My brother-in-law was holding the phone with his arm outstretched, the screen showing TNWs homepage.
I stood behind him clutching a Nikon DSLR.
Mate, I said.
you oughta turn the screen brightness to max.
I cant see anything; just your reflection.
It is, he replied.
Using this phone wassucha frustrating ordeal.
But nonetheless, Im here.
Lets talk about one of the worst phones that ever crossed my desk.
It’s free, every week, in your inbox.
The Doogee S40 is a curious beast.
Its outwardly a rugged phone designed for those working in physically demanding occupations, like mechanics and builders.
It comes with a thick external chassis that promises to protect the unit from drops and tumbles.
Andit also costs 100 (about $125).
Specs wise, theres nothing really to write home about.
It comes with the following:
In short, this is an unambiguously low-end setup.
The Doogee S40, however, wins points on its battery capacity, which is reassuringly enduring.
The rest, however?
Is it the screen, which feels like it was cribbed from a knock-off iPhone 3G?
Should I talk about the lacklustre performance, or the terrible camera quality?
Sod it, lets start with the screen.
Color reproduction is similarly dismal, and everything looks washed out.
And the low-resolution screen gives everything an unpleasantly grainy texture.
Its PPI (pixels-per-inch) of 195 is less thanhalfthat of most modern phones.
From Google Chrome, to the Android configs, theres a noticeable lag witheverythingyou do even typing.
That aside, what the Doogee S40 does well is build quality.
Its unabashedly rugged, and survived several drops onto asphalt completely unscathed.
It comes with a reassuringly rubberized chassis, as well as flaps for the ports.
This undoubtedly helped it gain its IP68 rating, which offers a sturdy defense against dust and water.
This is a phone you couldnt break, even if you wanted to.
And believe me, if you buy it, youll want to.
Who is the Doogee S40 for?
Thats the question I kept asking myself during the process of reviewing this phone.
If youre looking for an entry-level handset, I wouldnt recommend this one.
Is the Doogee S40 for those who need a phone who can withstand the indignities of working life?
Maybe, but if thats the case, why would you spend just 100?
There are also really rugged good handsetsfrom Chinese rival Blackview, too.
I have to give Doogee credit for trying something new with the S40.
Although this review is pretty damning, Ive got a fair bit of affection for the company.
TheDoogee Mix was a solid and fairly interesting gear.
Ive also had good experiences with its other rugged devices.
But under no circumstances could I recommend the Doogee S40 to anyone.
Unless, of course, youre a collector of crap phones, or you just hate yourself.
If thats the case, you’re able to pick up a handset on Amazon.co.ukfor just 100.
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