Now Coolpad has launched a third variant Coolpad Note 3 Plus. The company has launched this smartphone at a price of Rs 8,999 only. The original price of Coolpad Note 3 was also the same before the price cut. This phone has a little 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 features and shortcomings.
Look and Design
Two major differences can be clearly seen between Coolpad Note 3 and Note 3 Plus. The new Coolpad Note 3 Plus is slightly heavier and has a full-HD screen whereas the Coolpad Note 3 had a 720×1280 pixel resolution screen. Apart from this, Coolpad Note 3 Plus comes with the new logo of Coolpad but it does not affect the other specifications or features of the phone. Apart from this, there is no difference between Coolpad Note 3 Plus and Note 3.
Coolpad Note 3 Plus, available at a price of Rs 8,999, is a great looking phone. The front part of the phone looks quite good because of the edge-to-edge screen. However, if you look closely, a black border can be seen on both the edges, but it does not make 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 because it comes with a 5.5 inch screen, but its extra weight also includes 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 the same as the previous phone, power button on the right side, volume button on the left side, 3.5 mm socket at the top and micro-USB port at the bottom. Camera, flash and 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 note of Coolpad has been made in the display. The Note 3 Plus has a 5.5-inch full-HD IPS screen, making it sharper than the previous phone. Things like photos, videos and games can be viewed on this display with a great experience. However, it is not as bright and vibrant as we would like. The colors are a bit dull. But most of the devices coming in this price do not have full-HD screen, hence 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 too. The new device has exactly the same specifications as the old phone. But, at the time of review of Note 3 which was launched in October, this hardware could have been called good but now it seems a bit old. Most of the smartphones coming nowadays no longer come with MediaTek MT6753 processor. Instead, smartphone makers 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. Coming with dual SIM support, the storage can be increased (up to 64 GB) with the help of microSD card. The phone has a 3000 mAh battery. 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.
Coolpad Note 3 Plus runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop with CoolUI 6.0 skin on top. Exactly the same UI has been used in the phone which was in Note 3. Due to poor translation from Chinese to English, many of the words in the system are very strange and overall we found the entire interface cartoony. The interface remains 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.
Oldness is also visible in the Settings app and Notification shade. This phone also has Coolpad’s Xplorry keyboard which has Yahoo search and tracking integrated. If you want a phone with a very clear 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 occasions. You will be able to unlock the handset by placing your finger at any angle. Five fingerprint scanners can be stored in the handset. And you can also decide which fingerprint is allowed to open apps, make calls and take photos.
camera
The Coolpad Note 3 Plus has a camera like the previous phone. Camera performance is also as expected. The 13-megapixel rear camera with single-tone LED flash captures detailed landscapes and macros in natural light. However, we realized that the sharpness was less in the close-up shots. There was more noise in pictures taken indoors and in low light. Panoramas are easily stitched and their quality is also good.
The camera takes good pictures in good light. When viewed on the phone, photos appear vibrant and sharp. But on the big screen, the pictures look scattered and the colors also become dull. But according to the price the camera is good and the user buying a phone of 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 of 1080 pixels and their quality is decent. The camera app is the same as before and 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 but the performance of the phone is fine. The phone runs well due to 3 GB RAM.
You will be able to play games like Ski Safari 2 easily on it. The phone also had no problem in running games like Dead Trigger 2. We did not face much problem in multitasking. 1.8 GB RAM is available at all times. While playing games and working for long hours, the phone gets a little hot but it does not feel uncomfortable to use. There is no problem even while watching videos on the phone.
The Note 3 Lite Plus performed just as well in benchmark tests as its predecessor. But the graphic figures were a bit poor due to the high-resolution screen.
After upgrading to a full-HD screen, the battery capacity of 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 throughout the day. Call quality is good and we did not face any problem even in 4G network. The sound quality is good even from a single speaker.
our decision
There is nothing in the Coolpad Note 3 Plus smartphone that can say that some new features have been added to Coolpad’s Note series. It seems that the company has launched this product only with the intention of introducing a new product. Coming with a high-resolution screen and fingerprint sensor, this smartphone will definitely compete in the less than Rs 10,000 category. But some customers may be disappointed by its strange interface.
The Coolpad Note 3 Plus is a great package with good features for the price. The phone has a decent screen, excellent camera and a fast and accurate fingerprint sensor. However, despite all this, it is not the best handset in its segment. In such a situation, you have to decide which features and specifications you need more.