Doogee and Elephone are currently launching budget smartphones faster and much more frequently than Samsung and Lenovo are doing. Their current lineup has some really good devices that can fill in for Android first timers or even an old timer who needs a backup phone.
Amongst these new budget phones is the DG580 or Kissme which is basically a Oneplus One clone. The phone came in a recycled paper case like the Xiaomis and other crop of OEMs are doing currently. This unit came with screen protector already fitted, a spare screen protector and the user manual. The charger is placed horizontally to the phone and a usb cable and earpiece placed in a nice slim seperate pack still within the pack that houses the phone and charger.
Design and Hardware
Being an OPO clone the Kissme is indeed a looker especially the white version. At the top of the phone you'll find the 3.5mm jack to the left and the micro usb charging port to the right. On the left side of the phone is the volume rocker, on the right you'll find the power button and beneath it is the microphone.
Being less than 7mm in tickness, the Doogee is easy to hold even at 5.5 inches. Although larger than the ZTE Grand S2 which also has a 5.5 inch screen, the bezels on the Kissme aren't too thick (Sony Xperia users would agree) and the phone is sturdy and doesnt feel cheap.
The phone comes with Mediatek MT6582 variant which of course is the peoples choice. An 8mp camera at the front and behind but with a 2.0 aperture making low light pictures useful together with dual led flash. A 5.5 inch 960*540p screen covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 3. At 2500mah, the battery is average. The Kissme is one of the few phones to feature Mediatek's NFC rival, the HotKnot. HotKnot, just like the NFC makes data transfer across devices swifter and less complicated.
Display and Software
Powering on the Doogee Kissme i noticed a new bootanimation and audio that was kinda pleasant. The display although being just 540p was easy on the eyes even at 5.5 inches. Although not as crisp as that on my ZTE Grand S2, the Gorrila Glass 3 covered IPS display of the Kissme was quite useful and faired reasonably well outside.
It comes with Android 4.4.2 Kitkat out of the box. Google services and apps also comes preinstalled. The ROM is very light, fairly fluid and free of bloatware leaving users with between 300 to 400mb+ of RAM. There is 4gb memory for storing media and files and 2gb of it for apps and services.
Performance
The MT6582 is a very potent processor and can handly normal and mildly heavy tasks without lagging. Antutu test results shows figures slightly shy of the 19000 mark which is very reasonable. There isn't much to say regarding the performance other than what has been said above.
Camera
The 8mp rear camera is a delight, though the flash is poor, the pictures are quite good. Colour reproduction is fair enough for a phone of this price. HDR, smile detection and continuous burst mode are standard on this camera. Low light pictures are grainy but surprisingly good. Below are some pictures taken with the camera.
Conclusion
Doogee cloned only the looks of the OPO, but every other single thing on the Kissme feels original. I must say that the overall feel of the devices makes it an easy on to use on a daily basis and live with. If you are crazy about cameras? You probably should get yourself a Sony Xperia Z3 or an IPhone 6. But if you need a decent budget device, that can handle several multitaskking activities adequately, that can be used to take decent pictures even when the sun is out of sight and that will cost you much less than the display on a OPO but retains it looks, then the Doogee Kissme is the right phone for the job.
