Doogee Smini
- T
- T-H
- nQY
- 12 Jul 2024
I am currently using this phone and plan on doing so until user-changeable batteries will become standard for phones sold in EU in 2027.
The ideal frame of a phone is IMO Samsung Xcover 3, and this comes close (wide screens has, however, resulted in screens being longer so the screen on the Doogee feels smaller - wide screens have fewer pixels - on phones that means more height, rather than width).
Ok. Performance? Brilliant!
Only drawback is battery life which isn't great (look for Blackview N6000 in stead, if that's a dealbreaker. I've seen versions of this branded with SD-card capability).
Recharging is ridiculously fast - a bit of a concern, as it makes me wonder, how good the battery is over time...
Cameras are quite good (except from the selfie-one, but who cares?), and you can just enlarge text on the screen if you somehow struggle with an actual phone size screen.
That works really great!
Using the on screen keyboard is not hard for a lad like me, having a craftman's hands.
No-one asked for a back screen, but it's quite convenient to have access to the time on both sides of the phone - it also features temperature and humidity. No idea where it gets it's data, and that screen is not costomizable.
It's not as much a dwarf as it makes my work phone (Xcover 4s) seems unnecessarily big. And that's a 5''.
I think Doogee hit right on many, many accounts with this phone, and I hope sales will make them consider going in this frame's direction and not add even larger screens to phaplets.
Anything I'd change?
If making the phone slightly wider (think Xcover 3) could add a few mHa to the battery, that would be an improvement on two fronts. Bringing back 3.5 mm jack would improve, too - but not a necessity.
- G
- GniQQ
- 6mM
- 14 Jun 2024
It's a great little phone. After using the giant slabs we have nowadays it takes a bit of getting used to the small size but afterwards it's awesome! Completely water, dust and drop proof, takes a day of use with the battery and still works well with the G99 chipset. All this for a fair price. My only issue is that I can't find any info on end of support or if it's gonna get Android 14 and such.
- ?
- Anonymous
- Lxm
- 29 Jan 2024
Anonymous, 29 Jan 2024Resolution does matter when it's less than 316 ppi as ... more"And some bloated apps expect to see 720p and higher displays as that's the norm these days." When I last used my 1 core 3.0 inch Galaxy Pocket Neo with 240p screen in 2016-7, this was not a concern. But now, times have changed.
- ?
- Anonymous
- Lxm
- 29 Jan 2024
Anonymous, 25 Dec 2023Thickness doesn't matter when its thin enough to reach... moreResolution does matter when it's less than 316 ppi as you can see the pixels sometimes even when you're not focused to find them.
And some bloated apps expect to see 720p and higher displays as that's the norm these days.
- ?
- Anonymous
- 7wm
- 25 Dec 2023
+SIZE
+Thickness - much thinner compared to the other "compact" chinese phones (Blackview N6000, Oukitel K16, Unihertz Jelly star, Cubot KingKong Mini 3, Cubot Pocket 3, etc)
+Fast fingerprint sensor & good placement
±Dual SIM or 1+MicroSd
±IP68 but USB port has a flap (there is a screw for you to remove it if you don't want to deal with the flap)
-No 3.5mm jack
-Bezel at the bottom which could have been used for dedicated navigation buttons, instead the navigation buttons are at the bottom of the screen which makes it easy to accidentally touch when typing unless you want to use gesture navigation.
-Slippery (solved with a TPU case)
-Camera (even compared to other cheap phones)
Wish it was 4" or 16:9 with the same dimensions though.
- ?
- Anonymous
- AAs
- 25 Dec 2023
Thickness doesn't matter when its thin enough to reach both sides of the phone and the notification bar.
Resolution doesn't matter when you only consoom low birate ultracompressed tiktok proogramming and don't put your eye right by the screen to scrutinize each and every individual pixel.
The camera sucks though.
- N
- NajeedStone
- whC
- 24 Dec 2023
joe nodden, 24 Dec 2023"the handling due to the thickness leaves something be... moreEnough reasons for me to like this phone regardless of other's opinions. Let's go separate ways
- joe nodden
- j5{
- 24 Dec 2023
NajeedStone, 24 Dec 2023Trust me it's a bit better than how you make it seem l... more"the handling due to the thickness leaves something be desired"
End of story.
- N
- NajeedStone
- whC
- 24 Dec 2023
joe nodden, 23 Dec 2023Thickness always matters. That doubling in thickness is an ... moreTrust me it's a bit better than how you make it seem like. I'm using this as my main phone now
This is 4.5 inches, not 5.5 or 6. It's way easier to handle and hands down way more pocketable than almost anything 5.7+ inches that's 9mm thick or less.
Surely, for a 4.5 inch device of, the handling due to the thickness leaves something be desired. The large aspect ratio sort of compensates for this. My hands are rather small and I can reach almost the entire screen with my thumb.
Given the monstrosities of today, it's quite refreshing to see something small like this. My other phone is a Sharp Aquos Wish 2,which is a much more elegant looking MIL Spec phone, but 5.7 inches is too big for me.
It's a fact that this is a phone for a niche market. It'll never become popular and it's imperfect in several ways. Some people like us want to be able to have a choice though.
- joe nodden
- j5{
- 23 Dec 2023
Anonymous, 23 Dec 2023It is compact. Thickness does not matter in this size range... moreThickness always matters. That doubling in thickness is an extra half an inch your hand needs to wrap around. It also makes it way more awkward to pocket. This thing is still an extra 2mm thicker than your smaller Samsung Pocket Neo.
And if you can read you should've read the fourth comment posted here about the RAZR MAXX. This horrendous thickness isn't necessary for a large battery seeing as it can't even compete in either size or battery capacity with a nearly 12 year old phone.
- ?
- Anonymous
- Lxm
- 23 Dec 2023
Anonymous, 23 Dec 2023It is compact. Thickness does not matter in this size range... moreAdding to the comment, since the Doogee Smini is rugged and milspec as well as small, it's ULTRA fat. Completely justified
- ?
- Anonymous
- Lxm
- 23 Dec 2023
joe nodden, 30 Oct 2023Not much of a compact phone anymore when it's as thick... moreIt is compact. Thickness does not matter in this size range, as it's really necessary to bring bigger batteries. The Unihertz Jelly series is small and fat too. I have a 3.0" Samsung Pocket Neo on my desk (2013 antique) and it's fat too.
- N
- NajeedStone
- whC
- 22 Dec 2023
I have handled this phone. To answer some questions I've seen earlier It's MIL Spec according to the box, and it's true that it doesn't have a headphone jack, the main bummer for me.
Despite the thickness, the phone actually handles rather well due to the long aspect ratio, but if I grip tightly, I may not be able to reach the top left corner with my thumb.
The battery seems reasonable but a little bit on the short side. Occasional texting, picture taking and web browsing can take me through the morning into the evening. Sometimes I may have to charge my phone by 10-15% to make sure I don't get dangerously close to 0%.
It's really just a basic phone with nothing to get excited about, and the main highlight is its screen size. The screen size is precisely what made me buy this phone in the end, despite the battery life and the lack of headphone jack
- M
- Minu
- IWS
- 20 Dec 2023
joe nodden, 31 Oct 2023Looks like I was right, this thing sucks. It's going f... morePlus it looks arguably better than this slab
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- Anonymous
- E4T
- 13 Dec 2023
Screen is small, fine... BUT! Screen resolution is proportional to a normal big screen phone, so ½ or ⅓ size screen and ½ ⅓ size apps, text etc... its almost unreadable in perfect conditions. I was expecting a smaller grid with normal size font and app icons etc. I feel the size and weight is great, but I just can't use it due to the screen fonts and icon size.
- joe nodden
- j5{
- 12 Dec 2023
judge, 09 Dec 2023do you know its a mill spec cellphone?Irrelevant. The name of the phone is "Smini." It's not mini.
- j
- judge
- m1J
- 09 Dec 2023
joe nodden, 30 Oct 2023Not much of a compact phone anymore when it's as thick... moredo you know its a mill spec cellphone?
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- Anonymous
- n1B
- 22 Nov 2023
justasmile, 31 Oct 2023iPhone 13 Mini-sized phones should not even exist now. He w... moreThere's hundreds of different smartphone models being released every year. Doesn't hurt to have at least a handful of them in compact size for a niche market of people looking for small phones. I personally know a good half a dozen people who are frustrated with today's huge phones and are looking for something that can be put in a pocket. They don't need a big screen for videos, just an ordinary smartphone for messaging, videocalling, etc. Last few years, there have barely been any at all, except for the Apple ones.
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- Lars
- pZT
- 11 Nov 2023
justasmile, 31 Oct 2023iPhone 13 Mini-sized phones should not even exist now. He w... moreOn the contrary. I run and bike with my phone. Like many active outdoor users, a rugged, light device under 5" is my requirement.