Oukitel WP61 Ultra review – the phone that does everything

If you're looking for a thermal camera, why not pick up a phone into the bargain? Thinking of taking it on a job – to a difficult worksite where there might be no power, or a lot of water or dust that could ruin a phone or a generic thermal camera? Oukitel have got you covered there too.

The WP61 Ultra is a rugged phone – meaning it's built to cope with difficult situations, as well as some pretty rough treatment. Into the bargain, Oukitel has decided to add in 20,000 mAh of battery. It's about four times the amount in a typical iPhone Pro, so as you can imagine, the idea is that you won't run out.

At the same time there are features which might help use it up, like a big built-in light; so big, in fact that it could be characterized as a small LED panel. The light it gives off can be used to light a job, or even a photo subject.

This is a powerful device by many measures, but is it what you need? As DCW's thermal camera expert, I check it out...

Oukitel WP61 Ultra: Price

At launch, this phone is listed as $739.99 down to $429.99 (in the UK £425.99 to £325.99), and the difference is significant. The first prices aren't bad, but the discounted numbers represent amazing value given that they are below the amount of a similarly specified thermal camera from the leading brand.

🇺🇸 Oukitel USA store – $739.99 $429.99

🇬🇧 Oukitel UK store – £425.99 £325.99

Oukitel WP61 Ultra: Specs

Oukitel WP61 Ultra: Build & Handling

Make no mistake, this is not a small device. There was a time when people would jokingly refer to bigger phones as bricks, but this is a significantly bigger proposition even than the devices I remember from that era. It nevertheless manages to put a lot of functionality into that very practical lump, so size is no reason to discount it. Perhaps the opposite.

The rugged build, with screen of Corning Gorilla Glass 5, amounts to a phone it is genuinely difficult to damage.

The optical camera, together with an additional 8MP low-light camera, are on the back of the phone next to what looks like a small LED panel – a small but powerful light which is called a 'camping light' but can be used to light work or set to flash and attract attention in an emergency. They are slightly recessed to protect them.

The camping light is not the same as the one that is included as part of the camera system, so you don't block that light with your hands.

The selfie camera is a small punch out from the otherwise giant 120Hz screen, and in general the phone feels fast and powerful – with storage expandable up to 2TB via MicroSD.

The phone charges via USB-C and has a nice, long bright orange cable and 45W charger in the box which, weirdly, feels quite old school these days! The charging port is protected with a rubber seal.

Buttons on the side of the phone are large and can easily be found by feel.

The thermal imaging camera does need to be launched via an app (though you can set up a shortcut button). The app is well designed, highlighting hot and cold points. The resolution is as good as plenty of separately bought cameras.

The camping light also has its own app for control, and there is a folder of other apps built in including things like a tool to measure whether you're resting the phone on a flat surface which, frankly, would make more sense if the phone had a flat base!

The battery, incidentally, can be used as a power brick too – to top up the charge on a smaller device like an action camera (a GoPro).

Oukitel WP61 Ultra: Performance

In terms of general operation, the phone is comfortably powerful enough to run the 396 PPI screen at 120Hz, but it is possible to expand the memory to 36GB if you add 24GB RAM.

Android 16 supplied was perfectly adequate for my needs, and setting it up was no easier or harder than any other Android phone (with the one note that the OS's understanding of the 'Torch' means turning on the small camera light, not the massive 'Camping light', which is a bit counterintuitive).

The system also has a 'Facebeauty' mode, while the night vision uses infra-red – in other words the image is black and white (using IR lights in the camera). Could be used for making a spooky movie as well as finding pipes or cables in the dark.

Video is perfectly adequate – 2K at 30fps, and the selfie camera is surprisingly good too, especially when it comes to color.

There is enough power here to run an average 3D game, too. The speaker is loud – definitely enough for a call to be heard in a noisy location. It also didn't seem to mind my pouring a good deal of water over it; it worked just as well afterwards.

Oukitel WP61 Ultra: Sample Pics

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Oukitel WP61 Ultra: Overall verdict

This device is very much for those who need the core features in their kit bag (thermal camera, bright light, phone), and perhaps aren't too shy about how they treat them – dusty job site, perhaps? The phone can save a bit of space, though it's not without heft of its own (and some might see it as a case of eggs in a basket).

Knowing many HVAC workers and plumbers like to send report images to themselves or superiors via their phones, having the thermal camera built right in seems to be cutting out a technical middleman, so for me I'd see it as worth it here since – as established – the camera isn't really a compromise against separates.

Sure, there are things I'd like, but they are never true with these devices – it'd be great if the main camera app had a Thermal option rather than having to go to a separate app. It's a minor inconvenience, though (and may actually be helpful for some).

This phone is definitely not for everyone, but for those for whom it does make sense for it might even save them carrying the weight of a power pack, a thermal camera, and a work phone.

Oukitel WP61 Ultra: Alternatives

If you're looking for an alternative, one solution is to take any regular phone – the one you already have – and plug a thermal camera into it. We have a guide to the best thermal cameras at DCW.