In a world of smartphones heavily dominated by devices with large screens, it’s always nice to see a brand go for a more compact take. DOOGEE is one of those brands, and the DOOGEE Smini is a great example.
DOOGEE Smini is built for those who want a compact and rugged device that they can take with them on their adventures, without sacrificing the benefits of having Android. It boasts an IP68 and IP69K rating and has passed the MIL-STD-810H test, which means this phone is designed to withstand harsh conditions.
Design and Build Quality
Weighing in at only 155g, and measuring 133 x 60 x 13.5mm, DOOGEE Smini is great for one-handed use. The buttons are easily reachable, and the metal plates on both sides offer good grip. One neat addition is the Easy Key, located on the left side. It’s a programmable button that lets you perform certain actions like opening apps, turning on the flashlight, taking a screenshot, and more.
What’s even better is that this button can be programmed to do different things with a single tap, a double tap, and a long press. Something rarely found on smartphones these days, there is also a notification LED at the upper right side, which also tells you when the phone is charging, and when battery level is low.
The unique thing about the DOOGEE Smini is the addition of a rear display, which can show temperature, humidity, date, time, and battery level. That’s apart from the bumpers that ensure the phone is protected against damage from accidental drops.
The USB-C port on this device is protected by a flap, reminiscent of those devices from another brand from several years back, so there’s always that worry that it might come loose at some point.
You get a 4.5-inch TFT display with qHD+ resolution and with a 60Hz refresh rate. I would have wanted the option for 90Hz, but when you think about it, this phone is built to be used in rugged environments, which means places where you won’t have immediate access to sockets. That means battery life is of the utmost importance.
Due to the small size, it’s probably not the best screen to watch movies on, but again, it’s there if you need it. The 22:9 aspect ratio means you get a tall and slightly narrow display. As for its brightness, it’s enough to be visible even in direct sunlight, but nothing spectacular.
Performance
DOOGEE Smini runs on a Helio G99, which should give you a good balance of performance and efficiency. Would a 5G chip be a better choice? probably. But you have to consider that many of those who will buy this phone will probably take it to places with less-than-ideal network coverage.
You also get 8GB of RAM and a generous 256GB of storage, which should be more than enough for light multitasking and to store documents and media that you may need to bring with you on a trip.
While I would personally not play games on this due to the small screen size, for the benefit of knowing, Mobile Legends will run well at Super + Ultra settings, while heavier games like Diablo Immortal and Honkai: Star Rail will need to be at or close to their lowest settings to even get close to running decently.
Camera
DOOGEE Smini is equipped with a 50MP main rear camera, alongside a 2MP macro unit. Again, I would prefer an ultrawide any day, but maybe that would raise the cost.
Anyway, you can expect decent quality photos with this phone. They’re not amazing, but they do offer a decent amount of detail and sharpness. Color accuracy is good as well.
Surprisingly, the device can capture 2K videos from the rear camera, though the lack of stabilization means you’ll either have to have very steady hands or stick to static shots.
Software
DOOGEE Smini runs Android 13 out of the box and comes with only a minimal amount of pre-loaded apps apart from Google Apps. It even has an FM Radio app, which is also a rarity in smartphones these days.
UI Performance is mostly smooth, and it does support the complete suite of security options – Fingerprint, Face Unlock, and the more traditional ones.
You also have access to the Easy Key settings, where you can choose what it does, and again, it’s highly customizable.
Battery
One of the drawbacks of a smaller device is that there’s less space for components. But while the DOOGEE Smini only has a 3,000mAh battery, the device managed to score almost 10 hours in PCMArk’s Work 3.0 test, which simulates data manipulation, web browsing, and basic video+photo editing. That’s actually good for a phone this small.
The device supports 18W fast-charging, which isn’t exactly the fastest out there, but is still good to have. A full charge from empty took around an hour, which is also great.
DOOGEE Smini: Verdict
Now, the DOOGEE Smini has an intro price of PHP 13,999, which may seem a bit high considering what it offers in the processing department, and its 60Hz display. But when you think about it, it’s a phone that’s made to be used in a rugged environment. Places and adventure where you won’t normally take the usual smartphone.
For me though, if it’s a phone that would last a decent amount of time, giving me access to the benefits of having Android – which leans of having access to various apps, while being strong enough to survive harsh conditions, and being something that can be used with one hand, easily, that price is worth it.
If I had a wish list for this phone, it’s 90Hz, a better chip, an ultra-wide unit, and a headphone jack.
Emman has been writing technical and feature articles since 2010. Prior to this, he became one of the instructors at Asia Pacific College in 2008, and eventually landed a job as Business Analyst and Technical Writer at Integrated Open Source Solutions for almost 3 years.
