The futuristic Doogee S200 has one of the best phone designs I’ve ever seen

I recently got my hands on the super-rugged Doogee S200 smartphone, and it has a very unique design feature with a digital AMOLED watch display on the back of the handset. This mini screen can be customised with multiple watch faces to choose from, display your notifications, and show a text signature. From a creative standpoint – it’s an absolute design delight.

Outside of the best iPhones for photography, camera phone manufacturers are seriously stepping up their game. I’ve tested several Doogee phones over the years for our sister site, Digital Camera World, and each of these budget camera phones tends to have a unique selling point for challenging environments, whether that’s an infrared heat vision camera or a digital tool kit for construction.

What I like most about Doogee phones aside from their fun design is the affordability, and the S200 model is available right now for as little as $339.99 / £259.99 over at Amazon once discount vouchers are applied. The market for budget camera phones is the best it has ever been, and even includes affordable AI phones too, expanding the choices beyond just Apple and Samsung. I’m going to run through some of the top features of the Doogee S200 smartphone, and why I think it’s one of the best for complex creatives.

The futuristic design

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I know I've already talked a bit about this, but the Doogee S200 has a very mecha and futuristic design that I absolutely love. It's thinking outside of the box for sure, and the reaction I've had every time I take this phone out of my pocket has been "wow, what is that?". The chunky design packs some serious weight to it too, and looks like something out of a sci-fi movie.

The best part of the design is without a doubt the rear mini display on the back of the phone, and it's hard to tell from images, but trust me it seriously impresses in person. The AMOLED display is crisp and vibrant, and offers not only a digital watch face for keeping time, but swipe across and you'll get a calendar view of the month, access to the camera app to shoot without needing to unlock the phone, simple music controls for whatever you're listening to, and if you swipe up you'll see your recent notifications. Not only is this handy and convenient, but offers quick access that typically only a smartwatch can offer.

Another fun part of the watch face display is what the interface calls a personalised signature, or in other words, your choice of text or small quote to be displayed on the back of the phone, just for fun or as a reminder.

The AI camera is awesome

As with nearly all Doogee phones, the S200 has a very cool camera. On previous models I've tested before, like the Doogee S98 Pro, features included a thermal imaging and night vision camera. And with the Doogee S96 GT model, the phone was entirely waterproof (including the camera) so you'd never have to worry about diving into a pool with your phone in your pocket, and could even use it for some oceanography.

The main camera is equipped with AI (aren't they all) and has 100MP with a morpho imaging algorithm for advanced quality. I've noticed that the shots taken with this phone tend to look a little HDR-ish but sharp nonetheless.

The Doogee S200 lacks a thermal imaging camera but does have an underwater camera, as well as night vision, and a super night mode for shooting in darker conditions. Both of these cameras work excellently and have allowed me to spot foxes and wildlife in total darkness when out on a walk with my dog.

The digital toolkit you didn’t know you needed

The Doogee S200 is designed for durability, but rugged phones like this one are also generally marketed towards those who work in the construction industry, or environmentally challenging areas, or simply enjoy activities such as watersports and hiking.

One of the coolest features that you'll rarely find on any non-Doogee device is the pre-installed digital toolkit included with the phone, with tools like a compass, sound meter, picture hanger, height measure, magnifier, protractor, plumb bob, pedometer, gradient, alarm bell, and a torch.

You might never need to use half of these features, but it's better to have them and not need them, right? The phone also has some handy settings such as gloves mode, for when you need to operate the touch display wearing snow gear (I actually benefitted from this on a recent trip to Slovenia), and a side key function that can be customised with a specific task when it's difficult to use your fingerprint or completely unlock the phone. Doogee really has thought of everything here.

It's a great choice for gamers

The phone sells itself in plenty of areas, but if you're a smartphone gamer then you'll really love this phone. In terms of specs, it has a MediaTek Dimensity 7050 chip which is perfectly capable for running most games smoothly, as well as a generous 120Hz refresh rate, up to 32GB of RAM and 2TB of expandable storage, an impressive 10100mAh battery capacity, and Android 14 OS.

Is it the best phone for gaming? Probably not. But it can certainly handle a gaming session or two with no sweat, and no overheating or busy fan sounds to distract you.

It can withstand pretty much anything

This phone is ultra-rugged, meaning it would be very tough to inflict any real damage on it should you ever drop it. It has ultimate endurance to withstand temperatures from -30C to + 70C, as well as boasting an IP68 and IP69K resistance rating for water and dust, and on top of this, it has been certified to military-grade standards.

The only non-rugged phone that even comes close to this level of durability is the new Honor Magic 7 Lite, which I recently attempted (and failed) to destroy in a not-so-fragile challenge that involved a hefty drop test and a hammer.

If you're interested in owning the Doogee S200 smartphone, it's available at a discounted price right now from retailers like Amazon and Aliexpress, or you can shop directly via the DOOGEE website where it's listed for $399/£306.49 with an extra discount coupon of $50/£40 applied. We've also rounded up the best prices below using our clever deals widget. You're welcome.