Doogee V Max Play 5G review: rugged phone with massive battery and built-in projector

ZDNET reviewed the Doogee V Max Play 5G, which is available now for $649. The handset stands out for its very large 20,500 mAh battery and an integrated 480p HD projector with autofocus. The V Max Play 5G is physically large — 7.2 x 3.4 x 1.2 inches and weighing 1.51 pounds — and uses a 6.78-inch 1,080 x 2,460 IPS LCD with a 120Hz refresh rate.

It meets IP68/IP69K and MIL-STD-810H durability standards. Inside is a mid-range 4nm Mediatek Dimensity 7300 chipset (2.6 GHz octa-core) with 16GB of physical RAM, 20GB of virtual RAM, 512GB of storage and a microSDXC slot up to 2TB, running Android 15 with built-in Gemini AI tools.

ZDNET noted a strong feature set beyond the projector: a 200MP main camera, 20MP night-vision camera (with infrared emitters), 8MP ultra-wide/macro, and a 32MP front camera; a dual COB LED camping light rated up to 1,200 lumens plus RGB ambient lights; a top-mounted infrared emitter for remotes; and 3W, 130dB Smart PA loudspeakers.

Charging supports 45W fast charging and 10W reverse charging. In testing the phone handled multitasking, photo/video editing and gaming smoothly, and the reviewer was able to go four days between recharges as a heavy user. ZDNET’s buying advice called the phone physically massive and relatively expensive (about $650) but said it packs a lot of functionality — likening it to a tech Swiss Army Knife — and concluded that if you want a smartphone with a projector, this model is worth the money.

Key Topics

Tech