It's official. This is the most rugged Android tablet I've ever tested
It's official. This is the most rugged Android tablet I've ever tested
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It’s official. This is the most rugged Android tablet I’ve ever tested
Oukitel RT7 5G ruggedized Android 13 tablet.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
I love my iPad Pro a lot, but it scares me to take it outdoors for fear that it’ll get soaked or broken. Having a tablet that can survive the rigors of outdoor life can be useful for those who need to get things done, irrespective of rain, mud, and falls on the hard concrete that would destroy a weaker tablet.
Also: Don’t go swimming with your new iPhone 15, even if it says it’s waterproof
What is needed is a ruggedized tablet but not any ruggedized tablet. If it’s to truly take the place of a laptop, the display needs to be as big as possible.
For the past few weeks, I’ve been putting the Oukitel RT7 5G ruggedized Android 13 tablet through its paces, and I’ve been impressed by its durability and usefulness.
ZDNET RECOMMENDS
Oukitel RT7 5G
According to the manufacturer, the Oukitel RT7 is the world’s first 5G ruggedized tablet, tested and certified to meet or exceed IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810H.
Oukitel RT7 5G tech specs
- MediaTek Dimensity 720 MT6853 octa-core processor.
- 10.1-inch FHD+ with 1200 x 1920 resolution, 14.4:9 ratio, 60Hz refresh rate.
- Arm Mail-G57 MC3 GPU.
- 48-megapixel main camera + 32-megapixel front camera + 20-megapixel night vision.
- 24GB LPDDR4 RAM.
- 256GB ROM (expandable to 1TB with microSD card).
- 32,000mAh ultra-large battery.
- IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810H tested and certified.
- The tablet comes with an aluminum alloy stand, hand strap, shoulder strap, and screwdriver to fit these accessories.
- Dimensions: 249.1 x 167.8 x 19.8 mm.
- Weight: 1,212 grams
The first thing that struck me was how big the tablet it. It’s huge.
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At close to an inch thick and over 2.5 pounds, this is a massive tablet, much bigger than what you’d otherwise expect from a 10.1-inch tablet. The ruggedized bezel, reinforced corners, and waterproofing all add to the weight and bulk.
The Oukitel RT7 5G is a thick tablet.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
Then, there’s the battery. The 32,000mAh pack gives this tablet an amazing 180 days of standby or 35 hours of video playback.
The battery feels like it lives forever.
This allows the tablet to have a hidden feature in the form of reverse charging features, meaning that you can use the tablet as a power bank, allowing you to recharge an iPhone 15 nine times. I can see this feature being handy, too, for photographers and drone operators taking this tablet with them on adventures.
I’ve used it to recharge drone batteries after depleting a power bank on a shoot, and it allowed me to get the last shot I needed.
Also: This $180 Android tablet is capable of things my iPad Pro can only dream of
The tablet has been built for hard, heavy use, and has been tested to meet or exceed IP68, IP69K, and MIL-STD-810H standards. This tablet can handle one-meter drops, submersion in 1.5 meters of water for 30 minutes, and the temperature swings going from freezing winters to scorching summers.
The Oukitel RT7 5G shrugging off rain.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
I’ve been testing the durability of this tablet — dropping it, leaving it out in the rain overnight, burying it in mud — and it lives up to the specs.
This is a tough tablet to kill.
The Oukitel RT7 5G is perfect for industrial and engineering applications.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
As for the cameras on the RT7, I class them as perfectly adequate for the job.
Also: The best large-screen tablets you can buy
They can capture photos that are perfect for social media or for inclusion in reports. They don’t come close to what modern high-end smartphones from the likes of Samsung or Apple can deliver, but they’re more than good enough for what people are going to be using this tablet for. I particularly like the macro camera, which allows you to get in close to the action.
The Oukitel RT7 5G camera array.
Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
The RT7 also features an alloy handle, hand strap, and shoulder strap to allow for more carrying options and lessen the likelihood of dropping the tablet when using it outdoors.
For $500, the Oukitel RT7 5G ruggedized Android 13 tablet is one of the toughest tablets you can buy. Yes, it’s big. Yes, it’s nowhere near as stylish as an iPad, but this has a monster battery and is built to survive some of the toughest conditions.
I love it!
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