Coolpad Cool 3 Plus review: Nice design, but camera and performance suffer

Coolpad has been there in the Indian market for some years now, though its product announcements have reduced in frequency. Coolpad is now focusing on bringing pocket-friendly smartphones to the market. Its latest offering is the Coolpad Cool 3 Plus, which has a starting price of Rs 5,999. The smartphone comes with a 13MP back camera and a U-shaped notch display. But how does it fare on a daily usage? Let’s find out in our review.

Coolpad Cool 3 Plus specifications: 5.71-inch dewdrop HD display | MediaTek Helio A22 processor | 2GB RAM+16GB storage/3GB RAM+32GB storage | 13MP rear camera with flash | 8MP front camera | 3,000 mAh battery | Android 9.0 Pie

Coolpad Cool 3 Plus price in India: Rs 5,999 for 2GB RAM/16GB internal storage variant | Rs 6,499 for 3GB RAM/32GB internal storage variant

Coolpad Cool 3 Plus design, display

Coolpad Cool 3 Plus has a glossy back made with polycarbonate with a dual-tone gradient design. The variant that we have is Ocean Blue has blue shade merging into violet. It attracts a lot of fingerprint marks and smudges. The device has a compact form factor and the built feels solid to hold. The smartphone is comfortable to hold and use with just one hand. There’s a fingerprint scanner at the back along with a 13MP rear camera and LED flash, which is aligned vertically at the top left corner.

The hybrid dual SIM slot is located on the left side, and at the top there is the 3.5 mm port for connecting headphones. The micro-USB port is located and the bottom along with the speaker grille.

Coolpad Cool 3 Plus comes with an HD+ screen that measures 5.71-inches. The display offers good brightness and colours for its price. The viewing angles are good and it is only when you tilt it sideways, that the brightness suffers and it is hard to read on the screen. The screen is bright enough even when you’re out under the sun.

Coolpad Cool 3 Plus performance, software, battery

The Coolpad Cool 3 Plus comes with a MediaTek Helio A22 processor paired with 2GB/3GB RAM and runs the Android 9 Pie. On AnTuTu, the phone registered a score of 61,436. In terms of performance, the smartphone does daily tasks pretty well. Switching between apps is smooth, but when switching between tabs on Google Chrome, the phone became sluggish after 20 tabs. The phone tends to heat up a little when you are playing games on it for a period of 15 minutes or more.

Speaking of gaming, the smartphone comes with some features such as Game Boost and Savepower to boost the experience of the user. Being an entry-level smartphone, Coolpad Cool 3 Plus can run games such as Angry Birds Rio, Temple Run 2 and Subway Surfer with ease. There are no lags or issues here.

However, if you play games with heavy graphics such as PUBG, the phone tends to lag significantly. While the game runs on low resolution, the lag is visible even if you’re having a fast internet connection.

Coolpad Cool 3 Plus comes with 3,000 mAh battery which can last for a day with gaming, photography and binge-watching on a single charge. The most annoying part of the phone is the pace at which it gets charged. It takes nearly four hours to charge the phone from zero to 100 per cent, which is unacceptable.

Coolpad Cool 3 Plus camera performance

Coolpad Cool 3 Plus struggles in the photography department. The camera lacks focus even if the photo is shot from a close range even if there is ample light. At night, the performance only gets worse as sensors struggle to identify objects and faces.

If you try zooming on to them, the photos can come pixelated. In low light conditions, the camera lacks clarity and the photos are dull and grainy.

The smartphone packs a 13MP lens at the back and an 8MP sensor in the front and has various modes such as beauty and bokeh, but they hardly improve the performance of the camera. At this price other smartphones such as the Realme C2 pack a dual-back camera setup, which can click comparatively better images.

Coolpad Cool 3 Plus verdict

At Rs 5,999 for 2GB/16GB and Rs 6,499 for 3GB/32GB, the Coolpad Cool 3 Plus is an average device and there are some key issues with photography and slow charging speed. However, we must understand that it is a budget smartphone and most smartphones in this price range do have problems with photography or charging. Other budget alternatives such as the Realme C2 and Nokia 2.2, might be a better option for users who want a budget smartphone that delivers on these parameters as well.