 Points +161%
GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7
T-Rex Onscreen (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
25 fps
Doogee BL5000
17 fps -32%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
14 fps -44%
Nokia 5
27 fps +8%
BQ Aquaris V
27 fps +8%
HTC U11 Plus
60 fps +140%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (12 - 25, n=16)
20.6 fps -18%
Average of class Smartphone (22 - 165, n=178, last 2 years)
83 fps +232%
1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
17 fps
Doogee BL5000
16 fps -6%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
7.7 fps -55%
Nokia 5
17 fps 0%
BQ Aquaris V
17 fps 0%
HTC U11 Plus
113 fps +565%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (12 - 17, n=16)
15.1 fps -11%
Average of class Smartphone (19 - 791, n=178, last 2 years)
244 fps +1335%
GFXBench 3.0
on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
13 fps
Doogee BL5000
7.3 fps -44%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
6.4 fps -51%
Nokia 5
14 fps +8%
BQ Aquaris V
15 fps +15%
HTC U11 Plus
35 fps +169%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (5.6 - 13, n=17)
10 fps -23%
Average of class Smartphone (6.8 - 165, n=179, last 2 years)
71 fps +446%
1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
6.8 fps
Doogee BL5000
6.8 fps 0%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
2.8 fps -59%
Nokia 5
7.2 fps +6%
BQ Aquaris V
4.9 fps -28%
HTC U11 Plus
60 fps +782%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (5.3 - 7.1, n=17)
6.26 fps -8%
Average of class Smartphone (9.2 - 363, n=179, last 2 years)
138 fps +1929%
GFXBench 3.1
on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
10 fps
Doogee BL5000
5 fps -50%
Nokia 5
10 fps 0%
BQ Aquaris V
11 fps +10%
HTC U11 Plus
21 fps +110%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (3.8 - 10, n=17)
7.46 fps -25%
Average of class Smartphone (3.7 - 158, n=179, last 2 years)
59.9 fps +499%
1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
4.6 fps
Doogee BL5000
4.6 fps 0%
Nokia 5
4.6 fps 0%
BQ Aquaris V
2.4 fps -48%
HTC U11 Plus
41 fps +791%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (3.5 - 4.7, n=17)
4.18 fps -9%
Average of class Smartphone (6.2 - 279, n=179, last 2 years)
96.7 fps +2002%
GFXBench
on screen Car Chase Onscreen (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
2.4 fps
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
2.4 fps 0%
Doogee BL5000
2.7 fps +13%
Nokia 5
5.2 fps +117%
BQ Aquaris V
5.5 fps +129%
HTC U11 Plus
13 fps +442%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (2.3 - 4.9, n=18)
3.57 fps +49%
Average of class Smartphone (5 - 117, n=179, last 2 years)
42.9 fps +1688%
1920x1080 Car Chase Offscreen (sort by value)
Oukitel U18
2.4 fps
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
2.4 fps 0%
Doogee BL5000
2.4 fps 0%
Nokia 5
2.5 fps +4%
BQ Aquaris V
2.7 fps +13%
HTC U11 Plus
25 fps +942%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (1.9 - 2.5, n=18)
2.24 fps -7%
Average of class Smartphone (2.9 - 166, n=179, last 2 years)
58.6 fps +2342%

Legend

 
Oukitel U18 Mediatek MT6750, ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Bluboo S8 Mediatek MT6750, ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix Mediatek MT6750, ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
Doogee BL5000 Mediatek MT6750, ARM Mali-T860 MP2, 64 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017 Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 (MSM8917), Qualcomm Adreno 405, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Nokia 5 Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 (MSM8937), Qualcomm Adreno 505, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
BQ Aquaris V Qualcomm Snapdragon 435, Qualcomm Adreno 505, 32 GB eMMC Flash
 
HTC U11 Plus Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 (8998), Qualcomm Adreno 540, 128 GB UFS 2.1 Flash

Browsing the Internet with Chrome does not present any problems. However, all devices in this price range suffer from long loading times when surfing the web. When compared to the competition, the benchmark results of the U18 look quite average.

JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (66.1 - 414, n=3, last 2 years)
194.9 Points +963%
HTC U11 Plus (Chrome 63)
64.9 Points +254%
Nokia 5 (Chrome 56.0.2924.87)
21.48 Points +17%
Doogee BL5000 (Chrome Version 61)
19.27 Points +5%
Bluboo S8 (Chrome 62.0.3202.84)
18.88 Points +3%
Oukitel U18 (Chrome 65)
18.33 Points
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix (Chrome 61.03163.98)
18.28 Points 0%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017 (Chrome Version 61)
18.24 Points 0%
BQ Aquaris V (Chrome 63)
18.2 Points -1%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (12 - 20.8, n=19)
18.2 Points -1%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Smartphone (4633 - 89112, n=202, last 2 years)
33525 Points +893%
HTC U11 Plus (Chrome 63)
11553 Points +242%
Oukitel U18 (Chrome 65)
3377 Points
BQ Aquaris V (Chrome 63)
3305 Points -2%
Bluboo S8 (Chrome 62.0.3202.84)
3200 Points -5%
Nokia 5 (Chrome 56.0.2924.87)
3138 Points -7%
Average Mediatek MT6750 (1994 - 3506, n=19)
3095 Points -8%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix (Chrome 61.03163.98)
3030 Points -10%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017 (Chrome Version 61)
2984 Points -12%
Doogee BL5000 (Chrome Version 61)
2802 Points -17%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Oukitel U18 (Chrome 65)
14566 ms *
Average Mediatek MT6750 (11708 - 22627, n=19)
14563 ms * -0%
Bluboo S8 (Chrome 62.0.3202.84)
14150 ms * +3%
Doogee BL5000 (Chrome Version 61)
13720 ms * +6%
BQ Aquaris V (Chrome 63)
12750 ms * +12%
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix (Chrome 61.03163.98)
12561 ms * +14%
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017 (Chrome Version 61)
12068 ms * +17%
Nokia 5 (Chrome 56.0.2924.87)
10396 ms * +29%
HTC U11 Plus (Chrome 63)
3132 ms * +78%
Average of class Smartphone (388 - 9999, n=165, last 2 years)
1653 ms * +89%

* ... smaller is better

The read and write rates of the Oukitel U18’s internal storage are not very high. Here, the write speed amounts to 109 MB/s and the read speed is 273 MB/s. Nevertheless, these are good figures for a device with eMMC memory. The SD card reader also offers good speeds when it comes to reading and writing data. We measure the read and write rates of an SD card reader with our reference-grade SD card Toshiba Exceria Pro M401. Here, the Oukitel U18 turns in a read speed of 95 MB/s and a write speed of 80 MB/s. These are good results when compared to the rest of the competition. 

Oukitel U18Bluboo S8Leagoo Kiicaa MixDoogee BL5000Huawei Y6 Pro 2017Nokia 5BQ Aquaris VHTC U11 PlusAverage 64 GB eMMC FlashAverage of class Smartphone
AndroBench 3-5
5%
21%
36%
-6%
3%
3%
263%
58%
1002%
Sequential Read 256KB
273.1
281
3%
251.2
-8%
274.8
1%
143.4
-47%
255.6
-6%
266.3
-2%
728
167%
273 ?(95.6 - 704, n=201)
0%
1467 ?(215 - 4512, n=210, last 2 years)
437%
Sequential Write 256KB
109.2
77.6
-29%
131.2
20%
171.4
57%
50.7
-54%
74.9
-31%
76.7
-30%
207.9
90%
176.8 ?(40 - 274, n=201)
62%
1077 ?(57.5 - 3678, n=210, last 2 years)
886%
Random Read 4KB
28.7
38.24
33%
52.3
82%
57.4
100%
45.65
59%
40.54
41%
33.7
17%
132.4
361%
59.1 ?(9.58 - 148.5, n=201)
106%
241 ?(22.2 - 543, n=210, last 2 years)
740%
Random Write 4KB
12.96
12.37
-5%
13.95
8%
11.29
-13%
6.78
-48%
8.39
-35%
10.9
-16%
135.7
947%
31.7 ?(2.34 - 146.9, n=201)
145%
265 ?(13 - 709, n=210, last 2 years)
1945%
Sequential Read 256KB SDCard
71.5 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M401)
75.9
6%
78
9%
83.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
17%
83.9
17%
83.6 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
17%
75.4 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
5%
77.4 ?(21.1 - 107.6, n=144)
8%
Sequential Write 256KB SDCard
47.02 ?(Tosh-iba Exceria Pro M401)
55.9
19%
54.4
16%
64.1 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
36%
62
32%
60.8 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
29%
51.3 ?(Toshiba Exceria Pro M501)
9%
58.3 ?(11.2 - 83.3, n=144)
24%

Gaming - Some demanding 3D games are playable

The Mali-T860 MP2 supports OpenGL ES 3.1 and OpenCL 1.1 as well as DirectX 11. Some demanding 3D games from the Google Play Store are playable. However, when playing more demanding video games, lags and stutters are common. When we were benchmarking the racing game Asphalt, we noticed quite a bit of stuttering. The U18’s graphics unit achieves an average frame rate of 29 FPS in Asphalt 8 Airborne as well as 51 FPS in Dead Trigger 2.

The touchscreen as well as the motion sensor worked well during our gaming benchmarks. The high weight of the device proved to be quite a drag during long gaming sessions, though.

Asphalt Xtreme
Asphalt Xtreme
Dead Trigger 2
Dead Trigger 2

Emissions - Warm Oukitel phone

Temperature

The surface temperatures never reach critical levels. Nevertheless, the Oukitel U18 still gets pretty toasty under sustained load. Under continuous load, the device hits a temperature of 42 °C (107.6 °F) on the back. That being said, the smartphone never feels uncomfortably hot in the hand, even when gaming.

Max. Load
 42.2 °C
108 F
40.5 °C
105 F
39.4 °C
103 F
 
 42.3 °C
108 F
39.4 °C
103 F
41.5 °C
107 F
 
 41 °C
106 F
38.3 °C
101 F
37.9 °C
100 F
 
Maximum: 42.3 °C = 108 F
Average: 40.3 °C = 105 F
34.5 °C
94 F
39.2 °C
103 F
39.6 °C
103 F
34.7 °C
94 F
38.5 °C
101 F
42.2 °C
108 F
35.5 °C
96 F
39.3 °C
103 F
37 °C
99 F
Maximum: 42.2 °C = 108 F
Average: 37.8 °C = 100 F
Power Supply (max.)  31.1 °C = 88 F | Room Temperature 21 °C = 70 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(-) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 40.3 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.3 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 42.2 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 31.2 °C / 88 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.
Oukitel U18
Oukitel U18

Speakers

Sound graph
Sound graph

With 84 dB(A), the maximum volume of the mono-speaker is sufficiently loud. Nevertheless, the sound quality on offer is well below average and extremely unbalanced. Our sound graph shows that the bass is almost completely missing and that the entire audible range is far from being linear. What this means is that if you decide to listen to music, especially at a high volume, you will get a distorted, bass-less, tinny sound. Most other competitors in this price range manage to do better in this department. 

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2028.628.52524.925.53124.627.14026.426.35030.830.76323.623.98020.22510019.920.312517.622.116019.125.920019.132.925017.434.431516.945.240016.850.850015.156.863016.56480015.668.310001569.5125015.566.6160015.366.7200015.769250015.570315015.570.5400015.476500015.878.963001673.1800015.868.11000016.165.91250016.164.61600017.354.9SPL27.984N152.7median 16median 65.9Delta0.711.535.243.932.944.537.237.931.738.339.642.128.33427.333.526.931.526.732.62430.620.934.720.936.619.540.818.54617.555.417.56015.768.315.868.316.67015.86615.468.515.570.51672.515.876.71680.516.374.816.370.916.272.916.469.216.454.928.685.31.156.4median 16.4median 68.32.212.5hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseOukitel U18Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
Oukitel U18 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 35.8% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.6% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (26.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 64% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 30% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 79% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 17% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Huawei Y6 Pro 2017 audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (85.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 33.8% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (4.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (8.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.8% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (25.8% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 59% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 34% worse
» The best had a delta of 12%, average was 38%, worst was 134%
Compared to all devices tested
» 75% of all tested devices were better, 5% similar, 19% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Frequency diagram in comparison (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked!)

Battery Life - Not impressive when compared to the competition

Energy Consumption

The Oukitel U18 does not shine when it comes to energy management under load. When compared to the rest of the competition, the U18 draws an astonishing amount of power. With over 12 watts, the maximum power consumption of the Oukitel U18 is higher than that of the HTC U11 Plus with a Snapdragon 835 SoC.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.04 / 0.32 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 1.12 / 2.27 / 2.49 Watt
Load midlight 10.75 / 12.39 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Oukitel U18
4000 mAh
Bluboo S8
3450 mAh
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
3000 mAh
Doogee BL5000
5050 mAh
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
3020 mAh
Nokia 5
3000 mAh
BQ Aquaris V
3100 mAh
HTC U11 Plus
3930 mAh
Power Consumption
12%
2%
7%
34%
46%
43%
41%
Idle Minimum *
1.12
1.6
-43%
2
-79%
1.44
-29%
0.6
46%
0.52
54%
0.71
37%
0.51
54%
Idle Average *
2.27
2.4
-6%
2.5
-10%
2.9
-28%
2.02
11%
1.78
22%
1.82
20%
1.62
29%
Idle Maximum *
2.49
2.5
-0%
2.9
-16%
3
-20%
2.08
16%
1.96
21%
1.84
26%
1.87
25%
Load Average *
10.75
6.5
40%
6.1
43%
4.55
58%
5.31
51%
3.23
70%
3.12
71%
3.92
64%
Load Maximum *
12.39
4
68%
3.3
73%
5.4
56%
6.41
48%
4.88
61%
5.13
59%
8.27
33%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The battery capacity of 4000 mAh is pretty big for a compact smartphone. Nevertheless, the energy consumption under load has got to be optimized if the smartphone is to achieve long battery life. In our practically-oriented Wi-Fi test, the U18 achieves a good battery runtime of 10 hours and 39 minutes. However, this result is not very impressive considering the battery capacity and the hardware.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
10h 39min
Oukitel U18
4000 mAh
Bluboo S8
3450 mAh
Leagoo Kiicaa Mix
3000 mAh
Doogee BL5000
5050 mAh
Huawei Y6 Pro 2017
3020 mAh
Nokia 5
3000 mAh
BQ Aquaris V
3100 mAh
HTC U11 Plus
3930 mAh
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
639
390
-39%
259
-59%
1106
73%
668
5%
713
12%
687
8%
607
-5%

Pros

+ bright IPS panel
+ 64 GB of eMMC memory
+ 4 GB of RAM
+ design
+ build quality
+ battery life
+ dual SIM

Cons

- software
- weight + thickness
- no headphone jack
- black value
- color reproduction

Verdict - The Chinese phone fails to really impress when compared to the competition

In review: Oukitel U18. Review device provided courtesy of: Oukitel.
In review: Oukitel U18. Review device provided courtesy of: Oukitel.

The Oukitel U18 scores major points with its modern design and good build quality. The low-priced mid-range smartphone looks quite compact because of the aspect ratio of its display (21:9). However, because of its thickness of 10 mm and the high weight, not every user will be happy with how the Oukitel U18 feels in the hand.

Without fail, when looking at the Oukitel U18 one particular question arises: Why did the Chinese manufacturer put a notch at the top of the display when a pretty big chin bar is available at the bottom? This causes not only “visual (esthetic)” problems but also actual ones such as the lack of notification icons for missed calls and the like.

Those who like the U18’s design and see the notch as a reason to buy should give Oukitel’s device a closer look.

Design is the only thing that distinguishes the Oukitel smartphone from the rest of the competition. Moreover, the Oukitel device offers a worse software experience than most other competitors in this price range. All in all, the U18 is not a bad smartphone. However, in light of the locally-available offerings such as the Nokia 5 or the BQ Aquaris V, prospective buyers should really consider whether the risks and restrictions of buying an imported smartphone are really worth it.

Oukitel U18 - 03/29/2018 v6(old)
Marcus Herbrich

Chassis
84%
Keyboard
69 / 75 → 91%
Pointing Device
87%
Connectivity
43 / 60 → 72%
Weight
88%
Battery
93%
Display
82%
Games Performance
20 / 63 → 32%
Application Performance
41 / 70 → 59%
Temperature
87%
Noise
100%
Audio
54 / 91 → 59%
Camera
65%
Average
70%
80%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Marcus Herbrich, 2018-04- 3 (Update: 2020-05-19)