We've long been impressed by the rugged prowess of smartphones from China's Doogee, and now the company has launched it's latest model. The feature-packed V10 includes a quad camera, large battery, an IR thermometer, and also happens to be Doogee's first 5G handset.
The V10 has been put through numerous durability tests on its way to MIL-STD-810G certification, including proving its mettle against humidity, low pressure, and acidity. It's also sealed against dust and water ingress to IP69K standards, and can be submerged to a depth of 5 m (16.4 ft) for up to two hours, with underwater photography and videography also possible without needing a sealed outer case. Doogee also says that it should survive drops from a height of 3 m (9.8 ft), even onto a concrete floor.
As you might expect, with such rugged boasts, the phone is a little chunky – though not painfully so – at 16.1 mm (0.6 in) thick, and tips the scales at 340 g (12 oz).
The phone features a 6.39-inch, 720 x 1,560 resolution scratch-resistant LCD screen (courtesy of Corning Gorilla Glass) for 270 pixels per inch, 16.7 million colors, 400 cd/m2 of brightness, 1,000:1 contrast, and sports a 90.5 percent screen-to-body ratio. Inside are a 2.2-GHz MediaTek Dimensity 700 octa-core processor and Mali-G57 MC2 graphics supported by 8 GB of RAM and 128 GB of storage, with up to 256 GB more available via the included microSD card slot.
There's a Samsung quad camera array around back, comprising a 48-MP main camera that's capable of recording 2K video at 30 frames per second in addition to capturing high-resolution photos; an 8-MP ultra-wide-angle snapper; a 2-MP portrait camera with an f/2.2 aperture and a 70-degree field of view; and a 2-MP macro option for getting up close to subjects. The main and portrait cameras can be used with the phone's two rear flashes. Selfie duties are the domain of a 16-MP Sony front-facing camera, with a beauty mode included for helping you look your best (or maybe even better).
In a novel twist, folks can check temperatures using the phone thanks to an integrated infrared thermometer, with a reported accuracy margin of 0.2 °C – though Doogee does point out that this feature is not intended for medical use, it's for reference only – such as checking that your morning coffee is just the right side of super hot, or for parents wanting a more accurate indicator of bath water temperature than an elbow.
Doogee says that the V10 "supports more network bands and carriers than any other 5G rugged phone," and employs eight antennas and sensors evenly distributed over the body for the promise of "better network connectivity and an extremely strong signal."
It comes with a generous 8,500-mAh battery that's reckoned good for up to four days of normal use or 27 days on standby. Power users can look forward to 23 continuous hours of music playback, 15 hours of video watching, 47 hours of non-stop talk time, or 16 hours of 3D gaming. Should you feel the need, that big battery can also share its charge with other devices thanks to the phone's reverse-charging feature.
When it comes time to juice up the V10 itself, 33-W fast-charging is supported for quick top-ups, or users can pop the phone on a 10-W wireless charging pad if one is handy.
Elsewhere, the rugged phone runs Android 11, supports GooglePay via NFC, offers Bluetooth 5.0 and 802.11n Wi-Fi, benefits from a GPS/Glonass/Galileo/Beidou navigation system, and sports a 508-DPI resolution fingerprint sensor to the side for secure access.
The V10 5G is available now for US$299.99.
Product page: Doogee V10 5G
Approximately AU $1,345.73