First impression of Doogee P1
The Doogee P1 is delivered in an equally colorful cardboard box, which contains the Smart Cube, a USB data or charging cable and a charger (5V 2A). Surprisingly, the manufacturer did not include a user manual, which can quickly become a problem with such an extensive gadget (more on that later). With an edge length of around 6.2cm, the Smart Cube P1 has a very compact housing, which means that the projector can be used on the move. The bright colors make it look extremely modern and appealing.
Externally, the projector is equipped with various connection options. Among other things, a micro USB port, which can be used to charge the 4800mAh large battery, can be concealed under small, removable covers, as well as being transmitted via this data. In addition, the P1 has a conventional USB 2.0 Type-A female, which allows other devices to charge. The Doogee P1 projector can therefore also be used as a power bank. Unfortunately, the device does not have an HDMI input. Other controls are the power button and a small wheel to correct the image sharpness.
The first, external impression of the Doogee P1 is quite positive. The workmanship is good and the design of the Smart Cube has also been successful.
Hardware
The image is generated by a powerful OSRAM LED that generates a luminous flux of 70 lumens. The contrast ratio is 800: 1, the native resolution loves 854x480 pixels. The hardware of a mobile device is also slumbering inside. A small quad-core processor from Amlogic, 1GB RAM and 8GB internal memory enable an operational operating system based on Android 4.4 KitKat. The projector is also equipped with a WiFi (1GHz) and Bluetooth 2.4 module in order to utilize all the possibilities of wireless data transmission between the Smart Cube P4.0 and the playback device.
An integrated loudspeaker, which can also be addressed via Bluetooth, reproduces the sound transmitted by the playback device. The built-in battery, with a capacity of 4800mAh, serves as the power supply, but can be used as a power bank to charge other devices.
OPERATION
The commissioning of the Doogee Smart Cube P1 was very difficult due to the missing operating instructions. When the device is switched on, the small fan of the projector sounds and after a few seconds you can see the native Android 4.4 interface. Via the side-mounted wheel the image sharpness can be adjusted later.
To operate the surface of the projector at all, you need a special app of the manufacturer. Of course, without manual, you do not know how to get to the app, let alone that such an app even exists. After switching it on and off several times, a start page with a QR code to the app appeared by accidentally pressing the power button (5 seconds) for a longer time. If you have scanned this with your smartphone or tablet, you can download the Doogee P1 app via a Chinese server.
Doogee P1 app
The app is used as a remote control, with which the user interface of the projector can be operated. By default, the Doogee P1 is in hotspot mode, which creates its own WLAN that you can connect to. Within the app, you scan the QR code generated by the projector, which connects the app to the projector's WiFi. The user interface can then be operated largely freely.
Functions and streaming
Native: The Doogee P1 can be connected to a WLAN. Any apps can then be downloaded from the pre-installed Google Play Store. For example, YouTube can be installed with which playback takes place directly via the preinstalled Android 4.4. The little cube OTA receives updates.
USB-OTG: The DLP projector is OTG capable. This means that a large number of peripherals can be connected to the device. The memory can also be expanded with a USB stick, which can then be used to play media.
Miracast: This function is already preinstalled on the Doogee P1. Miracast can be activated via the beamer's app, with which the entire screen content of the playback device can then be transferred to the beamer.
AirPlay: This transmission interface allows AirPlay compatible iOS and OSX devices to be used for streaming.
DLNA: This function can also be activated via the app. Then a DLNA app, which also serves as a server, is started. With a corresponding DLNA client, media can be streamed to the projector.
Bluetooth: The Smart Cube can be used as an external speaker via the integrated Bluetooth module.
field test
After the initially difficult start-up, the Doogee P1 was then largely problem-free to operate. The stream via Miracast was unfortunately a bit unstable, which is why the projector often produced image errors. I couldn't understand whether it was due to my WLAN or whether the projector was simply too weak to output the image. The stream via DLNA, however, took place without picture interference.
About OTG I could connect both a mouse, a keyboard and a USB stick. To use USB OTG you need an OTG adapter, which is not included in the delivery. With the already pre-installed file manager I was able to browse through the directories of the USB stick and play movies directly via the pre-installed media player.
The picture quality was the same in all streaming modes. The picture was even in the only slightly darkened room, in daylight, still very clearly visible. Even at a distance of about 2 meters, the Doogee P1 still projects a handsome image, where the color intensity and the contrast are sufficient to enjoy a movie. What bothered me a bit is the correction of the image sharpness. Here is a bit of instinct needed. The little wheel must be adjusted very carefully to get a sharp picture.
The maximum volume through the integrated speaker is sufficient to watch a movie without an additional speaker. However, you should not sit too far away from the P1. In addition, one should consider that the Doogee Smart Cube P1 must be cooled, which is why constantly a slight noise of the fan can be heard. The volume of the fan is still acceptable.
The battery life is just under 3 hours. That's enough to stream a complete movie. Of course, the device can also be charged while streaming. Charged is the completely empty battery after an average of 3 hours.
DOOGEE P1
Design
Native Android 4.4
Good picture quality
Compact
Large 4800mAh battery
No HDMI
No audio input
No instruction manual
The Doogee P1 is a cool gadget that is unparalleled in terms of design. Due to the compact design, you are extremely mobile, which is why the small DLP projector is ideal for an outdoor movie night, presentations, but also as a power bank or loudspeaker.
The price of the Smart Cube is a bit high, but you should consider that this device actually acts as a mobile device and has the hardware of a small tablet.
Nevertheless, the Doogee P1 could still be improved in some ways. Why the manufacturer did without an instruction manual is a mystery to me. I would also have liked the projector to have a separate audio input and an HDMI connection option.
