Coolpad Note 3 Lite Review
(Read: Coolpad Note 4 Lite vs Coolpad Note 3,
at first glance coolpad note 3 lite It impressed us, but after using it for a while we definitely changed our minds. Will Coolpad be successful in making a splash in the entry-level Android market through this handset? Let us know.
Look and Design
Coolpad Note 3 Lite has all the qualities of a budget phone, but due to its good design choice, it manages to create its own identity. The gold trim on the edge, camera lens and fingerprint sensor make the phone attractive. The quality of plastic and finish of the handset is quite good. The phone feels strong as well as durable.
The front part has a 5-inch HD IPS display with scratch protection. There is a visible black border on the edges of the screen, it does not fit with this slim phone. The capacitive buttons for navigation work well, but they are not backlit. Above the display is a 5-megapixel front camera along with a notification LED.
The power and volume buttons are located on both sides of the phone and there is no problem in using them with one hand. The design of the rear cover is to provide grip and it is also possible to remove it. There is also a 13-megapixel front camera along with LED flash and fingerprint sensor. The speaker is at the bottom of the rear panel. The company logo is present on it. If you don’t like white plastic, there is also a black color option for you.
Like its senior version, the Note 3 Lite is a smartphone with good build quality. Its front panel is not the most attractive, it looks better from the back.
Specifications and Software
When the device is from the budget segment then the specifications will also be from the budget segment. But Coolpad has tried to do better in this department. Quad-core MediaTek MT6735 chipset has been used in it. It is also the cheapest phone equipped with 3 GB RAM and 16 GB storage. You can also expand the storage with the help of microSD card up to 32 GB. The phone has two microSIM slots and both support 4G LTE.
The phone runs on Android 5.1 Lollipop on which CoolUI 6.0 skin has been used. We wrote about this interface in detail in the Coolpad Note 3 review. You will get a one-layer UI by default and if you want, you can also get a two-layer setup.
You will get company apps like Cool Service, Cool Store and Explore. Through FP Lock, you can lock any of your apps with fingerprint. And only you will be able to use them. You can change wallpaper with Rock Wallpaper.
The interface works flawlessly, but the skin doesn’t look polished. For example, you don’t get many theme options. The custom icons in each theme will leave you confused at times. It also has many third-party apps that can be removed if needed.
performance
The viewing angles of the HD display are good and there is no problem in reading on it in sunlight. It would have been better if the brightness was a little higher for outdoor use. The touchscreen gives a good response but it easily gets smudged by fingerprints. Call quality is good and we did not face any problem even in 4G network.
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.
Note 3 Lite gave decent results in benchmark tests. You will be able to play games like Ski Safari 2 easily on it. The phone also did not face any 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.
The default music player is well designed. Many useful features are also provided in the video player. You can edit videos. Can take screengrab. The alert sound from the rear speaker is decent but it is not for multimedia.
The good thing is that Coolpad has not made any changes in the camera setup for the Lite version. The 13-megapixel rear camera 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.
You will be able to record videos of 1080 pixels and their quality is decent. The camera software is not very good and there is no option to change it. However, its interface is simple and easy to use. The 5-megapixel front camera is effective in taking selfies, but only in daylight.
The 2500 mAh battery lasted 9 hours 11 minutes in our video loop test. The battery easily lasted for a day with normal use on 4G network.
our decision
Priced at Rs 6,999, the Coolpad Note 3 Lite is a great package on paper. There are not many compromises in this version compared to the original version. This is the only phone in this price range which comes with fingerprint sensor, 3 GB RAM and 16 GB storage. This was bound to happen sooner or later and Coolpad nailed it. The display of this phone is also good. The fingerprint sensor works fast. The battery life of this phone with a strong build is also praiseworthy.
However, despite all this, it is not the best handset in its segment. Great specifications do not perform as expected in normal use. There is scope for work on camera, design and CoolUI skin. In this range, phones of Oppo and Gionee come with better finish. In such a situation, you have to decide which features and specifications you need more.
