Chinese smartphone manufacturer, Coolpad has launched its budget Android smartphone in India named Cool 3 Plus and it is priced at Rs 5,999. The Cool 3 Plus is an upper variant of the Cool 3 which was launched last year. We’ve done a quick review of the Cool 3 Plus to see if is it worth given the price.
Coolpad Cool 3 Plus Specifications
- Display: 5.71-inch IPS LCD, HD+ resolution (1520 x 720 pixels), 19:9 aspect ratio
- Software: Android 9 Pie, 360 OS
- Fingerprint Scanner | Face ID: Yes, at the back, Yes
- CPU: Up to 2.0 GHz quad-core Cortex-A53, 12nm MediaTek Helio A22 SoC
- GPU: IMG PowerVR GE8320
- Memory: 2 GB or 3 GB RAM
- Storage: 16 GB or 32 GB, microSD card support up to 256 GB (SIM2 slot)
- Main Camera: 13 MP, LED flash
- Selfie Camera: 8 MP
- Connectivity: micro USB port, 3.5 mm port, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS + GLONASS
- Cellular: 4G LTE, 2x nano SIM (GSM), microSD on SIM2, dual-VoLTE
- Colors: Cherry Black, Ocean Blue
- Battery: 3,000 mAh
- Price: Rs 5,999 (2 GB + 16 GB), Rs 6,499 (3 GB + 32 GB)
- Availability: 2nd July 2019, Amazon India
Design, Display, & Performance
The Coolpad Cool 3 Plus is an entry-level Android smartphone featuring a quad-core MediaTek Helio A22 and Android 9.0 Pie out-of-the-box. The back has a glossy-finish gradient design that looks cool, it comes in two colors – Cherry Black and Ocean Blue. The body is made of plastic materials with curves on the sides and it’s compact in size.
On the front side, the phone flaunts a 5.71-inch HD+ display with a resolution of 1520 x 720 pixels and 19:9 aspect ratio. You will find a notch on the screen that carries an 8 MP selfie camera. The notch can be removed to hide from the Display settings if not required. This will add black bars around the notch area.
You don’t get dual cameras on the back, the Cool 3 Plus has a single 13 MP camera on the rear side and an 8 MP selfie camera on the front. The phone offers a fingerprint scanner at the back.
At the bottom, you will find a micro USB port, loudspeakers, and a microphone while the top has 3.5mm jack for earphones which aren’t bundled with the phone.
The right side has the power and volume keys, and the left side comes with a hybrid SIM slot that carries a microSD card slot combo on SIM2 slot. The phone supports dual 4G SIM and dual-VoLTE.
Software, User Interface & Performance
On the software front, the Cool 3 Plus runs on the Android 9 Pie with Coolpad customized interface named 360 OS. It has a security patch level dated April 5th, 2019.
The interface has no app drawer, all apps are on the homescreen itself. You will also find a few apps pre-installed which can be later removed if not required.
Being a budget smartphone, the Cool 3 Plus is powered by an entry-level MediaTek Helio A22 quad-core processor clocked at 2.0 GHz paired with a PowerVR GE8320 GPU for graphics-related tasks.
The Coolpad Cool 3 Plus comes in two RAM and storage variants, the base one with 2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage and another with 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage. The storage can be expanded via a microSD card on SIM2 slot.
There’s a 3,000 mAh battery that powers up the phone and can last a day at least on average usage. The charging may not be fast since it’s bundled with a 5V and 1A rated charger.
Speaking of its performance, the phone is suitable for basic tasks, however, don’t expect to run smoothly, we often encountered lags and sluggish performance during our usage, especially when you switch the apps.
Also, it has a slow unlocking rate of the fingerprint scanner and sluggish loading times in certain apps. If you are planning to run medium to heavy apps, go for a better performance smartphone, the overall performance is average. Rival Realme C2 is better in terms of performance.
Cameras
In the camera department, the Cool 3 Plus equips a 13 MP single rear camera along with an LED flash. The front carries an 8 MP front-facing camera sensor for taking selfies and video calling. The overall camera package sounds average. Since the price is on the lower side, don’t expect much out from its camera.
The camera interface, as you can see, offers Bokeh, FaceCute, Beauty, Watermark, GIF, and more. We took some shots to see the camera quality of the Coolpad Cool 3 Plus. Take a look at these camera samples below.
Coolpad Cool 3 Plus Camera Samples
Early Verdict
For the price it holds, the Cool 3 Plus starts at Rs 5,999 for its base variant i.e. 2 GB RAM and 16 GB storage and Rs 6,499 for its 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage variant which is highly affordable. If you have an extremely tight budget and want an entry-level Android smartphone, consider the Coolpad Cool 3 Plus, it competes with the likes of Realme C2 and Redmi 7A in terms of pricing. If you can extend your budget slightly, the Realme C2 is an ideal alternative.
