Oukitel OT8 Review: Thin tablet with a large display, loud sound and good battery life

By 2023, only a handful of tablets boast an 11-inch or larger screen size available for purchase. Hence, the introduction of the Oukitel OT8, featuring a comparable display, garners significant attention. Upon assessing its specifications, it becomes evident that this new tablet prioritizes a sleek, lightweight design and delivers robust sound via its four speakers. Let’s explore the Unisoc Tiger T606 chipset and establish our expectations for its performance in our Oukitel OT8 review model.

Oukitel OT8 specifications

• Operating System: Android 13.0
• Display: 11-inch FHD+ (1200 x 1920), 60Hz Refresh rate, 205 PPI, 350 cd/m² brightness, 81% Screen-to-Body ratio, 16:10 Aspect ratio, 1000:1 Contrast ratio, Corning Gorilla Glass5
• CPU: Unisoc Tiger T606 1.6GHz Octa-core, 2x Cortex-A75 1.6 GHz, 6x Cortex-A55 1.6 GHz, 12nm
• GPU: Arm Mali G57
• Memory and Storage: 6GB RAM + 256GB ROM, UMCP (UFS+LPDDR4X), memory system expansion up to 30GB（6+24, storage expansion up to 1TB
• Main Camera: 13MP Samsung S5K3L8 sensor, 1/3.06″ Optical dimension, F2.2 Aperture, 81.3° Wide Angle, Auto Focus, Panorama Mode, Portrait, Beauty, Night View, HDR, Pro, 1080p video at 30fps
• Front Camera: 8MP Sony IMX219 sensor, 1/4″ Optical dimension, F2.2 Aperture, 77° Wide Angle, Fixed Focus, Portrait, Beauty, HDR, 720p video at 30fps
• Audio: 7Ω/1W x4 BOX1227 Speakers, AW87390 Sound Amplifier
• Battery: 8800mAh with 18W Charging Power
• Connectivity: Dual SIM slot (Nano + Nano / Nano + TF), LTE, GPS, Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac (WIFI 2.4G / 5G), Bluetooth 5.0
• Sensors: G-sensor, Ambient Light Senor
• Ports: Type-C, 3.5mm Headphone Jack
• Dimensions: 256.8 x 168.3 x 7.8mm
• Weight: 515g

Oukitel OT8 Review

Design

The Oukitel OT8 might seem reminiscent of its competitors externally, but it sets itself apart with an unwavering commitment to high-quality craftsmanship. Available in Gray, Green, and Purple, our Oukitel OT8 review model arrives in Grey.

Its robust plastic-aluminum build exudes durability, maintaining a sturdy stance without yielding to pressure or generating vibrations during speaker playback, despite its slim profile. The device’s surface boasts a pleasing texture and remains resistant to fingerprint smudges.

Sporting a metal frame with flat edges and a chassis featuring a hidden polycarbonate insert housing essential radio communication antennas, the Oukitel OT8 adopts a sleek design. Despite a noticeable camera bump, the tablet maintains stability when resting on a flat surface, sans wobbling.

Embracing a minimalist design philosophy, the absence of joints or antenna gaps elevates the tablet’s premium feel and slender profile (7.8mm). The discreetly designed perforations for the four-speaker grilles contribute to its minimalist aesthetic. The generous 11-inch LCD, flaunting thin bezels and rounded corner cutouts, seamlessly integrates with the software interface.

The stability of the housing is mediocre. When the tablet is twisted, it produces a clicking noise and the screen module occasionally shifts slightly relative to the frame. However, considering the price range, the stiffness is acceptable and the workmanship is well done.

Primarily dominated by its expansive screen, which offers an 81% official usable area, the tablet features relatively minimal frames. Positioned above the screen, the front camera and light sensor take center stage, albeit lacking a notification indicator. Control buttons and a lone microphone adorn the tablet’s upper end when held horizontally.

Display

The new tablet showcases an expansive 11-inch screen featuring a 1200 x 1920 pixel resolution, a 16:10 aspect ratio, a 60 Hz refresh rate, and TÜV SÜD certification. Admittedly, the pixel density on such a diagonal isn’t particularly high, and not all applications embrace the enhanced refresh rate. However, interacting with the screen remains remarkably comfortable.

While utilizing an IPS LCD screen, the viewing experience it provides is notably satisfying. Minimal color distortion is noticeable from off-angles, and boasting a peak brightness of 350 nits, the display ensures clear readability across diverse lighting environments.

Optimal outdoor viewing prompted me to maintain the display brightness at maximum levels for an enhanced experience. The symmetrical, relatively slender bezels encasing the screen mark a noteworthy feature for an Android tablet within this price range.

Given its price point, an expectation of an AMOLED display seems unrealistic. Thus, forgiving the typical limitations of an LCD panel—such as the absence of deep black levels or vivid contrast—becomes reasonable. The absence of HDR10 support in the Oukitel OT8 may likely stem from constraints within the SoC. Moreover, the display operates at a standard 60Hz, lacking high refresh rate support.

It accommodates up to 10 simultaneous touches, significantly enhancing its responsiveness. Moreover, an oleophobic coating ensures the swift removal of fingerprints and slows down the screen’s tendency to gather smudges.

Camera

The Oukitel OT8’s rear camera employs a 13-megapixel sensor complemented by an f/2.2 aperture, boasting autofocus and an LED flash that effectively operates in low-light conditions. Within the Camera application, users can access various filters, a night view mode, and a dedicated HDR feature.

The picture quality is not very detailed, and the sharpness is lacking. As the light intensity decreases, details in darker areas are lost while the remaining light sources appear too bright.

Video recording via the rear camera supports a resolution of 1080p at 30 fps, with continuous autofocus functioning during recording. The autofocus can be slow to adjust to new situations, and the exposure compensation is not the fastest. Overall, the videos have poor color representation and become blurry in less-than-ideal lighting conditions.

For selfies and video calls, the 8-megapixel front camera, featuring an f/2.2 aperture, offers image quality akin to the primary module. While lacking autofocus, it compensates with screen backlighting instead of a flash.

Video recording capabilities for the front camera max out at 720p, maintaining a frame rate of 30 fps. The resulting images are usable, but when enlarged, the coarse grain becomes noticeable. However, the detail reproduction is decent.

Performance

The integrated Unisoc Tiger T606 SoC falls short in performance, especially within this affordable price bracket, leading the Oukitel OT8 to secure lower rankings across most benchmarks.

Avoid pushing demanding applications on the tablet; however, the system tends to operate smoothly and with minimal wait times when not excessively strained.

Regardless of this tablet’s software performance which was good for a budget tablet, what truly stood out for me was the aspect ratio of its wide display. It’s perfect for content consumption, providing ample space to run split-screen apps side by side. Fortunately, the Oukitel OT8 includes support for Widevine L1, allowing seamless streaming and enjoyment of Full HD video content on platforms like Netflix and other OTT services.

In terms of the graphics unit, noticeable scarcity exists in performance reserves, failing to smoothly handle more complex games even at the display’s native resolution.

Despite its slow processor, the tablet manages to outperform similar devices with its fast UFS 2.2 flash memory typically found in mid-range smartphones. While it cannot improve the slow loading times, the memory is a solid compensation for this limitation.

The manufacturer mentions a claim of 30 GB of RAM, but this can only be achieved by using a 24 GB swap file in the internal memory. However, this approach is slow and likely unnecessary for most users.

Our Oukitel OT8 review finds that while it may not be designed for demanding games, it can handle most games at minimal graphics settings. For example, PUBG only offers Balance/High or Smooth/High graphics options. Overall, using the tablet is comfortable as long as you avoid running resource-heavy tasks on it.

Touchscreen controls and potentially the position sensor operate seamlessly without any glitches.

The Oukitel OT8 is equipped with four speakers that deliver impressive volume and decent sound quality, allowing for the reproduction of low mids effectively. In addition to its internal speakers, the device offers connectivity options for external audio devices through a 3.5mm jack or Bluetooth 5.0. For wireless audio transmission, the OT8 supports higher-quality codecs such as aptX HD and LDAC, enhancing the overall audio experience.

Battery life

Regarding battery life, the 8800mAh battery endures an entire day’s use without necessitating a recharge. Nevertheless, its operating durations remain relatively moderate, trailing behind tablets known for more prolonged battery performance. Approximately 18 hours of Wi-Fi browsing suffice for a day’s typical usage.

For everyday scenarios, about 6 hours of video playback and 5 hours of gaming prove adequate, particularly if the tablet primarily resides in a home setting, conveniently near power sources. Despite an 8800mAh battery, the device’s expansive, high-resolution screen inherently demands more power.

If your routine involves a few hours of video consumption and scrolling through social media each day, expect the Oukitel OT8 to require recharging every third or fourth day. With 4G connectivity, it serves as a dependable companion for on-the-go entertainment or seamless connectivity, outlasting most smartphones in endurance.

Charging the OT8’s battery from 0 to 100% demands considerable time. To charge the tablet, you can use a maximum of 18 watts when it is plugged in. Our Oukitel OT8 review model takes around 4 hours to fully recharge.

Final line

The Oukitel OT8 stands as a robust contender within the realm of budget Android tablets. Delivering a commendable multimedia experience alongside a dependable performance unit strikes a balance that resonates well. The software experience, thoughtfully tweaked to incorporate essential features while maintaining a clean interface, garners appreciation. Notably, the 11-inch screen and the impressive sound output from its four speakers earn this tablet considerable praise.

For activities spanning reading, viewing, and audio consumption, the Oukitel OT8 emerges as a compelling choice. Its display brightness facilitates outdoor usage, further complemented by SIM card and GPS support. The included pen is not a stylus like those found on more expensive tablets. Instead, it serves as a tool for more precise input.

Is it worth the investment? Priced at $179.99 only on Oukitel’s official website, the Oukitel OT8 represents exceptional value for money. With its array of hardware and software attributes, it unequivocally earns my recommendation for anyone seeking an Android tablet below this price point.

Pros:

• Sturdy build quality
• Slim and premium design
• Large, vibrant display
• Impressive battery life
• Quad-speaker setup
• Clean software
• Flip cover included

Cons:

• Average camera
• Lack of clarity in terms of updates