To me, the Doogee S89 Pro is an interesting device. It starts with a fairly decent set of specifications, expanding upon that with the hardcore rugged design and added "armor" found inside the box. If only there were certain other accessories in the box...

I actually really enjoyed testing the Doogee S89 Pro, and the ruggedness is a big part of that. I mean really, who wouldn't have fun dropping a phone to see if it breaks over and over again. Checking if it floats? Again, more fun. The wanna-be Batman aesthetic equally so. Even the size and weight, although a bit goofy in 2022, is kind of cute and laughable.

It not every phone that claims to be as rugged and durable as this S89 Pro does, and the huge 12000 mAh battery really pushes that rugged versatility to the limit and back. It's rare to be able to venture on a multi-day outdoor experience, and expect to have battery to spare at the end of the fun... but with the Doogee S89 Pro's huge battery capacity, that does hold true. I think that during my 30-day evaluation period I charged this phone just three times, and that is after lots of benchmarking, gaming, and photography.

The camera functionality of the Doogee S89 Pro has some decent specifications, and who wouldn't enjoy a bit of night-vision capability with the 20 MP Sony sensor? The 16 MP selfie camera is pretty good too, but each has what I would describe as minimal features and adjustments. There are other phones that don't focus as much on their cameras that have a wider set of options in their "Pro" section, for example.

The Doogee S89 Pro is itself fairly durable due to the materials used to make it. We aren't talking about hardened steel however, all you'll find here is mostly plastic with some add-on metal vanity pieces. It doesn't have the most high-quality feel to it, but again, what it does offer is somewhat endearing. The metal add-on panels on the sides actually feel pretty good as do the buttons on either side, and the finger print sensor is quick and easy to use, even though it is so thin. It feels good where it matters, and that says something, really.

As a complete package, I was actually expecting a higher price for this phone, even though it isn't the most capable when it comes to benchmarks and gaming. I could see this phone retailing for a decent amount more than what I found it on sale for, at $399.99 US. That's fairly decent value for a rugged phone that can take a beating like this one can, and I really did drop it all over the place on purpose, without seeing so much as a scratch on it. I wouldn't do that with my daily driver phone, no matter what case it was in. Being able to be so carefree with it is a major USP of the Doogee S89 Pro.

I did find the audio to be a bit lacking, as was the 3D gaming performance, but each was suitable enough, given the price. This isn't a $1200 iPhone. Yet its tougher than one, and has a bigger battery, too.