Review: Doogee N20 smartphone

Weight: 186g / Dimensions: 159 x 77.1 x 8.4mm / OS: Android 9.0 / Screen size: 6.3inch / Resolution: 1080 x 2280 / RAM: 4GB / Storage: 64GB / External storage: Up to 128GB / Battery: 4350mAh / Rear camera: 16.0MP + 8.0MP + 8.0MP OIS / Front camera: 16.0MP

Introduction

While not a name that is widely known in the UK, Doogee has been making waves elsewhere in Europe in recent years, chiefly through a rather unique approach to its operation that sets it apart from many of its competitors.

With the majority of smartphone manufacturers concentrate on the never-ending battle to dominate the top end of the market, the Chinese firm has instead locked in on two specific areas – budget and hardwearing.

The N20, which dropped towards the end of last year, falls into the former category, retailing for less than £100 and aimed at those who want a phone with decent specifications without having to break the bank.

In a market where the word 'budget' is regularly attached to smartphones costing upwards of £300, the N20 boasts some impressive specs in what on paper at least, is a huge upgrade on its predecessor the N10.

The set up

Looks wise, the phone is similar to something like the Honor Play or a higher end phone such as the Samsung S10, with a 6.3 inch all-screen front and a weight of 186g.

The touch screen surface is of reasonable quality and swipes without any hitches, while the display is nice and clear when gaming or watching videos.

The volume and power buttons are on the side of the handset, which also features a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top of the phone, and a micro-USB connection for charging at the base.

Doogee is pushing the N20 as "the perfect all-rounder", with its triple camera function the major sales point.

It comes with a Sony 130° wide angle 16MP triple rear camera and a front 16MP 80° wide angle camera, so that high quality images and videos can be recorded from all angles.

The primary camera is responsible for the wide-angle effect while the secondary camera covers the in-depth details and photosensitivity.

The rear camera allows for 16MP AI portrait, 8MP super depth and also provides a high temperature bright LED flash.

It also comes equipped with 16MP AI FaceShaping technology, allowing users to enhance facial features on selfies.

On a basic level, the photos are excellent, and although the quality drops in dim light (show me a budget phone where that doesn’t happen) the overall performance is impressive.

The same can be said for the battery life, which is 40 per cent up on the N10. I found that with average usage, the phone ran comfortably for two days without requiring a charge.

The N20 also features a 0.1 second rear fingerprint reader, and a dual SIM, allowing two Nano-SIM’s to be included if required. In terms of storage, the N20 has 64GB of internal, which can be boosted to 128GB.

The verdict

For £100, you will struggle to get a better phone than the Doogee N20. It does the basics well and performs more impressively than some handsets three times more expensive.

It is an ideal starter phone for teenagers or anyone not wanting to break the bank, and proves that budget doesn't have to mean 'naff'.