Abbree AR-518 vs Retevis A1 - Comparison in 2025

Trying to choose between Abbree AR-518 and Retevis A1? Below you'll find a side-by-side comparison of key features, specifications, and performance to help you decide which handheld radio best fits your needs. Click the link below for a full review and detailed test results.

Feature	Abbree AR-518	Retevis A1
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Radio Name	Abbree AR-518	Retevis A1
Bands	2m, 1.25m, 70cm	2m, 70cm
Max Power 2m/70cm	3.4/2.5	2/3.7
Battery Type	Li-Ion	Li-Ion
Battery Volts	7.4 v	7.4 v
Rated mAh	8800 mAh	2200 mAh
Tested mAh	970 mAh	2270 mAh
Antenna Connector	M-SMA	M-SMA
Height w/ant	309 mm	304 mm
Width	59 mm	60 mm
Thickness w/clip	46 mm	53 mm
Weight	209 g	283 g
Color Screen	No	No
GPS	No	Yes
USB-C Charging	No	Yes
Review Link	LINK	LINK
Price	$53	$50
Purchase Link	-	LINK
CHIRP Program	Yes	No
Rating by Price	F	C
Rating Overall	F	C
Conclusions	Would I recommend the Abbree AR-512? ROFLMAO! I can think of no situation where I would suggest doing anything with this radio except throwing it away, or perhaps setting it on fire to see what happens. Stay away.	The Retevis A1 is an excellent balance of features for the price. With a few tweaks, I could see this easily being a leader in its price range. My biggest complaint is the screw holding the cover on the side, and honestly, I can take a rotary tool to that (after removing it from the radio of course) and make the edges much more rounded to save my thumb. I guess the bottom line is, would I recommend this radio? If you are looking for a good quality, durable, dual-band radio with some nice features, then yes, I believe I would. I have always liked the Baofeng UV-9R Plus as a budget dual-band waterproof radio, and I think this Retevis A1 takes that and substantially improves on it. If you really need to save that $10 difference, stick with the Baofeng UV-9R Plus, but if you can swing it, you will really enjoy the Retevis A1.