Coolpad too is following the trend. The popularity of selfies has driven smartphone makers such as Oppo to launch handsets with great front cameras, and Coolpad is the latest to join the bandwagon. On Wednesday, the company released the selfie-centric Mega 2.5D smartphone in India to compete with other affordable smartphones.
Coolpad Mega 2.5D ensures the camera experience of the device is better than most of its rivals in the sub-Rs. 10,000 price range. It is priced at Rs. 6,999 and offers some interesting features that we haven't seen in such a low price range. You might ask whether or not the smartphone will deliver up to the expectation. Well, we are here to answer that.
We received the review unit of the Mega 2.5D and found some strong points as well as weak links. Let's get started with our first-look review of the Coolpad Mega 2.5D.
Design
When we unboxed the Coolpad Mega 2.5D, which comes in the traditional Coolpad's packaging, we were not disappointed by the looks. In fact, holding the device in hand felt good. It comes with a charging adaptor, USB cord and in-ear headphones.
The Mega 2.5D, as the name suggests, has a 2.5D curved glass, which easily catches the eye. The selfie camera is at the top along with the speaker and the proximity sensor.
The rear design is nothing like other Coolpad smartphones, as a fresh approach has been seen in this device. The metallic finish curved back gives a comfortable grip on the phone, and the soft finish across the uni-body adds to the comfort.
The speaker is placed at the rear side of the device just below the Coolpad logo. The primary camera and the LED flash sit at the top of the back panel of the Mega 2.5D. The handset is lightweight (140grams) and quite sleek as well (7.85mm thick). There is a microUSB slot at the bottom and a 3.5mm headphone jack at the top.
Display
Coolpad Mega 2.5D features a 5.5-inch HD IPS display with 1280 x 720 pixels with good viewing angles. During the brief time we spent with the device, there isn't anything negative. But it is nothing extra-ordinary either when compared to other HD smartphones that we see in the market.
Camera
The main USP of the Coolpad Mega 2.5D is its camera and the company has a lot of expectations from it. We haven't tested the camera fully, but from what we have learnt so far, it is neither too bad nor too great. But the price of the device should also be considered here. Of course, you will not get the clarity and detail of Oppo F1 Plus here, but the Mega 2.5D targets a completely different audience. The camera of the Mega 2.5D fulfils the need of what we expect from a Rs. 7,000 smartphone.
What's more intriguing is that the camera has all the filters, different modes such as night mode, beauty mode, pro mode, Panorama, GIF and sound and shot. We will be testing the camera in depth for our review, until then we reserve out final verdict on this.
Performance
The competition in the smartphone market has forced OEMs to ensure the phones perform their best. Coolpad Mega 2.5D also keeps that in mind and gives a decent performance. We haven't tested the device fully to see how it will work under pressure, but we sensed some heating for keeping the phone's display on for too long.
As for the specs, it is powered by a quad-core MediaTek MT6735P, which is paired with 3GB RAM and has 16GB expandable storage. We are not expecting a lot from this configuration, but it should get the job done for most users.
Coolpad Mega 2.5D comes with Android 6.0 Marshmallow-based CoolUI 8.0, which works seamlessly. We have reviewed Coolpad's UI and there hasn't been much to complain about. It is one of the finest UIs we have used in the budget smartphone space.
Battery and add-ons
Coolpad Max 2.5D has a battery pack of 2500mAh, which should be suffice to last long enough with its low-end specs. The company promises 9 hours of talk time, which we aim to test in our full review. Sadly, unlike most Coolpad phones, this one lacks a fingerprint scanner, a feature which is seen in Coolpad's own Note 3 Lite (Rs. 6,999). Other than that, it supports 4G LTE, VoLTE, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options.
Conclusion
In our view, Coolpad Mega 2.5D's strong suits are its design, camera, UI and display. We cannot comment on the performance or the battery just yet. When pitted against the likes of Lenovo Vibe K5, Swipe Elite Plus, Coolpad Note 3 Lite, and others, it is the one to emerge as one of the top choices for Rs. 7,000 smartphones.
