Coolpad Note 3 Lite was launched in India on Friday, bringing a new compact variant of the affordable Note 3 smartphone to consumers at a cheaper price. The new handset is best suited for those who liked the Note 3 for its features, but the big screen was a turn off factor. Here's our first look at the all-new Note 3 Lite and the impression it forecasts after the success of Note 3.
Design and Display
Coolpad Note 3 Lite underwent a sensible makeover, neither too much nor too less. We got our hands on the white colour variant, which has the same look as its predecessor, but in a smaller size. The display ring surrounding the handset is painted gold in the Note 3 Lite against the Note 3's silver frame. Coolpad has applied the gold hue to the camera and fingerprint rings found at the back side of the device.
Talking about the rear panel, Note 3 Lite has a unique textured finish, which gives it a matte look compared to Note 3's shiny, smooth and slippery back cover. The LED flash on the Note 3 Lite has flipped sides, appearing on the right side of the camera. The speaker and the company's logo are sitting at the bottom of the display.
The power/lock button is placed at the right side of the device and we found it a bit hard to reach compared to the original Note 3. The volume controls take the usual spot on the left side of the device.
At the bottom, the micro USB charging slot is moved to the left and a 3.5mm headphone jack appears at the usual top position. Overall, the handset has a good grip, better than the original Note 3.
Coolpad Note 3 Lite features a 5-inch HD display with 1280 x 720 pixels and has a scratch resistant protective glass. We challenged the company's claim and tried putting some scratches using keys. The display glass is scratch-resistant. Coolpad still includes a screen protector in its box.
The resolution in Note 3 Lite is the same as Note 3, so there is nothing to compromise on the clarity of videos or visibility. In fact, the pixels must be closely packed due to a smaller display.
Camera
Coolpad Note 3 Lite has the same camera as its predecessor. There is a 13-megapixel rear-facing camera supported by LED flash and a 5MP front facing snapper for selfies. The UI of the Note 3 Lite remains unchanged.
In landscape mode, the capture button is on the right along with camera mode options and gallery. The three dots at the top lets users access the settings, change effects and activate HDR. The users can switch to video or Pro mode by swiping up or down the screen. In Pro mode, the users can initiate object tracking. On the left side of the UI, users can find a flash icon and selfie camera switcher.
Under the hood
Coolpad Note 3 Lite is powered by a 64-bit 1.3GHz MediaTek MT6753 quad-core processor and ARM Mali T720 GPU. There is 3GB RAM and 16GB expandable storage. We will reveal detailed performance review at a later time after we spend ample time with the handset.
Battery
Coolpad Note 3 Lite has a 2,500mAh non removable battery, which, according to its maker, serves up to 8 hours on talk time. Again, the actual performance of the battery will be revealed in our detailed review.
Fingerprint scanner
Coolpad Note 3 has a fingerprint scanner placed at the rear side of the device. The sensor is quite responsive and unlocks the device almost instantly without any lags or inaccuracy. Fingerprint scanner in Coolpad Note 3 was one of our favourite features during our review.
Read: Coolpad Note 3 Review
Price and availability
Coolpad Note 3 Lite carries an attractive price tag of Rs 6,999. The handset will be available in flash sales, first of which will go live on 28 January at 2pm, exclusively via Amazon India. Registrations for the sale have begun.
