[Device Reviews and Information] fOmey:
Doogee MIX - Silver

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DISCLAIMER ::

This is purely my opinion and experience with the device, I am no way affiliated with the manufacturer. I was sent the device for the purpose of a review, so I am not biased in anyway.

SPECS ::

Dimensions:

Width: 76.2mm

Height: 144mm

Thickness: 7.95mm

Weight: 193g

Display:

5.5" AMOLED

Resolution: 720 x 1280 / 320 DPI

Refresh rate: 63.04fps

CPU:

CPU Type: ARM Cortex-A53

Max CPU Frequency: 2.6GHz

Cores: Octa (8)

CPU Bit: 64-bit

GPU:

Type: ARM Mali-T880 MP2

Max GPU Frequency: 1GHz

Resolution: 720 x 1280

Max Display Resolution: 1920 x 1080

Camera

Rear camera (Dual): 16.0MP + 8.0MP

Front camera: 5.0 MP

Cell

Dual SIM card standby: Micro-SIM + Nano-SIM

2G: GSM: 850/900/1800/1900MHz

3G: WCDMA: 900/2100MHz

4G: FDD:B1/3/7/8/20

THOUGHTS ::

First and foremost let me start off by saying the finish on the silver MIX is stunning, when I first removed it from the box I was taken back... the mirror finish isnt something you come across often and it looks great. I will admit it is a finger print magnet, gorgeous nether the less.. definitely worth the upkeep.

The MIX's price point is definitely targeting the low end market, I've found it being sold generally around the $200 USD mark. Which I think is definitely a fair asking price for the device you receive. Obviously purchasing a device in the low range market your not getting all the bell's and whistles and that's to be expected.. however the Doogee MIX brings alot to the table.

Obviously the design is heavily inspired by the Xiaomi MIX and that's a good thing because the Doogee MIX looks great! The bezel-less screen really give's the device a premium feel. I've had no issues with one hand operation and I think the device is appropriately proportioned.

Now let's move onto the software, the Doogee MIX is running FreeMe OS.. for the most part I've enjoyed this android flavour. The UI is not heavily modified its nice and simple, the default launcher supports themes, little to no bloatware, OTA software updater. Includes everything you could possible want or need out the box. However there are a few minor bugs, I have brought these up to Doogee so I am hoping they will be resolved in a future software patch.. overall it's been a very positive experience, the bugs include the following:

Battery usage disabled in settings.

Battery percentage doesn't change colour according to light / dark text.

Android system webview refuses to update in the playstore.

Few minor translation errors in the settings app.

I'm not the biggest fan of the camera app, I really would like to see the UI revamped.. switching modes is a little clunky. However the camera does take decent photo's, I must say. There is little to no video stabilisation so that could definitely be improved. Overall all for a budget phone, it's pretty good... here's what the camera app looks like:

You can find some images I captured with the MIX below, I think they came out pretty good.. I was impressed.

The dual cameras don't operate as you might think, the secondary camera is used only in "blur" mode.. which as the name suggests blurs out the surrounding background of the image to increase focus on the subject.. I really feel like this was a missed opportunity, I really wish they did something more with the dual cameras. The blur effect can easily be done with software, really doesn't need a second camera to do so.

Ah of coarse the fingerprint scanner, almost forgot to mention this.. the finger print scanner is positioned on the front of the device on the bottom bezel. It doubles as a home button when the device is unlocked. In terms of accuracy its pretty good ! I personally don't use fingerprint scanners, I find them annoying... however it worked good in my tests, very accurate.. could be a little faster tho in my opinion.

Being a developer I naturally immediately requested kernel sources, Unfortunately tho Doogee have yet provided them.. which is a real shame because I have a working TWRP recovery for the device already, however unfortunately touch is not enabled in recovery. The only way to fix this is with kernel sources.. for the time being I have been using a OTG cable with a mouse to navigate TWRP. I really hope to see kernel sources release in the near future.

Overall my experience with the MIX has been positive, it does have a few quirks I must admit.. but considering how cheap the phone is they are easily excused. Performance is pretty dam good, camera is definitely adequate for photos, FreeMe OS is a really clean android flavour. Obviously sacrifices are made when purchasing budget phones... is it fair to compare the Doogee MIX to phones that cost double it's price ? Absolutely not...

CAMERA SAMPLE (CAPTURED BY DOOGEE MIX / UNCOMPRESSED)::

Sample 1

Sample 2

Sample 3

Sample 4 (Blur mode - using both cameras)

MISC PHOTOS (CAPTURED WITH A GALAXY S6 / COMPRESSED BY IMGUR)::

Device in hand

Device in hand (Backside)

Device (Backside)

Device (Front)

Packaging

SCREEN CAPTURES (COMPRESSED BY IMGUR)::

Lockscreen

Default launcher

Quick toggles

CPU-Z - While running PlayStore updates (All cores firing)

CPU-Z - Device info

CPU-Z - Battery

Settings - About

Battery percentage colour bug example / battery usage disabled ?

Android system webview update loop example