Oscal Pilot 6 review: A durable design and added extras make this a serious contender in the rugged phone market

TechRadar Verdict

The phone's credentials make it exceptionally useful, and the 108MP camera, whilst not ideal for enthusiast photographers, is great for anyone needing to take pictures on site for surveying and documentation purposes. The thermal camera is useful and works well, with plenty of coloured overlays, and general performance is good, although slightly limited by the 4G rather than 5G network connectivity.

Pros

• +Excellent thermal camera
• +Large battery capacity
• +Good, strong, rugged design

Cons

• -Heavier than a consumer model
• -No 5G support
• -The touchscreen is not as responsive as some

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Jump To:

• 30-second review
• Price and availability
• Specs
• Design
• Features
• Performance
• Final verdict
• Should you buy it?

OSCAL Pilot 6: 30-second review

The Oscal Pilot 6 is a rugged Android phone designed for anyone working outdoors who needs a phone that can withstand far more than a standard commercial model. The design is rugged and, whilst it’s slightly larger than a standard phone, its plastic reinforced casing keeps it from being overly large, and it will just about slip into a pocket.

The bulk and weight, while more than your average consumer phone, is still less than many other larger rugged smartphones. Still, it’s nicely designed with the usual industrial design aesthetic synonymous with rugged smartphones. It’s comfortable to hold and use, and when it comes to that ruggedness, it offers IP68/IP69 and MIL-STD-810H ratings, highlighting that it can withstand significant abuse.

What makes this phone stand out against many of the other rugged smartphones is that it not only features all the usual camera specifications, including a massive 108-million-pixel camera, but also a thermal camera, which makes it great for trade, and a large 10,000mAh battery, which ensures that it can last for days in between charging. This battery can also be wirelessly charged at 15W and supports reverse charging for topping up other devices.

When used to navigate productivity apps, the handset's speed is okay, just held back a little by the MediaTek Helio G100, which is really a mid-range CPU, backed again by a mid-range Mali-G57 MC2 GPU. So, whilst it’s usable for updating documents and browsing the internet, it’s not the fastest on the market. What is nice, though, is that it’s all fronted by a 6.78-inch 120Hz screen, which is perfectly viewable in all conditions.

Also, what I really liked was that it has a built-in 98dB speaker that produces relatively decent audio quality. If you’re working on-site and want to listen to music, then this could be the perfect option.

For the consumer market, this phone is a little large for the general user. However, in trade, engineering, and surveying, the features, build quality, and size make it one of the best rugged phones I've tested. It’s just a little bit of a shame that it’s limited to 4G.

OSCAL Pilot 6: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? £330/$294
• When is it out? Now
• Where can you get it? Directly from Oscal or Amazon

At present, the Pilot 6 is available on Blackview's fficial website, with the 12GB/256GB model priced at $558.99 / £319. But keep an eye on the website as the price does change.

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