The Question today “Is the DOOGEE X5 really worth of $65 ?” Is it really worth every penny, as Doogee says? Today, we will examine their claims.
Doogee is a Chinese company that builds cheap smartphones. Recently, Doogee launched the “Doogee x5” and it is priced at about $65 on various stores.
The Doogee X5 has a quad core processor @1.3Ghz, 1 GB RAM and 8GB storage. But is it worth purchasing? Let’s delve deeper into the Doogee X5 and determine if these specifications have any redeeming qualities.
QUALITY CHECK
In order to check the quality of the device, we will examine the following key specifications: display, processor (CPU), RAM, ROM (storage) and battery life/length.
DISPLAY QUALITY
The Doogee X5 features a 5.1 Inch IPS display running at a resolution of 1280 x 720 pixel. This might sound good on paper, but how is it to use?
At this price point, the screen could be improved. The decision to use a 720p display could have turned out better if a higher quality display was used. Do not expect a high quality experience at this price point.
Verdict: 7 out of 10
Pros: It displays what is happening on your phone.
Cons: Washed out colors, chunky pixels; relatively low resolution for 2017.
Processor / MTK Quality
At the heart of the Doogee X5 is a quad-core 1.3Ghz processor, running on the dated MTK 6580 chipset. The first issue seen in this decision is the total lack of LTE support. This chipset was released in 2015, back when LTE wasn’t as broadly integrated. The overall performance is adequate for a ‘bargain’ CPU. Don’t attempt to push this device too hard with software, or you’ll probably want to throw it. If all you need is to be able to make a phone call, this will do the job. This processor is also 32bit, whereas the rest of the world is moving to 64bit.
Verdict: 5 out of 10
Pros: Capable of making calls, writing texts, reading a few simple sites.
Cons: Barely enough power and capabilities to call a smart phone by today’s standards. Cheap chipset to keep this cheap phone cheap.
RAM Quality
Let me preface this section with a simple fact: 1 Gigabyte of RAM is not sufficient for a somewhat modern Android smartphone.
The Doogee X5 runs the Lollipop release of Android (v5.1). The decision to use this version of the OS results in increased RAM usage, which utterly destroys any hopes of a smooth user experience. After installing 5-7 apps, this device slows to a crawl. As mentioned above, this device shouldn’t be called a smartphone- just a ”phone”.
Verdict: 2 out of 10
Pros: It can load the dialer app to let you call someone for a new phone.
Cons: Definitely not enough RAM for multitasking. Stick to reading email and making calls and you’ll be fine.
ROM / Storage Quality
There is only 8Gigabytes of storage, with only about 2Gigabytes left for user-storage. This is not enough for the proper running of the system, once you have installed a few apps. For the smoothest Android experience, it is recommended to retain 1Gigabyte of free storage on device- but this device makes that nearly impossible! You may say, “But wait, we can use an SD card for more storage!” Well, not quite. You see, to install an app it is downloaded to the internal storage first, then installed to the external. With so little storage free to begin with, many installs will fail outright. Because of this oversight, the CPU could have been a dual-core and still be acceptable. This specific fact makes me feel as if they cheated us. 16Gigabytes of storage would not be that much more expensive, and would have made this device much more usable.
Verdict: 2 out of 10
Pros: You can install an app or two.
Cons: Not enough storage to actually use as a smartphone.
Battery Quality
The 2400mAh capacity of the Doogee X5 battery is simply too small. Because of how the Android OS operates, having limited RAM and storage causes a great deal of extraneous battery drain. The attempt to mitigate this issue by using a lower resolution LCD panel does nothing to curb the insatiable thirst for more juice. Yet again, this is another corner that was cut to keep the price down.
Verdict: 4 out of 10
Pros: Holds a charge when the phone is completely off.
Cons: Not enough power to accomplish ‘real’ work on a device with so few resources.
Overall Quality
Overall, many choices made in the design of this device just don’t fit together. A quad-core processor can be great, but the lack of enough storage and RAM really holds this device back. Nearly constant RAM swapping makes this device stutter and lag. If they had simply increased the RAM and storage to the next tier (1.5Gb RAM, 16Gb ROM/Storage) I would be able to give this a passing grade. The decision to use a 32bit CPU really puts a timer on the usability of this device, as Android has already starting transitioning to the 64bit computing era.
Verdict: 5 out of 10
Pros: It is technically a working cell phone
Cons: The mismatched components keep what could have been a very usable budget phone from being a viable telecommunications device.
Bottom Line
Pass on this device. There are much better component matched devices available for the same price.
