Do you remember the DOOGEE S98? The rugged phone with a watch on the back. DOOGEE recently launched their upgraded version: S98 Pro. The S98 Pro is not a performance upgrade like replacing a better processor, but a functional upgrade. And I believe this strategy will be the new trend for rugged phones this year.

The DOOGEE S98 Pro comes in the same box as the S98, with the phone’s model and storage space written in the lower right corner. Open the lid of the package, the accessories in the package are our old friends. DOOGEE S98 Pro comes in a box with a white pry bar, 33w charger, and charging cable. It also contains instructions manual, and an extra film, this time with some tools for the film. There is also a phone case. Instead of this case to protect your rugged phone, it is used to decorate your phone.

DOOGEE calls this case the “Alien-inspired case”, which makes the S98 Pro look like an alien from the movie. Of course, if you don’t like the adorable alien, you can take off the case. The back of the S98 Pro is almost the same as the Doogee S98, also with a leather-like design. The biggest difference is still in the lens module part, where the watch-like screen in the middle is replaced by a sensor. This sensor is the biggest upgrade of this Pro version, and we will come back to this sensor in detail later. The S98 Pro also has NFC and custom buttons, and the SIM Card Tray can be fitted with two SIM cards and a Macro SD card, so at least in terms of design, the Pro version is not much changed.

The S98 Pro uses an FHD+ LCD screen. This screen has the same specs as the standard version except the peak brightness is 200nit higher than the standard version. The protective glass of Corning Gorilla plus IP68 and IP69K certifications allow you to use it in any harsh outdoor environment. One of the advantages I like about the rugged phone is that you can clean the phone with water when it gets dirty, so you never have to worry about damaging the phone by getting water in it.

What is the interesting feature that we talked about at the beginning? It’s this new thermal imaging camera. This sensor in the middle of the two cameras is a real thermal imaging sensor, which can capture real infrared radiation images.

You may have seen a similar filter on Tiktok, but that is fake, and this is real. As soon as you turn on InfiRay, you can see the IR image. It is important to know that buying a thermal imaging camera alone may cost several hundred dollars, which is a considerable amount of money. The most direct way to use it is to use it as a night vision camera.

It is easier to find nearby creatures in the dark compared to Night vision Camera. Or when repairing electronic equipment can be used to judge where the problem is coming from. DOOGEE’s thermal imaging camera also has MIX mode, which allows you to mix RGB images and IR images to make it easier to tell what the subject is. I would like to explain that it is impossible to see people behind walls with thermal imaging cameras in movies or games. In fact, thermal imaging can’t even see through paper or glass, so don’t worry about the privacy of others.

The left and right cameras are the 20MP Night vision camera and the 48MP main camera. Although there is no more Ultra-wide camera, the performance of the main camera is even better. Dynamic range performance is good. Thanks to the sharpening algorithm, the photos look relatively clear. Next you can enjoy the Sample photos taken with S98 Pro.

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The DOOGEE S98 Pro comes with the MediaTek Helio G96 processor. The standard version of the S98 also uses this processor. According to the results of Benchmark Tests, the Antutu Bench score is 330,000 and the 3DMark score is close to 1200. Game performance is the same as the standard version, mainstream light load games stable at 40fps is no problem.

The 33w wired charging power and 15w wireless charging are also standard on DOOGEE’s flagship phones. 6000mAh battery has not been upgraded, but it can also support you for two to three days without charging.

The S98 is a good rugged phone, which has managed to attract many people with its novel appearance. The S98 Pro takes it to the next level and does even better in terms of functionality. That thermal imaging camera I’m sure will become a handy tool for many people working outdoors.

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