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The Doogee S90’s night vision camera module allows the phone to see in places too dark for the human eye. Photo: Ben Sin

Doogee S90 modular phone turns into night vision camera, walkie talkie, and is rugged to boot: review

  • Shenzhen-based Doogee’s S90 is a modular ‘rugged phone’ catering to people who frequent rough environments
  • Four add-ons are available – battery pack, night vision lens, walkie talkie and game pad – with more, including a 5G module, apparently coming
Smartphones
Modular smartphones have not had much success in the past: Google’s Project Ara was cancelled before released, while LG’s G5 was a commercial flop.

But the idea of a smartphone that can be upgraded via add-on parts is so enticing that it was only a matter of time before another attempt was made.

This time, the modular handset comes from Shenzhen-based Doogee, a relatively small start-up specialising in selling budget handsets.

I put the S90 – dubbed “the most versatile and unbreakable smartphone” – to the test.

The S90 has a 6.1-inch display, wrapped in a heavy-duty rugged build. Photo: Ben Sin

Design and hardware

The Doogee S90 is at its core a “rugged phone”, a niche category that caters to people who frequent rough environments (think construction workers or adventurous campers).

Its back and sides are covered in rubber, with thick bumpers above and below the 6.1-inch display. It has a relatively large 5,050mAh battery and is rated IP68 and IP69K, which means it is waterproof and able to withstand extreme temperatures.

The pogo pins on the back of the S90 connect it to modular add-on accessories. Photo: Ben Sin

Powering the device is a Helio P60 chipset from Taiwanese chip maker MediaTek, a solid processor that handles most daily tasks but falls far short of a Snapdragon 845 in terms of raw processing power.

This is all standard fare for rugged phones. What sets the S90 apart are the 24 pogo pins on the back that allow the device to connect to add-on accessories.

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Currently, Doogee has developed four: an external battery pack, a digital walkie talkie receiver, a night vision lens and a gaming controller pad.

The first three are included with the phone and sold as a package.

The 5,000mAh battery pack add-on (pictured), combined with the phone’s built-in 5,050mAh battery, provides enough juice for at least three days. Photo: Ben Sin

Software and features

The phone runs Android 8.1, which is quite dated by now, and puts a really clunky software skin on top.

Additional software features are scarce, but there is a “Toolbox” app that uses the phone’s camera, screen and gyroscope to simulate digital versions of real-world tools such as a protractor and magnifier.

All these features are available on other phones via third-party apps anyway, but it’s nice to have them collected here.

Performance and battery life

As a normal smartphone, the S90 operates decently. The chipset handles daily smartphone tasks without issue, but because it lacks the power of Snapdragon chipsets, expect slower image processing and not being able to play graphically intensive games at the highest graphic settings.

The main 16-megapixel camera produces mediocre images, even by budget phone standards.

But no one would, or should, buy this phone just for running basic daily tasks. The add-ons are the star of the show, and they all work surprisingly well.

The walkie talkie module allows the phone to communicate via radio frequencies instead of network reception. Photo: Ben Sin

The battery pack is the most basic one. It doubles the phone’s battery life to 10,050mAh, which is enough to go at least three days even with heavy use.

The walkie talkie module has a frequency range of 400-480Mhz and allows the user to communicate without network reception.

The most interesting and useful of the modules is the night vision lens, which uses a Sony 131-degree lens. As the test video below shows, the night vision add-on works as advertised, and was able to show scenes in a dark alley and a dark room invisible to the naked eye.

All the modules work as soon as they are snapped into place. Removing them requires just a simple pull.

There are, however, some contradictions with the add-ons. While the phone itself is heavy-duty and easily able to survive a dip in water or drops, none of the add-ons are waterproof. In fact, they feel relatively cheap and plasticky.

Conclusion

Doogee is selling the S90 with three modules – battery pack, night vision lens and walkie talkie – plus a wireless charger for US$399. While the phone itself is nothing to write home about, the add-on accessories could make it a compelling package for people who go on extreme adventures regularly.

A product render provided by Doogee of the S90 and all of its modules, including a gaming controller the author didn’t test. Doogee says it will build more modules for the S90 in the future. Photo: Doogee

Doogee claims it will build more modular parts in the future, including a 5G module, but we’ll have to wait and see. I wouldn’t hold my breath, however, as the track record of small brands continuing to build accessories for an existing product is not good.

Specifications

Dimensions: 168mm x 80.7mm x 14.1mm

Weight: 300g

Display: 6.1-inch 1080 x 2246 LCD panel

Battery: 5,050mAh

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OS version reviewed: Android 8.1

Processor: MediaTek Helio P60

Cameras: 16-megapixel f2.0 sensor with an 8-megapixel depth sensor; 8-megapixel front-facing camera

Memory: 6GB RAM; 128GB ROM

Colours: Black

Price: US$399

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