CooLpad CooL 1
The most economical dual camera smartphone right now
Dual camera smartphones are the next buzz in the smartphones landscape with Apple iPhone 7 and Honor 8 being two popular brands that come to mind straightaway with popular models already launched. Now, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer Coolpad has developed this finesse of launching feature-rich smartphones at price points that would make even the most discerning consumer blink.
Decent looks, nifty specs: The Cool1 has the same metallic finish as some of its predecessors but feels nice and solid in hands. The matte finish at the back adds to the grip and we did not find it slippery at all, even when used with greasy hands. The smartphone is powered with 1.8 GHz Octa- core processor and Adrena 510 graphics chip to run multiple applications with ease. The device comes with 4GB RAM and internal storage of 32GB. It has a 5.5” FHD IPS display and runs on Android 6.0. But the USP of Coolpad Cool1 is undoubtedly the dual 13- megapixel rear cameras with autofocus enabled alongwith dual tone LED flash.
The dual camera lenses not only let you capture better quality pictures in low light conditions but also provide a more pronounced effect to the subject in focus. This is a kind of reduced DSLR feature that vendors are trying to replicate in smartphones. During our tests we could get the appreciable results while we digitally changed the aperture setting for shots taken under differing light conditions. However, the quality is no way near what a professional camera shall provide, so be very modest in your expectations!
Impressive battery and performance: The Coolpad Cool1 also sports an 8- megapixel secondary front camera. The selfies taken in broad daylight were good while a little graininess was observed in night shots. The smartphone has an impressive 4000mAh battery that goes from 0 to 100% in 1 hour flat. This full charge lasted us for a good two days with regular usage of commonly used apps. However, playing games and watching videos reduced this to one day, still commendable for a smartphone.
The video quality is where we feel the optical image stabilisation ( OIS) feature is sorely missing. There are visible shakes to be observed even while shooting daylight videos. We played all the latest games on it and found the 4G RAM proving its mettle. The experience was good and none of the games hanged in the middle. However, with a brushed aluminium body, do expect some heating to show up, especially when gaming for longer hours. Coming to the connectivity options, Cool1 offers 4G with VoLTE, 2G/3G, Wi-Fi 8802.1111 ac/a/b/g/n (2.4/5 GHz), Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, FM Radio, 3.5mm Audio Jack and USB Type-C port.