Now Coolpad has launched a third variant Coolpad Note 3 Plus. The company has launched this smartphone at a price of Rs 8,999. Before the price cut, the original price of Coolpad Note 3 was also the same. This phone has a slight difference from the previous Coolpad Note which makes it different from the old phone. Today we will review Coolpad Note 3 Plus and know about its advantages and disadvantages.
Look and design
There are two major differences between the Coolpad Note 3 and Note 3 Plus. The new Coolpad Note 3 Plus is a bit heavier and has a full-HD screen, while the Coolpad Note 3 had a screen resolution of 720×1280 pixels. Apart from this, the Coolpad Note 3 Plus comes with a new logo of Coolpad but this does not affect the other specifications or features of the phone. Apart from this, there is no difference between the Coolpad Note 3 Plus and Note 3.
Priced at Rs 8,999, the Coolpad Note 3 Plus is a great looking phone. The front of the phone looks quite good due to the edge-to-edge screen. However, on closer inspection, a black border can be seen on both sides, but it doesn’t have much of an impact. Additionally, the metallic strip on the front (champagne gold in our review unit) makes the phone look sharper and better.
Despite being made of plastic, the Coolpad Note 3 feels heavy in the hand. This phone is already in the phablet category due to its 5.5 inch screen but its extra weight also puts the phone in the phablet category. If you are fond of big screens then this is not a bad thing. Apart from this, the layout is similar to the previous phone, power button on the right, volume buttons on the left, 3.5mm socket on the top and micro-USB port on the bottom. The camera, flash, fingerprint sensor and speaker are provided on the rear. The capacitive buttons are not backlit and it would have been better if these buttons were on-screen.
The biggest improvement in this new Coolpad Note is the display. The Note 3 Plus has a 5.5-inch full-HD IPS screen which makes it sharper than the previous phone. Photos, videos and games can be viewed with great experience in this display. However, it is not as bright and vibrant as we would like. The colors are a bit dull. But most devices in this price range do not have full-HD screens, so the screen of Note 3 Plus can be said to be much better.
Specifications and software
The similarities between the Note 3 Plus and Note 3 continue here as well. The new device has the same specifications as the older phone. However, while the Note 3 was launched in October and was reviewed, the hardware is now a bit dated. Most smartphones these days no longer come with the MediaTek MT6753 processor. Instead, smartphone manufacturers are using newer and more powerful MediaTek and Qualcomm processors.
Like before, Coolpad Note 3 Plus has 3 GB RAM and 16 GB internal storage. This smartphone comes with dual SIM support and storage can be increased (up to 64 GB) with the help of microSD card. The phone has a 3000 mAh battery. It supports FDD-Band 3 and TDD-Band 40 on 4G connectivity on both SIM slots. The specifications of this smartphone, which comes at a price of Rs 8,999, are quite good.
The Coolpad Note 3 Plus runs Android 5.1 Lollipop with the CoolUI 6.0 skin on top. The phone uses the same UI as the Note 3. Due to poor translation from Chinese to English, many words in the system look very odd and overall we found the entire interface to be cartoonish. The interface is single-layered but you can activate a ‘traditional’ mode which switches the interface to dual-layered with a dedicated app drawer. The interface works flawlessly, but the skin doesn’t look polished.
The settings app and notification shade also look outdated. This phone also has Coolpad’s Explory keyboard which has integrated Yahoo search and tracking. If you are looking for a phone with a very clean interface, then the Coolpad Note 3 Plus is not for you.
The fingerprint sensor is very accurate and works in just one go in most cases. You will be able to unlock the handset by placing your finger at any angle. The handset can store up to five fingerprint scanners. And you can also decide which fingerprint is allowed to open apps, make calls and take photos.
Camera
The Coolpad Note 3 Plus has the same camera as its predecessor. Camera performance is also as expected. The 13-megapixel rear camera with single-tone LED flash captures landscapes and macros with a lot of detail in natural light. However, we did find that close-up shots lacked sharpness. Photos taken indoors and in low light had a lot of noise. Panoramas are easily stitched and the quality is also good.
The camera takes good pictures in good light. The pictures look vibrant and sharp when viewed on the phone. But on a big screen the pictures look blurry and the colours also become dull. But the camera is good for the price and the user buying a phone at this price will like it. The 5 megapixel front camera is effective in taking selfies, but only in daylight.
You will be able to record videos in 1080p and the quality is decent. The camera app is the same as before and is not very good and there is no option to change it. However, its interface is simple and easy to use.
Performance
Although this phone runs on the old MediaTek MT6753 processor, the performance of the phone is fine. The phone runs smoothly due to 3 GB RAM.
You will be able to play games like Ski Safari 2 on it easily. The phone did not have any problem in running games like Dead Trigger 2. We did not face much problem in multitasking. 1.8 GB RAM is available all the time. The phone gets a little hot while playing games and working for a long time but it does not feel uncomfortable to use. There is no problem while watching videos on the phone either.
The Note 3 Lite Plus performed well in benchmark tests just like its predecessor. However, the graphics performance is a bit poor due to the high-resolution screen.
After upgrading to a full-HD screen, the battery capacity provided in the phone is less. The 3000 mAh battery lasted 10 hours and 12 minutes in our video loop test. During normal use, we were able to easily use the phone for a full day. Call quality is good and we did not face any problem in 4G network as well. Sound quality is good even from a single speaker.
Our verdict
There is nothing in the Coolpad Note 3 Plus smartphone that can be said to be a new addition to the Coolpad Note series. It seems that the company has launched this product with the intention of introducing a new product only. Coming with a high-resolution screen and fingerprint sensor, this smartphone will definitely compete in the category of less than Rs 10,000. But some customers may be disappointed with its strange interface.
The Coolpad Note 3 Plus is a great package with good features for the price. The phone has a decent screen, great camera and a fast and accurate fingerprint sensor. However, despite all this, it is not the best handset in its segment. So you have to decide which features and specifications you need more.
#Coolpad #Note #Review