Doogee S96 Skilled review: This issue is a tank

Mainstream smartphones aren’t primarily constructed to remaining. That shiny piece of glass and metallic most certainly obtained’t stand as much as harsh environmental circumstances. So then, what’s going to? That’s the place rugged smartphones come into play. The Doogee S96 Skilled provides a sturdy experience at a reasonable worth. The question is, will it preserve up inside the day-to-day? Uncover out in Android Authority’s Doogee S96 Skilled review.

See moreover: The best rugged telephones

What it’s advisable to know regarding the Doogee S96 Skilled

Luke Pollack / Android Authority

• Doogee S96 Skilled (8GB RAM, 128GB): $389 / £370 / €319

Priced at merely shy of $400, the Doogee S96 Skilled sits within the midst of the pack within the case of rugged Android telephones. Supply in only one chance — 8GB of RAM with 128GB of storage, expandable as a lot as 256GB by the use of microSD card — the S96 Skilled positively provides a considerable amount of storage headroom. The phone is in the marketplace in two colors: Fireplace Crimson and Mineral Black. The gadget we examined arrived working Android 10 with Doogee’s personalized pores and pores and skin on excessive. Sadly, there is no such thing as a such factor as a exchange to Android 11 for this gadget, although the gadget did acquire a March 5, 2021, Android security patch all through our time with it.

With regards to totally different specs, the Doogee S96 Skilled is working the MediaTek Helio G90, has an unlimited 6,350mAh battery, and a 6.22-inch 720p present. The underside sees a 3.5mm headphone jack and a USB-C port. On the once more, there is a single firing mono speaker that can get pretty loud, and there’s even a side-mounted fingerprint sensor as successfully. Lastly, Doogee included a smart-key on the left facet which may be re-mapped for a variety of completely totally different apps or options, such as a result of the underwater camera.

Inside the discipline, you get a USB-C charger, a plastic pry instrument for the watertight SIM card slot, two show protectors, a wrist strap, and some very Apple-like headphones.

Luke Pollack / Android Authority

The S96 Skilled is constructed like an absolute tank. The gadget is IP68 and IP69K waterproof and grime resistant, and it ships with a MIL-STD-810G certification for drop security. The latter isn’t the newest MIL-STD-810H rating offered by some rugged telephones, nonetheless it is protected for shock, vibration, heat, chilly, humidity, and further. Plus, the metallic and rubber assemble means this phone can nearly take one thing. I threw it just some cases, ran it beneath extreme pressured water, and even dropped it, and it received right here away unscathed. Doogee packaged the S96 Skilled with Gorilla Glass 5 which ought to ensure some confidence for individuals who had been to drop the phone face down.

The Doogee S96 Skilled is constructed like an absolute tank.

The truth is, for individuals who’re considering a rugged gadget it’s larger than potential for its sturdiness, although you is likely to be pleasantly shocked that some unusual choices embody this title as successfully. The Doogee S96 Skilled ships with a 20MP IR night time time imaginative and prescient camera, and it actually works. We’ve got now seen night time time imaginative and prescient cameras in several telephones such as a result of the pricier Ulefone Armor 11, nonetheless the Doogee S96 Skilled performs significantly better and produces some sharp and proper footage. Sadly, the camera can solely take night time time imaginative and prescient footage, not video.

All of these choices don’t matter if the gadget doesn’t remaining by a full day. Fortuitously, the gargantuan 6,350mAh battery included inside the S96 Skilled means the gadget lasts just by two. In my testing, which consisted of heavy social media utilization, mild footage, and some gaming, the gadget averaged about eight to 9 hours of screen-on time. Unsurprisingly, the standby battery effectivity on this gadget is stellar, with the gadget seeing on frequent decrease than 1% drain per hour. Powering up the phone from zero to 100% took about 90 minutes, which is surprisingly fast for the form of gadget. The S96 Skilled moreover helps wi-fi charging as a lot as 10W which is one factor you don’t often see in rugged telephones.

Effectivity on the S96 Skilled is just like totally different rugged gadgets within the market. It ships with the Mediatek G90, which is an older period middle-of-the-road funds chipset that compares to the Snapdragon 730 found inside the Google Pixel 4a. The gadget moreover ships with 8GB of RAM which is elevated than most totally different rugged selections, so that you simply’ll have the power to run additional apps immediately with out noticing any slowdown.

What’s not so good?

Luke Pollack / Android Authority

Even with the stellar battery life and funky IR night time time imaginative and prescient camera, the rest of the experience has some top quality administration points. Whereas 720p reveals are fairly frequent amongst rugged gadgets, my particular unit had some factors. I found the color accuracy pretty harmful, and the excellence was just a bit washed out. Moreover, I must level out that my particular unit shipped with two ineffective pixels, which doesn’t make an incredible case for the usual administration of these panels.

Sadly, the Doogee S96 Skilled has some top quality administration factors.

The camera system on the Doogee S96 Skilled carried out as to be anticipated for a rugged gadget, nonetheless, I did run into an issue value mentioning. I’m uncertain if it was the camera app or the present, nonetheless the phone saved taking regular footage after I’d faucet the shutter button as quickly as. It didn’t happen every time, nonetheless often adequate to make it annoying. For many who work in an environment that is determined by taking footage quickly, this is likely to be a difficulty.

Doogee S96 Skilled camera samples

Foremost 48MPExtraordinarily-In depth 8MPForemost 48MPExtraordinarily-In depth 8MPForemost 48MPForemost 48MP16MP Entrance 2MP Macro

You can discover extreme res variations of the camera samples proper right here.

Doogee S96 Skilled Specs

Doogee S96 Skilled review: Should I buy it?

Luke Pollack / Android Authority

Priced at $389 it’s exhausting to not similar to the Doogee S96 Skilled. Significantly impressively it packs an incredible value proposition when as compared with pricier opponents such as a result of the Ulefone Armor 11 ($580) and the Samsung Galaxy XCover Skilled ($499). Every of those gadgets are dearer and won’t be virtually as sturdy as a result of the S96 Skilled. Not every phone goes to face the verify of time, to not point out harsh environmental circumstances, nonetheless the S96 Skilled is no doubt one of many few gadgets that merely could attributable to its rubber and metallic assemble. Together with this, the inclusion of a sharp night time time imaginative and prescient camera is likely to be useful for patrons who work in further dimly lit environments. And the stellar battery life implies that those who avoid their charger for prolonged durations obtained’t have difficulty with the gadget lasting various days.

Funds-conscious patrons who work in strong environments and wish their phone to remaining must severely take into consideration the Doogee S96 Skilled.

The usual administration present concern and camera bugs could make the gadget a little bit little bit of an opportunity for some. Nonetheless for a lot of who’re funds acutely conscious, work in strong environments, and wish their gadget to remaining, the Doogee S96 Skilled packs some severely extremely efficient punches. For many who’re in the hunt for totally different top-tier rugged telephones then moreover make sure you check out the Unihertz Atom XL ($329) and the Cat S62 Skilled ($649).

It is value noting that this phone’s successor — the Doogee S97 Skilled — will doubtless be launched on Amazon in late September 2021. It choices a good larger battery and a additional extremely efficient processor. We’ll be testing the phone shortly to ship our verdict, nonetheless the Doogee S96 Skilled stays to be an incredible buy even instantly.

Doogee S96 Skilled

Doogee S96 Skilled

The Doogee S96 Skilled provides a sturdy and rugged design combined with a 20MP night time time imaginative and prescient camera and an enormous 6,350mAh battery.