Review: A rugged smartphone with some serious sci-fi tech built in
13.08.2022 - 01:01
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
If you've never heard of Doogee before, let me introduce you. It's a North American company specialising in rugged smartphones. They're quickly becoming the darling of the extreme outdoorsman, or the trusted tool of the tradesman.
Priced at just over £400, depending on the exchange rate, the latest S98 Pro version is the model I've been testing, and it's seriously impressive.
While a rugged Doogee smartphone can be had for around £100, this is one of the firm's flaghships and, it has to be remembered, £400 is a bargain price for a smartphone these days.
But there's no compromise on quality here. Straight out of the box, the S98 Pro feels like it means business. It's very chunky, almost to the point of feeling cumbersome, but this is more of a hefty tool than a dainty fashion item, so you soon forgive its bulk. Besides, its rugged exterior feels completely indestructible, and actually very comfortable once you're used to it.
The stats are impressive. It has 8gb of RAM, a 6,000mah battery, IP69K water resistance, Corning Gorilla Glass, a double camera with 48mp and 20mp sensors, a 16mp front camera, fingerprint recognition, and it runs on Android 12.
All that would be more than enough to justify its price, but that's by no means the end of the features, because I've not got to the best bits yet.
One of its two cameras is capable of night vision. And I don't just mean taking half-decent pictures in the dark, I mean proper infra-red PSYOP-style night vision. And it's absolutely remarkable.
Oh, but it doesn't stop there. There's also a thermal-imaging camera. And that really is pretty space-age. Point it around and the world appears in a series of colourful hues, with colder surfaces appearing dark, but warmer surfaces