Last year, Doogee has brought the Mix smartphone, featuring an almost bezel-less setup, here to the Philippines through Lazada. It didn’t stop there. Before 2017 ended, the company has released the successor to the Mix called the Mix 2 and it looked nothing like its predecessor.
So the real question here is, is the Mix 2 a worthy successor to the Mix? Let’s find out in our review.
Table of Contents
Design and Construction
The Mix 2 looks nothing like its predecessor. This one is definitely an eye-catcher with its very glossy all-around finish and solid built. Not to mention, it’s a huge device too. Holding it with one hand feels a little bit tiresome because aside from the fact that it’s a huge device, it’s hefty too.
Up front, you’ll be greeted by a monstrous 6-inch 18:9 aspect ratio FHD+ display. Just above it are the dual 8MP 130-degree + 8MP 88-degree front cameras, speakerphone, and sensor.
The right side of the device houses the volume rockers and power/lock button while the left side is noticeably absent of any ports, slots, or buttons.
Up top, we have the Hybrid Dual SIM card slot. It would’ve been nicer if it had a dedicated microSD slot.
Down below, we have the USB Type-C port and two speaker grilles. Yes, it foregoes the use of a 3.5mm audio port, but luckily Doogee added a USB Type-C to 3.5mm dongle in the package. You’ll also be given a USB Type-C to microUSB adapter, which is pretty neat.
Its back is the real deal-breaker. The unit we have comes in Ocean Blue color which gives the device an elegant aura and quite honestly, it can serve as a mirror too. It’s highly prone to fingerprint smudges, so Doogee provided a hard case inside the box. Meanwhile, the 16MP + 13MP dual rear cameras with LED flash, the fingerprint scanner, and the Doogee logo can also be found here.
Display and Multimedia
The Mix 2 features a whopping 6.0-inch 18:9 FHD+ display with a resolution of 2160 x 1080 which equates to 403ppi. Viewing contents on this device has been a treat. Colors look vibrant, crisp, and accurate. It has wide viewing angles, as well as decent outdoor usability.
Its loudspeaker though, is mediocre. It lacks bass, isn’t too loud, and sounds a bit tinny when the volume is set at the maximum level. Still, it would suffice for casual listening. We suggest that you plug-in your favorite speaker or earphones.
Camera
One of the main features of the Mix 2 is its quad cameras. It’s packed with a 16MP + 13MP f/2.0 PDAF rear camera with LED flash and a 8MP 130-degree + 8MP 88-degree wide angle front camera. You have several modes to choose from when taking pictures on the rear cameras such as: FaceBeauty, Blur (artificial bokeh), Mono (black & white), Panorama, Watermark, HDR, and PRO (manual mode). It also has 9 filters for you to choose from.
The front shooters, on the other hand, are limited to FaceBeauty, and Mono modes.
Images produced are okay, but they are not something that will wow you. They are decent with sufficient details. Taking pictures isn’t snappy too, which is quite a downer. Still, we had fun during our time with it. Low light photos, on the other hand, look bad and get really noisy and washed-out. The Blur effect could use some work, too.
Same goes with its front cameras. It wasn’t impressive, but it would suffice given the fact that it’s only 8MP. You’d still be able to take good and sharp selfies with it.
Video-wise, it can shoot in 4K (after receiving the update), and Full HD (29fps) in .3gp format. Quality is nice with decent colors. However, its auto-focus can get jittery. It also lacks video stabilization so it’s sensitive to movements.
OS, UI, Apps, and Storage
The Mix 2 runs of Android 7.1 Nougat. Doogee kept it minimal and didn’t include any bevvy of bloatware. Pre-installed Google apps are there such as Gmail, Drive, Duo, Play Music, you name it. There’s an app drawer that you can access by swiping up the homescreen.
Like what we’ve mentioned, the company kept the interface simple and the only native app that you can find here is the System Manager. It’s basically a utility app to manage power, clean junk, and auto-clean your device. Inside it you’ll also find an app lock, and freezing room (apparently to freeze apps). A long press on the home button will launch Google Assistant which comes in really handy.
Out of 64GB storage, there’s a plentiful of 49.72GB left for you too use. Should you want more, you can always expand it via microSD card (up to 256GB).
Performance and Benchmarks
Powering the Mix 2 is a MediaTek Helio P25 processor, paired with a Mali T880 GPU. It’s got a large RAM capacity of 6GB, and 64GB of internal storage. Performance is smooth as we rarely encountered lag/crashes. Multitasking is a breeze, though its fingerprint scanner isn’t that responsive. There were instances (a lot) that it failed to recognize our fingerprint which can be quite frustrating.
Games like Asphalt 8, Into the Dead 2, and NBA 2K18 run with ease, though few frame drops were noticeable. The device heats up pretty quickly (specifically near the rear cameras), good thing Doogee provided a hard case to remedy this.
Here are benchmarks scores we got:
- AnTuTu – 73,840 (v7)
- GeekBench 4 – 835 (Single-core), 3,432 (Multi-core)
- AndroBench – 257.29 MB/s (Read), 157.71 MB/s (Write)
- 3DMark – 664 (Sling Shot Extreme), 893 (Sling Shot)
- PCMark – 4,575 (Work)
Connectivity, and Call Quality
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS, and 4G LTE are supported by the Mix 2. It can accommodate two nano-SIM cards, though you have to sacrifice one slot for the microSD card. It also has Gyroscope, but no NFC.
Call quality is loud and clear, as long as you’re in an area with good reception. Connecting to mobile data is quick, and navigating using Google Maps and Waze was pretty accurate
Battery Life
The Mix 2 is equipped with a 4060mAh battery, which lasts us an entire day of heavy mobile data use. If you’re not a heavy mobile data user, this device battery can last you a day or two.
PCMark Battery test yielded 10 hours and 47 minutes while our video loop test (which involves playing a 1080p clip on loop in Airplane mode at 50% brightness and volume with headset plugged in, yielded 12 hours and 45 minutes, which is not bad. Charging it from 0% to 100% took around 2 hours.
Conclusion
So is the Doogee Mix 2 a worthy successor to the Mix? Then the answer is yes. If you could look past its flaws, like its mediocre rear cameras quality and unresponsive fingerprint scanner, then this is one solid device. It’s got a large FHD+ display, 6GB RAM, 64GB internal storage, and 4060mAh battery. For its price, the Mix 2 is worth considering.
The Doogee Mix 2 is available for order at Lazada for Php 12,995 (see listing here).
Doogee Mix 2 specs:
6.0-inch 18:9 FHD+ display @ 2160 x 1080 resolution, 403ppi
MediaTek Helio P25
Mali-T880 GPU
6GB RAM
64GB internal storage
Expandable up to 256GB via microSD card
16MP + 13MP f/2.0 PDAF rear camera with LED flash
8MP 130-degree + 8MP 88-degree wide angle front camera
4G LTE
Dual SIM (nano-SIM, hybrid)
Wi-Fi
Bluetooth
GPS
USB Type-C
Fingerprint scanner
Android 7.1 Nougat
4060mAh battery
74.7 x 159.1 x 8.6mm
210g
What we liked:
- Premium design
- Large screen
- Large battery
- 6GB RAM
- USB Type-C
What we didn’t:
- Hefty
- Unimpressive rear camera quality
- Fingerprint scanner isn’t snappy
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