[Review] DOOGEE X5 Pro - A $85 best buy

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Jul 21, 2017
15
2
Havana
You are most welcome, however you should know, that SP Flash Tool is for all MTK phones (it is developed by MediaTek, after all).

What is important it that you have a scatter file that matches your phone's CPU, as well as the drivers required for Windows to be able to access the phone's COM ports (unless, like me, you are running Linux, then you have no need for drivers).

I already have the ROM from Doogee and from Needrom.com and TWRP scatter file too... and than you because you answer me a doubt because I really use Linux Mint as my main OS, I also have the SP Flash Tool for linux and it works wonderful, and load the ROM without any problem, but I don't have the drivers (like in Windows 7) and I thought I really don't need them in linux. BTW when I connect the phone via USB cable the system recognizes it without any problem. Can I flash the ROMs in the LinuxMint OS?

Thank you again
 

moriel5

Senior Member
Jul 20, 2013
1,842
630
Google Nexus 4
Nexus 7
I already have the ROM from Doogee and from Needrom.com and TWRP scatter file too... and than you because you answer me a doubt because I really use Linux Mint as my main OS, I also have the SP Flash Tool for linux and it works wonderful, and load the ROM without any problem, but I don't have the drivers (like in Windows 7) and I thought I really don't need them in linux. BTW when I connect the phone via USB cable the system recognizes it without any problem. Can I flash the ROMs in the LinuxMint OS?

Thank you again
You should have no more problems flashing ROMs on Mint than on Ubuntu, Solus (my main distro), Fedora, Arch, or any modern distro, so you should be perfectly fine (just make sure that QT is installed, as the Linux version of SP Flash Tools runs on QT).
 
Jul 21, 2017
15
2
Havana
You should have no more problems flashing ROMs on Mint than on Ubuntu, Solus (my main distro), Fedora, Arch, or any modern distro, so you should be perfectly fine (just make sure that QT is installed, as the Linux version of SP Flash Tools runs on QT).

Ok, I checked and the system shows I have qt4.0 installed, and I download and install the Qt-SDK package... I think it works. I prefer to use Mint always instead Windows because it's more robust. So if I can flash in Linux it will be wonderful. Thanx
 

moriel5

Senior Member
Jul 20, 2013
1,842
630
Google Nexus 4
Nexus 7
Ok, I checked and the system shows I have qt4.0 installed, and I download and install the Qt-SDK package... I think it works. I prefer to use Mint always instead Windows because it's more robust. So if I can flash in Linux it will be wonderful. Thanx
No need for the SDK, just the standard packages.

I do not remember whether SP Flash Tool requires QT4 or QT5, so try running the program, and if it doesn't launch, install QT5 (sudo apt-get install qt5).
 

lipippo

Senior Member
Apr 12, 2016
196
30
I do not remember whether SP Flash Tool requires QT4 or QT5, so try running the program, and if it doesn't launch, install QT5 (sudo apt-get install qt5).

It doesn't matter: the linux version bundles the needed libs (though you can use the system provided ones if you know what you're doing).
 
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Jul 21, 2017
15
2
Havana
It doesn't matter: the linux version bundles the needed libs (though you can use the system provided ones if you know what you're doing).

I think this is true because the SP Flash Tools ran very well in the first time I used it... thanks to everybody and another question here, if I install a new TWRP using Flash Tools I loose the ROM or not? Sorry but I'm newbie in the android world...
 

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    Doogee is a relatively new Chinese company, but has no difficulty with introducing innovations onto the mobile phone market through its products. Founded in early 2013, the company is yet to really develop a big fan base, but is quickly gathering attention with its merchandise offering excellent features in its price range. Every year smartphone market presents new models better than the year before for a lower price. This trend is also followed by small companies like Doogee, which has recently come out with its X5 Pro model.
    You must be wondering what makes this model so special. Well, it offers amazing features for the price of only $85 – 5.0” display, 64-bit Quad-Core processor, 2GB RAM, 16GB of internal memory, 2 cameras, 2400mAh battery and Android 5.1 Lollipop! You are interested, aren’t you? It’s OK, so am I.

    X5_Pro.jpg

    A well-recognized web site specialized in selling mobile phones, tablet computers and accessories, Pandawill, has provided a sample of the Doogee X5 Pro for testing and writing this review.

    Technical specifications:
    • Processor: 1.0GHz Quad-Core Cortex-A53 (Mediatek MT6735, 64-bit)
    • Graphics chip: Mali-T720
    • Display: 5.0“ IPS LCD 1280x720 pixels (sensitive in 2 points simultaneously)
    • RAM: 2GB
    • Memory: 16GB ROM (~12GB user available) + microSD slot
    • Back Camera: 5.0Mpix (interpolated 8.0Mpix), autofocus, LED flash, video 720p@30fps
    • Front Camera: 2.0Mpix (interpolated 5.0Mpix)
    • Battery: 2400mAh (removable)
    • Connectivity: WiFi 802.11b/g/b, Bluetooth 4.0, microUSB, OTG, GPS with A-GPS
    • OS: Android 5.1 (Lollipop)
    • Dimensions: 145 x 82 x 40mm
    • Network: 2G – 850/900/1800/1900MHz, 3G – WCDMA 850/1900/2100MHz, 4G – FDD-LTE Bands 1/3/7/8/20
    • Other: Dual SIM, FM Radio

    Package content
    Doogee X5 along with its accessories comes in a compact box, the design of which is simple, but quite interesting. On the top there is a light-reflecting “X5 Pro” mark, while on the bottom you can see phone’s most important features. On one of the sides of the box, there is a scratch sticker hiding the product authenticity verification code.

    X5_Pro%2001.jpg

    Upon opening the box on the side, you can pull out the content of the box – phone, charger, USB cable and short manual. A protective foil is already on the phone, so its new owner doesn’t have to go through the trouble of applying it himself.

    X5_Pro%2002.jpg

    The charger is standard, with a generic shape and specifications of 5V 700mA. However, it would surely be better if the manufacturer had provided a charger of at least 1A to shorten the charging period.

    X5_Pro%2003.jpg

    The USB cable given with the phone could be used for phone-PC data transfer as well as for charging – it is not limited only to the charging capacity.
    The short manual covers the basics of Android OS use, and thus will be useful only to the beginners in the Android world.
    The 2400mAh battery is already inside the phone when the buyer gets it, but before he starts using it, he needs to remove the protective foil off of it, as is specified on the box.

    X5_Pro%2004.jpg

    The absence of stereo headphones from the package implies that the manufacturer wanted to lower the price as much as possible, which will not bother most of new users, since they will already have headphones of their liking.

    Appearance
    Doogee X5 Pro has a simple design and the model we received for the purpose of this test is completely black (there is also a black-and-white combination). It is considered to be a phone of average thickness (8.2mm), but you can “feel” it in the hand because of its weight of as much as 130 grams. The battery cover takes most of the phone’s frame, thus in a way protecting it in case of falling on one of its edges.

    X5_Pro%2005.jpg

    On the top side of the phone there are connecting ports – a micro USB port (for charging, as well as PC and peripheral devices connection) and a 3.5mm audio connector for headphones.

    X5_Pro%2006.jpg

    On the right side there are buttons for sound control and turning the screen on and off. They are very sturdy, well responsive and have a distinguishable click, which makes us think they will endure usage for long period of time.

    X5_Pro%2007.jpg

    Microphone and speaker openings are on the bottom side of the phone. As far as sound is concerned, it is very loud and reproduced in satisfactory quality, so the phone can be clearly heard even if it is carried in its own case.

    X5_Pro%2008.jpg

    The biggest part of the front side is occupied by a 5.0” display. Even though there was available space for the control buttons to be on the screen itself, the manufacturer decided to place the capacitive buttons (Menu, Home and Back) below the screen. This is a better option for some users, since the entire screen is available at all times, while others will be asking why the buttons aren’t on the screen, since it will additionally make the phone smaller. Unfortunately, capacitive buttons aren’t backlit, which makes them hard to see and use in the dark.

    X5_Pro%2009.jpg


    X5_Pro%2010.jpg

    Above the screen you can see the front 2Mpix camera, proximity and light sensors, as well as the speaker opening. In-call sound quality is clear and loud, even in the middle of the sound control bar.

    X5_Pro%2011.jpg

    The battery cover is smooth to the touch, but covered in rubber-like plastic in order to prevent slipping and allowing better handling of the phone. Perfectionists will be bothered by the fact that the phone will constantly be covered in finger prints, and so they will have to wipe it with a cloth regularly.

    X5_Pro%2012.jpg

    In the upper section of the phone there is a 5Mpix camera, not far from the flash LED. In addition, under that exact spot the Doogee logo is discretely, but clearly visible.

    X5_Pro%2013.jpg

    The battery cover is firmly attached to the front of the phone, so we advise careful removal so as not to damage the cover holders, although it is our opinion that they are flexible enough not to break quite so easily.
    Upon cover removal you can see the blue 2400mAh battery, above which there are 2 SIM slots (both Micro-SIM sized), as well as the slot for a microSD memory card capacity up to 32GB. In order to access these slots, it is necessary to remove the battery from its setting.

    X5_Pro%2014.jpg

    The SIM slots are numbered 1 and 2, but that in no way determines which of the cards will be the primary one, since the user himself can choose which card to use for calling, messaging, surfing the mobile Internet (4G!), etc.

    X5_Pro%2015.jpg

    The phone’s surface looks impressive even though this is a budget phone. Yes, there are small traces of plastic injection near microUSB port opening and 3.5mm audio port, but it is barely noticeable and in no way diminishes the beauty of the phone. It is a pity that X5 Pro is missing the notification LED, since it would eliminate the need to turn the screen on in order to check for any missing calls or text messages.

    X5_Pro%2016.jpg


    Display
    Doogee X5 Pro comes with IPS 5.0” display with 720p resolution (1280x720 pixels). This makes it a very good choice for a screen of this diagonal, because the pixel density is high enough so that the image is as clear as it can be expected although there are phones with much higher resolution on today’s market. We have secretly feared that colors would seem washed out while the visibility angles would be narrow, but that is not the case at all in X5 Pro. Color intensity is fairly good, whilst image rendition stays the same until viewing in extremely sharp angles. The manufacturer states that the phone comes with Gorilla Glass display protection, but it remains untested in that aspect.

    X5_Pro%2017.jpg

    Screen reacts to the touch very well and it’s responsive in 2 points at the same time, that’s enough for most uses, including playing games. The only problem we noticed it’s that it reacts a bit unprecise when fingers are too close to each other, that makes a pinch-to-zoom gesture a bit difficult.

    X5_Pro%20SS%2000.jpg

    Back lighting can be very intense, which makes the displayed content visible even in direct sun.

    X5_Pro%2018.jpg


    Software
    What is interesting is that Doogee X5 Pro comes with Android 5.1 (Lollipop) OS, which means the phone is adorned with both good hardware and optimized software. Software appearance and its functions do not differ excessively from Google source code, although there are certain additional phone setting functions offering further possibilities.

    X5_Pro%20SS%2001.jpg

    Android 5.1 has finally brought dual SIM native support, so manufacturers have no need to create their own solution to the “problem” of selecting SIM cards in lie with each situation. When a SIM-using app is run (Dialer, Messaging, Hangouts, etc.), notification menu displays the possibility to choose which SIM card will be used at that point. It is also possible to predetermine the use for each card, further simplifying the entire process.

    X5_Pro%20SS%2002.jpg

    It is possible to turn on certain gestures to facilitate phone use, such as flipping the phone onto the screen in order to silence ringing, answering a call by lifting the phone a bit more quickly, or simply switching to speakerphone and back by bringing the phone closer to the ear.
    What is more, the phone has the option of turning on with a double display touch (Double-tap to Wake), sliding down on the screen while turned off in order to quickly run the camera, or writing on the screen to run apps like dialer, Internet browser, Play store, messenger, etc.

    X5_Pro%20SS%2003.jpg

    The “Visitor mode” solves the problem many have been dealing with since the appearance of mobile phones – denying access to certain parts of the phone. By activating this particular mode, you can hide call lists, SMS messages, pictures and disable modification of main screens on the phone. This is an excellent option to activate before lending your phone to a friend. However, in order to turn this option on and off, you need to enter your PIN.

    X5_Pro%20SS%2004.jpg

    Similar effect can be achieved by means of “AppLock” app, which does exactly what its name indicates – locks apps, and provides access upon entering the PIN.
    Moreover, the proximity sensor also has certain phone management functions. By waving your hand above the sensor, you can scroll pictures, shuffle songs, take photos, change pages in launcher, unlock the phone and answer a call. As to how smart of an idea this is, we will let you decide.
    More advanced users will like the built-in option of controlling app permissions (Permission Manager), which means that any app can be simply revoked the permission to dial, send messages, read location, access contacts, use camera, etc.

    X5_Pro%20SS%2005.jpg

    All in all, Doogee X5 Pro has left a favorable impression as far as OS and additional apps are concerned. Thanks to Android 5.1 OS, animations are beautiful and fluid, transition between apps is fast (for which large RAM memory can be credited, 2GB) and there wasn’t even an instance of unexplainable lag. With basic preinstalled apps installed, only 500MB RAM is occupied, thus leaving a lot of space for installing and multitasking between large numbers of apps.

    X5_Pro%20SS%2006.jpg


    Camera
    As previously stated, Doogee X5 Pro on its back has a 5Mpix camera (interpolated to 8Mpix) with very limited possibilities, while on the front it carries a 2.0Mpix camera for video chats.

    X5_Pro%2019.jpg

    The 5Mpix camera has autofocus, LED flash and makes 2560x1920 pixel pictures without interpolation.
    Camera sensor possibilities are quite poor. While colors are good in the daylight, it lacks detail even while taking photos with a steady hand. Photos seem good on the screen, but when zoomed to their original size, there is a visible lack of sharpness and “oil-on-canvass” effect. Photos of closer objects are satisfactory in sharpness, but most landscapes make you want to give up the sport. This is quite a shame, since the camera software has interesting options such as automatic photographing by lifting 2 fingers in the shot, automatized following of an object and taking its picture, recording “live” (making a 5-second long video with a photographing effect) and the Face beauty mode, which removes skin imperfections and makes you more pretty (the fare sex loves this option in Samsung phones).

    Photo samples:
    IMG_20151018_141256.jpg


    IMG_20151018_134818.jpg


    IMG_20151018_134611.jpg


    IMG_20151018_134245.jpg


    Battery Life
    Doogee X5 Pro comes with a 2400mAh battery, which is enough capacity to allow the phone one-day autonomy with more intensive use. Seeing how the processor is economical and works on lower frequency, battery consumption is moderate. We have measured its autonomy by inserting 2 SIM cards into the phone (one in the 3G/4G mode and the other in the 2G mode) and running synthetic tests, making a few shorter phone calls (about 20 minutes in total), taking pictures outside for about an hour and a half (during which time mobile Internet was active), testing its speed of access to the 4G network, and then surfing the Internet using WiFi connection.

    X5_Pro%20SS%2008.jpg

    During all that, the screen was on for 4 hours and 30 minutes, while the phone was off the charger for 30 hours! We believe this to be an excellent score considering all this phone’s features.

    X5_Pro%20SS%2009.jpg


    Performance
    Doogee X5 Pro is based on MediaTek MT6735 64-bit chipset which is increasingly present in lower-middle class models. MT6735 has a Quad-Core processor at 1GHz (988MHz, to be more precise), Mali-T720 graphic chip and 2GB of built-in RAM memory.

    X5_Pro%20SS%2011.jpg

    The processor is probably intentionally limited to lower frequency instead its maximum (1.3GHz) in order to provide a better battery autonomy, since it has proven to be quite economical and still powerful enough for most users’ needs. Judging by synthetic tests, MT6735 chipset at 1GHz frequency performs in the rank of Snapdragon 400 chipset and its Quad-Core processor, which is an excellent trait considering the price of X5 Pro phone.

    X5_Pro%2020.jpg

    It also has built-in USB OTG option, so it is possible to connect USB flash drive or USB mouse or keyboard directly to the phone using USB OTG adapter.

    X5_Pro%20SS%2010.jpg

    Obtaining GPS location on this phone is quick and precise, since it easily finds a large number of satellites and connects to most of them in 30 seconds. Therefore, it can definitely be used as GPS navigation with matching navigation software.

    X5_Pro%20SS%2012.jpg

    Benchmark tests results:
    X5_Pro%20sinteticki%20testovi.jpg


    Conclusion
    Doogee X5 Pro is a smart phone which has suddenly appeared on the market and attracted a lot of attention with its surreal hardware for a good price. Its IPS display with wide visibility angles and quality rendition will allow undisturbed use in all conditions, while its work speed will satisfy all less and moderately demanding users. If you want an affordable smartphone and you can look past a few smaller cons, there is no reason to be apprehensive – you should definitely take the X5 Pro model into consideration as best buy in the lower price range!
    X5_Pro%2021.jpg

    Pros:
    • Good quality display
    • Fast response
    • 4G LTE support
    • Powerful speaker

    Cons:
    • No notification LED
    • Capacitive buttons unlit
    • No gyroscope and g-sensor

    Once more, big thanks to Pandawill for providing a sample device for testing.

    Author: Stevan Stevanović
    2
    Cracked my screen glass
    It's only the glass... Does it mean I have to replace my entire screen, lcd and all?
    Where can I get a new screen glass?
    BTY my phone is still running slow on the touch response
    Thanks for any help

    I saw a few in aliexpress for 10-20$.

    Review wise, the phone has one software flaws: When you swipe off WhatsApp from the Overview\Recents, it kills the service that receives messages. It's really just an inconvenience since you can simply keep the apps you want listed and in fact most people just don't swipe anything anyhow.

    Otherwise, the phone been out for a few month now and I just received another OTA update (R14) the other day so it's definitely not your typical cheap orphan phone. In fact, I just run antutu and scored ~23300 so Doogee are still putting some work into improving it.

    Community and after-market wise, there's a considerable modding activity over 4pda where there's even an unofficial marshmallow (android 6) rom. Also, Needrom hosts a punctually updated modded rom by FlickAir with lots of neat features. If rolling your own, rooting is relatively easy and I personally been using the latest phh's superuser (https://github.com/phhusson/Superuser) troubles free. I haven't deodexed my system, but I have used xposed at least with xprivacy successfully. Also, the latest busybox (v1.24.1 Stericson) works just fine. AdAway works fine too though the web server doesn't auto-start on boot.

    Hardware wise, the screen only recognizes up to 2 multi-touch contacts but I haven't come across anything that's affected by this limit. Reading around the forums, some devices came with a slightly miscalibrated proximity sensor that required following a 2min procedure to adjust. Other issues I read about are the typical mic noise \ screen dead zones that you see with both cheap and expensive phones especially when they're mail delivered (I guess they get knocked around more? no clue...) but the parts are exceptionally cheap for this phone so the risk buying online should be worth it unless postage costs are unusually high in your region. But again, I didn't have such issues so I wouldn't know...

    Daily usage wise, battery life easily exceeds 30hrs so no worries there. The interface is responsive and browsing (using the built-in aosp browser and Firefox) and streaming over 4G (using the youtube app) works well. Video playback is snappy but that shouldn't surprise anyone considering it's a 720p screen. 3D is minimal but working. The back camera quality is actually not horrible considering it's a 5MP sensor. Low light sensitivity is passable while colors don't washout or corrupt in high light so in some ways it's better than far more expensive models. I haven't really used the front 2MP camera all that much. A nice thing I've noticed is that the phone never really warms. I've handled a few Samsung Galaxies and LG Nexus 4 models that would feel quite warm to the touch whenever I try running updates at the play store, but the x5pro just stays cool throughout. GPS works quite well. Reception is superior to some very expensive 3g phones I've used in the past and both Maps and Waze change course quickly. Haven't had a chance to test the bluetooth beyond the odd car ride which worked fine. The phone's own speaker and microphone strength are passable. Noise cancellation seems ok but I haven't tested it rigorously since I don't use it all that much. Booting and rebooting is fast. I don't use facebook so I can't say anything about that. Streaming music and video off samba shares over WiFi works smoothly (using ghost commander and mxplayer). I don't play games so I didn't test the 3D performance but the Antutu test was very choppy so I can't imagine it doing well in games.

    Overall, quite the undervalued phone. Does everything I need from it and a few things I didn't expect it could. I'm not a heavy smartphone user so I never really pushed the phone too hard, but it never gave me any troubles in my day-to-day casual usage. Considering I'm still seeing regular OTA updates, it's definitely worth the 80$.

    5/5 as far as I'm concerned.
    2
    Ive had no problems with mine from day one, now 4 months on performs great no lag.. try changing home launcher to hola launcher and also chamnge your keyboard to AI swipe, maybe will help :)

    ---------- Post added at 09:00 AM ---------- Previous post was at 08:57 AM ----------

    I would like to ask the X5 users some questions:
    -Flash light: Is it average? better? weaker?
    -Those who complain about low volume on headset: Same results occur with various types of headphones?
    -Has anyone tried taking photos with a differnet program than the pre-installed? If yes the picture quality is till mediocre?


    Thank you in advance.

    Its 5 MP camera but takes fine photos if you ask me. Comparable to any 5 MP camera.. also macro works well and autofocus works well so its good enough for me, the flashlight is bright, and works well..
    I have no problem with headset.. yes depends on headphones, I use app called Music Folder Player because it has option of 2x and 3x volume enhancer :)

    ---------- Post added at 09:02 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:00 AM ----------

    I'm generally pleased with my X5 Pro, but I simply cannot get it to connect via USB to allow a Windows computer to access files stored locally on the X5 Pro's sdcard.
    It does show up in Windows Device Manager as an Android device, but it never shows up in File Explorer.
    And, as it's not rooted (and this is actually my wife's phone and I don't want to root this one), something nice like SambaDroid isn't an option. And I don't want to pay for some ad/tracker-ridden commercial file sharing app for something which is supposed to be native functionality...

    I've tried built-in Windows drivers (Windows 7 64-bit by the way, all service packs and patches loaded), Google's general ADB drivers, several different Vcom or Doogee branded sets - all behave exactly the same way.

    What's the magic trick to get the phone's sdcard storage to appear in Windows Explorer when the phone is connected via USB cable?

    thanks.

    You can do it via settings but i forget exactly the way.. i just use Xender app, this makes it really easy to share files with any pc on the wifi network via your browser.. try it, works great with pics, videos, docs everything..

    ---------- Post added at 09:21 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:02 AM ----------

    I think that depends mostly on if you would like 4G + 2GB RAM or not.
    For example here in Germany we already have areas where you get only EDGE/GPRS or 4G (nothing inbetween)
    And inside the city 4G most of the time is just faster.

    Im not so sure now about the chipset/cpu itself (think its different as well).
    But surely the X5 PRO will do a better job with simple multi-tasking because of the bigger RAM (2GB )

    The whole Case, even the battery, seems to be the same.

    And depending on your favorite seller for the phone there might be other phones near or in the pricerange of the X5 PRO
    (even from DOOGEE themself! X6 PRO= seems like the 5,5" version with a better Case)

    I cant send any test results for comparison as i just recommended the phone for family, friends.....so far no complains (since 11/15).

    The Pro has 16GB storage instead of 8GB, plus the 2 GB ram does make a difference.. i got the Pro and I recon its worth the extra $
    1
    You're welcome. :)

    I think it can't be overclocked. Not with the stock kernel, anyway. To phone runs cool, even with the maximum CPU load (about 30C), so I do think the CPU has potential to withstand OC to ~1.2GHz, but there isn't a way at the moment.
    1
    I do not remember whether SP Flash Tool requires QT4 or QT5, so try running the program, and if it doesn't launch, install QT5 (sudo apt-get install qt5).

    It doesn't matter: the linux version bundles the needed libs (though you can use the system provided ones if you know what you're doing).