Coolpad Mega 2.5D vs Xiaomi Redmi 3S: Battle of Rs 6,999 smartphones

The screen-size in Redmi 3S is slightly smaller at 5-inches, and it is priced same as Mega 2.5D. Both the smartphones lack a fingerprint scanner, though there’s a Redmi 3S Prime version with a fingerprint sensor and more RAM+Storage, which costs Rs 8,999.  The rear camera in Redmi 3S is 13MP while the font camera is 5MP. Coolpad Mega 2.5D, on the other hand, sports an 8MP camera on both sides.

While the Coolpad Mega 2.5D comes with 3GB RAM on-board, Redmi 3S offers 2GB RAM. The internal memory in both the smartphones is 16GB, which is expandable up to 32GB via microSD card in case of the Coolpad. In Redmi 3S, the expandable storage stands at 128GB.

In terms of pricing, both Coolpad Mega 2.5D and Xiaomi Redmi 3S are the same, but focus on different USPs. Here’s how they stack up against each other in terms of specifications:

Coolpad Mega 2.5D and Xiaomi Redmi 3S are both priced at Rs 6,999 but come with different USPs.

Coolpad Mega 2.5D: In our first impressions, we noted the front camera does a good job given the price tag, but don’t expect anything exceptional. The pictures aren’t very sharp, and the Smart Beautification mode makes people look very fair at times. Again, we’ll hold our full verdict on the selfie camera for now, but at this price point it is a tad better than what other smartphone makers offer in this same range.

Coolpad Mega 2.5 features a 5.5-inch HD display, making it one of the bigger smartphones. The screen size looks even bigger, thanks to thin bezels on the sides. The smartphone is extremely light at 143 grams, despite the big display.

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In terms of specifications, Coolpad Mega 2.5D is powered by 1GHz quad core Mediatek MT6735P processor with 3GB RAM and 16GB internal memory (expandable up to 32GB via microSD card).

Coolpad Mega is backed by a 2,500 mAh battery, which the company claims will provide up to 9 hours of talk time and 200 hours of stand by time. Battery matters a lot for budget users, and we’ll have to see how well the Coolpad Mega 2.5 does in this segment. It 2.5D runs Android 6.0 Marshmallow on top of Cool UI 8.0.  This is a dual-SIM smartphone that comes with hybrid SIM slot. It supports micro SIM card.

Coolpad Mega 2.5D is a VoLTE enabled smartphone.

Xiaomi Redmi 3S: Xiaomi Redmi 3S is the latest offering from the Chinese smartphone maker. This is Xiaomi’s second smartphone with the focus on battery. Redmi Note 3 was the first. Redmi 3S is a smaller size version of Redmi Note 3, but with a slightly bigger 4100 mAh battery.

Redmi 3S has the same metal unibody design with the curved back as the Note 3. It features a 5-inch HD display, and runs MIUI 7 on top of Android 6 Marshmallow. Xiaomi Redmi 3S is powered by a 1.4Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon 430 processor with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage (expandable to 128GB via microSD slot). It sports a 13MP rear camera, and a 5MP front camera.

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In our review of Redmi 3S Prime, battery emerged as a USP of this phone, which can easily last two days, even with heavy usage. The phone’s performance and design are also points in its favour. We said Xiaomi has managed to produce a stellar product at a budget pricing.

Even with the selfie-camera, Coolpad has a tough competitor in the form of Redmi 3S.