The Oukitel WP500 Ultra is the most ambitious rugged phone that Oukitel sells in 2026: a 640 x 512 pixel thermal camera, the highest resolution recorded on a smartphone according to TechRadar, a Dimensity 8300 chip, 1 TB of storage and a physical switch that cuts off the cameras, the microphones and the GPS. Launched on 9 June 2026 at 699.99 dollars, or about €604 (about 396,000 FCFA), it is aimed first of all at electricians, refrigeration engineers, maintenance technicians and rescue workers who have a genuine use for thermal imaging. For everyone else, its 414 g, its dim LCD screen and the lack of any update commitment weigh heavily. The WP500 without the thermal sensor, which costs 150 dollars less, is then more than enough.
Introduction: the Oukitel WP500 Ultra, showcase of the WP range in 2026
Oukitel’s catalogue is a dense one. In 2026, the WP range counts a good twenty models, including the WP61 series released on 30 March, with its 20,000 mAh batteries, its walkie-talkie version and its thermal version. Those models, built around the Dimensity 7025 chip, sell for between 320 and 430 dollars. The Oukitel WP500 Ultra sits one floor above them: a faster chip, twice the storage and a higher-resolution thermal sensor.
The phone was shown in early March 2026, at the time of Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, before going on sale on 9 June. The brand presents it in its launch press release as the first rugged phone to combine AI-assisted thermal imaging with a privacy switch. A WP500 variant, without the thermal sensor, came out on the same day at 549.99 dollars, or about €474 (about 311,000 FCFA).
This page brings together the official specifications, the measurements from the published reviews (TechRadar, Neowin, Smartzone, Heise, New Atlas) and our own analysis. Our team has not had the device in hand: the observations about everyday use are attributed to their authors.
Verdict at a glance: our take on the Oukitel WP500 Ultra
Verdict in 30 seconds
A fast, long-lasting and very well equipped rugged phone, whose 640 x 512 pixel thermal camera is enough on its own to justify the purchase for a professional. Without that use, its price, its weight and its vague software support make it hard to recommend.
For whom Electricians, refrigeration engineers, solar installers, maintenance technicians and rescue workers who really do use a thermal camera and want a single device in their pocket.
Avoid if You simply want a tough phone, you take a lot of photos at night or you insist on updates guaranteed for several years.
We like
- 640 x 512 pixel thermal camera
- Dimensity 8300 and 1 TB of storage
- Three to four days of battery life
- IP68, IP69K and MIL-STD-810H
- Hardware switch for cameras, microphones and GPS
We like less
- 414 g and 22.9 mm thick
- LCD screen limited to 550 nits
- No update commitment
- Disappointing night photos and night vision
- 45 W charging that is slow in practice
Oukitel WP500 Ultra specs
| Écran | LCD IPS de 6,78 pouces, 2 460 x 1 080 px (396 ppp), 120 Hz, 550 nits annoncés, Gorilla Glass 5 |
|---|---|
| Processeur | MediaTek Dimensity 8300 (4 nm, jusqu'à 3,35 GHz), GPU Mali-G615 |
| Mémoire | 12 Go LPDDR5 (+ 24 Go de mémoire virtuelle) |
| Stockage | 1 To UFS 4.0, sans lecteur microSD selon la fiche officielle |
| Appareil photo principal | 108 Mpx Samsung S5KHM6, 1/1,67 pouce, f/1,68, vidéo 4K à 30 i/s |
| Ultra grand-angle | — (capteur de fusion 8 Mpx, 82,5 degrés, dédié à l'image thermique) |
| Téléobjectif | — (caméra thermique 640 x 512 px, de -20 à 550 °C ; vision nocturne 8 Mpx à éclairage infrarouge) |
| Caméra selfie | 32 Mpx Sony IMX616, f/2,2 |
| Batterie | 10 000 mAh |
| Charge | 45 W filaire, charge inversée, pas de charge sans fil |
| Système | Android 16 avec Gemini ; aucun engagement de mises à jour annoncé |
| Réseau | 5G (dont n78), 4G (dont bandes 1, 3, 7, 8, 20, 28), double nano-SIM, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.4, NFC, GPS double fréquence |
| Étanchéité | IP68 et IP69K, MIL-STD-810H, chutes de 1,5 m |
| Dimensions et poids | 177,2 x 82,6 x 22,9 mm, 414,3 g |
| Date de sortie | Présenté début mars 2026, en vente depuis le 9 juin 2026 |
| Launch price | Boutique officielle : 699,99 $ au lancement, soit environ 604 € (environ 396 000 FCFA) ; prix catalogue 1 099,99 $. France : 669 € (environ 439 000 FCFA) chez un vendeur tiers sur les places de marché Fnac et Darty, relevé le 3 octobre 2026. |
Three numbers sum up the Oukitel WP500 Ultra. The first, 640 x 512 pixels, is the resolution of the thermal sensor: the brand’s WP61 Ultra stops at 256 x 192. The second is the 1 TB of UFS 4.0 storage, a capacity worthy of a laptop. The third is less flattering: 414.3 g, which is the weight of two conventional smartphones.
Oukitel WP500 Ultra design: 414 g without apology and a privacy switch
The Oukitel WP500 Ultra measures 177.2 x 82.6 x 22.9 mm. Joe Salas, of New Atlas, calls it a brick, while finding it easier to handle than the WP61 and its 20,000 mAh battery. It fits in the pocket of a pair of work trousers, not in the pocket of slim-fit jeans.
Two colours are offered, black and orange. The fingerprint reader is housed on the side. A customisable key rounds things off: you can assign it to the lamp, the thermal camera or an app.
A hardware switch for the cameras, the microphones and the GPS
This is the device’s other distinctive feature. A physical slider cuts the power to the cameras, the microphones and the GPS in a single movement. The cut-off happens at hardware level: no software, not even malicious software, can get around it.
The benefit is real for anyone who goes onto sensitive sites, such as factories, depots or mining sites, where cameras are banned.
Durability and certifications: IP68, IP69K and MIL-STD-810H
The Oukitel WP500 Ultra carries the three labels expected of a high-end rugged phone. Each one corresponds to a specific promise.
- IP68: completely dust-tight and immersion down to 1.5 metres for 30 minutes, according to Oukitel.
- IP69K: resistance to high-pressure jets of hot water, which is useful for rinsing the phone after a day in mud or cement.
- MIL-STD-810H: a series of tests of military origin (shocks, vibration, extreme temperatures). The brand claims resistance to drops from 1.5 metres.
The screen is protected by Gorilla Glass 5, an old generation but a proven one.
What the warranty does not cover
Read Oukitel’s warranty terms. Water damage is excluded if the rubber covers on the ports were not properly closed, if the depth or the duration of the immersion was exceeded, or if water got in after a drop. A certification is therefore not an all-risks insurance policy.
Good to know — the MIL-STD-810H standard describes test methods, not a label awarded by an independent body. Each manufacturer chooses which tests it puts its product through.
Display: a decent 120 Hz LCD panel, but not bright enough
The screen is a 6.78-inch IPS panel at 2,460 x 1,080 pixels, which works out at 396 pixels per inch, with a refresh rate of 120 Hz. Widevine L1 certification allows HD playback on Prime Video or Disney+.
Brightness is the weak point. Oukitel claims 550 nits and Smartzone measured 530. That is enough indoors and too little in direct sunlight, which is where a site phone spends its days. TechRadar comes to the same conclusion.
The German site considers that at this price, an AMOLED panel would have been justified. In the scores compiled by Notebookcheck, the screen is the lowest-rated criterion of the Oukitel WP500 Ultra.
Performance: the Dimensity 8300 changes the game among rugged phones
Most rugged phones run on entry-level or mid-range chips. The Oukitel WP500 Ultra carries a MediaTek Dimensity 8300 built on a 4 nm process, with eight cores clocked at up to 3.35 GHz and a Mali-G615 graphics chip. This upper mid-range chip, announced at the end of 2023, is not a flagship processor. Even so, it leaves behind what the direct competition has to offer.
Published scores well above the rugged phone average
Oukitel claims 1,518,279 points in AnTuTu 10. Smartzone recorded 1,663,386 points in AnTuTu 11, 1,464 and 4,391 points in Geekbench 6 in single-core and multi-core, and 2,828 points in 3DMark Wild Life Extreme. TechRadar gets slightly less in Geekbench: 1,239 and 3,525 points.
In concrete terms, the interface, GPS navigation, business apps and the processing of thermal images pose no difficulty at all. For 3D games, Notebookcheck talks about mid-range capability.
12 GB of memory and 1 TB of storage
The Oukitel WP500 Ultra has 12 GB of LPDDR5 RAM. The “36 GB” quoted in the sales listings adds 24 GB of virtual memory taken from the storage. That storage is entirely real: 1 TB of UFS 4.0, which is a fast standard.
Such generosity is surprising in a year marked by the surge in memory prices. The official spec sheet states that there is no microSD slot, which Smartzone confirms, whereas some retailer listings promise expansion of up to 2 TB. Work on the assumption that the storage cannot be expanded.
Field features: the thermal camera, the real reason to buy the Oukitel WP500 Ultra
A rugged smartphone with a 640 x 512 pixel thermal camera
The thermal sensor of the Oukitel WP500 Ultra shows 640 x 512 pixels, which is more than six times the number of points of a 256 x 192 sensor. Software processing takes the image up to 1,440 x 1,080 pixels and merges it with the image from an 8 MP optical sensor. The stated measurement range runs from -20 to 550 °C. Notebookcheck reports a sensitivity below 40 millikelvins and a margin of error of plus or minus 2 °C or 2%.
The reviewers are unanimous. TechRadar sees it as the best thermal resolution in the segment and Smartzone judges the level of detail to be entirely sufficient. New Atlas recounts having spotted electrical faults and handprints that were still warm on a surface. The only reservation, according to Smartzone: thermal video stutters at times.
There are plenty of uses for a tradesperson or a technician:
- spotting a connection that is overheating in an electrical panel or on a generator;
- checking solar panels, an inverter or batteries;
- inspecting a compressor, an air-conditioning unit or a cold room;
- locating a hot water leak or a bearing that is seizing up;
- finding a person or an animal in the dark.
Night vision: an infrared sensor that falls short
An 8 MP sensor backed by infrared lighting is used to take photos in complete darkness. Smartzone describes very blurry images and lighting with a short range. TechRadar points out that the rigid plastic case supplied with the phone causes infrared reflections: it is better to take it off.
Lamp, customisable key and what is missing
The Oukitel WP500 Ultra has an LED camping lamp, the output of which is not disclosed, and a software toolbox (spirit level, protractor, sound level meter). Walkie-talkie and satellite link remain reserved for the WP61 Plus and the WP61 Ti.
Camera: 108 MP on paper, a result that is merely decent
The main sensor of the Oukitel WP500 Ultra is a 108 MP Samsung S5KHM6 in the 1/1.67-inch format, with an f/1.68 aperture and video in 4K at 30 frames per second. The front camera uses a 32 MP Sony IMX616. There is neither a conventional ultra-wide nor a telephoto lens.
By day, TechRadar talks about a good colour balance and an acceptable dynamic range, and Smartzone about shots that are contrasty and detailed. New Atlas is harsher: quality that is “adequate, at best”.
At night, Smartzone notes heavy noise, limited dynamic range and little detail. The Oukitel WP500 Ultra documents a building site or a breakdown without any difficulty. It will not replace a good camera phone.
Battery and charging: three to four days, but a laborious recharge
The 10,000 mAh battery is twice the size of the one in a conventional smartphone. It is nonetheless a restrained choice for Oukitel, some of whose models go up to 20,000 or even 33,000 mAh.
Smartzone measured 25.5 hours in the PCMark endurance test and talks about roughly three days of everyday use. New Atlas mentions four days of normal use.
Against power cuts, that is a weighty argument: the Oukitel WP500 Ultra gets through a long weekend without a socket. Reverse charging also helps out a second phone, at 7.5 W according to TechRadar.
45 W charging: times that vary a great deal from one review to the next
Oukitel claims 50% in 35 minutes and a full charge in 135 minutes. TechRadar finds more or less those values, with 2 hours and 15 minutes. Smartzone, on the other hand, needed nearly four hours: the power often fell back to 25 W on its unit.
There is no wireless charging. The official spec sheet lists a charger in the box, whereas the seller’s listing at Darty states that one is not supplied: check before you order.
Software: almost bare Android 16, but no support commitment
The Oukitel WP500 Ultra ships with Android 16, in a version close to Google’s own, with an app drawer and the Gemini assistant. New Atlas finds the interface cleaner than that of the WP61 Plus. Smartzone nevertheless points to preinstalled apps that you could do without, including Pop Games, SparkTube and OKGame Center.
Two reservations have to be made. The first concerns stability: the Smartzone reviewer ran into several bugs, including crashes of the camera app, which forced him to reset the device. The other reviews report nothing of the kind.
The second is structural. Oukitel makes no update commitment, neither for Android versions nor for security patches, a gap noted by Smartzone and by Notebookcheck alike. For a phone with a list price of 1,099.99 dollars, that is hard to accept.
Oukitel WP500 Ultra: price and availability in France and in Africa
The price of the Oukitel WP500 Ultra has moved a great deal. At launch, on 9 June, Oukitel set the offer at 699.99 dollars, or about €604 (about 396,000 FCFA) according to the conversion published by TechRadar, against a list price of 1,099.99 dollars, or about €949 (about 623,000 FCFA).
In early October 2026, the brand’s stores are not aligned: 699.99 dollars on oukitel.store and 849.99 dollars on the official product page, or about €733 (about 481,000 FCFA). In July, Smartzone had found it at €550 (about 361,000 FCFA).
Oukitel WP500 Ultra vs WP500: 150 dollars for the thermal camera
The standard WP500 keeps the screen, the Dimensity 8300 chip, the 108 MP sensor and the 10,000 mAh battery. It does without the thermal sensor and cost 549.99 dollars at launch, or about €474 (about 311,000 FCFA). If you have no need for thermography, take the WP500.
In France: no distribution in shops, only third-party sellers
Oukitel has not announced an official price in euros, and its French store did not list the model as of 3 October 2026. It can be found on the Fnac and Darty marketplaces, sold by a third-party merchant at €669 (about 439,000 FCFA), against a crossed-out price of €809 (about 531,000 FCFA). A listing also exists at Cdiscount, but not on Amazon.fr as far as we know.
Where to buy the Oukitel WP500 Ultra at the best price
Smartphone durci Oukitel WP500 Ultra
- FnacSee at Fnac
- DartySee at Darty
- CdiscountSee at Cdiscount
Some links on this page are affiliate links: Wanda-techs may earn a commission if you buy through them, at no extra cost to you. This does not influence our opinion.
On the official store, allow 7 to 15 working days for delivery and a one-year warranty. A European seller costs a little more, but makes any claim simpler.
West and Central Africa: importing, warranty and networks
Rugged phones have a real audience in Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire or Senegal: site managers, electricians, solar installers, motorbike taxi riders. Yet we found no official Oukitel distributor in those countries, nor any public price in FCFA for the Oukitel WP500 Ultra. Buying it means going through the brand’s online store or through a relative who brings it back from Europe.
On top of the price of about 396,000 to 439,000 FCFA come shipping and customs duties, which vary from one country to another. The one-year warranty means sending the device back to the manufacturer’s warehouse, which is hardly realistic from Douala or Abidjan. In practice, you are buying without any local after-sales service.
On the network side, compatibility is broad. 4G covers bands 1, 3, 7, 8, 20 and 28 in particular, which take in most of the frequencies used in West and Central Africa, and 5G includes band n78. The phone accepts two nano-SIM cards. Check your own operator’s bands all the same. Fixed to the handlebars of a motorbike, this much weight calls for a very sturdy mount.
Pros and cons
Pros
- 640 x 512 pixel thermal camera
- Performance that is rare on a rugged phone
- 1 TB of UFS 4.0 storage
- Three to four days of battery life
- Hardware privacy switch
Cons
- 414 g and 22.9 mm thick
- A screen that is hard to read in direct sunlight
- No update commitment
- Weak night photos and night vision
- No official distribution in West and Central Africa
Alternatives to the Oukitel WP500 Ultra
Doogee V Max 2 Pro
Blackview Xplore 6
Oukitel is not alone on this ground. Before you decide, compare it with Ulefone’s flagship rugged phone, which comes from the Armor range, with Doogee’s star model and with Blackview’s high-end rugged phone.
If thermography is your only criterion, Smartzone points out that the Oscal Pilot 6 also offers a thermal camera for half the price.
Conclusion: should you buy the Oukitel WP500 Ultra?
Yes, if the thermal camera is one of your working tools. As far as we know, no other rugged phone brings together such a thermal resolution, a chip of this level and 1 TB of storage.
No, if all you want is a phone that takes drops and dust in its stride. You would be paying for a sensor you do not need, while putting up with 414 g, a screen that looks dull in the sun and uncertain software support. The standard WP500 or a WP61 will do the job for less money.
Our pick
Oukitel WP500 Ultra — Oukitel’s best choice for professionals who use thermography, at around €604 (about 396,000 FCFA) on the official store or €669 (about 439,000 FCFA) from a third-party seller in France. Without that need, go for the WP500 instead.
Frequently asked questions
What is the price of the Oukitel WP500 Ultra in France?
Oukitel has not published an official price in euros. At launch, on 9 June 2026, the phone cost 699.99 dollars on the brand’s store, or about €604 (about 396,000 FCFA). In early October 2026, a third-party seller offers it at €669 (about 439,000 FCFA) on the Fnac and Darty marketplaces. Compare that with the price on the official store before you order.
Is the Oukitel WP500 Ultra waterproof?
Yes. It is certified IP68 and IP69K: dust-tight, it withstands immersion down to 1.5 metres for 30 minutes as well as high-pressure jets of hot water. It also meets the MIL-STD-810H standard and, according to Oukitel, survives drops from 1.5 metres. A word of warning: the warranty excludes water damage if the port covers were badly closed or if the immersion limits were exceeded.
What is the thermal camera of the Oukitel WP500 Ultra used for?
The camera of the Oukitel WP500 Ultra shows the temperature of surfaces in the form of an image, from -20 to 550 °C, with a 640 x 512 pixel sensor. An electrician uses it to spot a connection that is overheating, a refrigeration engineer to check a compressor, a solar installer to detect a faulty panel. It also helps to find a hot water leak or a person in the dark. It is a diagnostic tool, not a calibrated measuring instrument.
What is the best rugged smartphone of 2026 for a professional?
It all depends on the trade. For thermography, the Oukitel WP500 Ultra is one of the best equipped thanks to its 640 x 512 pixel sensor and its Dimensity 8300 chip. For maximum battery life or a built-in walkie-talkie, Oukitel’s WP61 series, with its 20,000 mAh, is a better fit. Ulefone, Doogee and Blackview also have their flagship models, which are presented in our other product pages.
Will the Oukitel WP500 Ultra get Android 17?
Nothing guarantees it. The phone ships with Android 16 and Oukitel has announced no schedule, neither for Android versions nor for security patches. Several reviews note this as a flaw. The official spec sheet mentions only support for over-the-air updates. If long-term support is essential to your business, take that into account.
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