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Coolpad officially launched the Cool 1 at a price of Rs. 13,999 and is currently the cheapest dual camera phone in the smartphone market in India.


It comes with a 5.5 Full-HD IPS display along-with 4 GB of ram, Snapdragon 652, a mirror finish fingerprint scanner and a beefy 4,060 Mah battery. Having spent the last 4 weeks with the smartphone, here's my full review :
 

Camera - 9/10


Cool one comes with a dual 13 + 13 MP rear camera with f2.0 aperture and my experience with its camera has been amazing to say the least. While one of the 13 MP camera takes monochrome shots, the other 13 MP sensor clicks the same shot in colour. The software algorithm then merges both the shots which gives great details. Thus the details are outstanding and color reproduction is natural. The highlight is the monochrome camera which is a clear winner in low light photography with very low noise.


There is hardly any shutter lag and I actually left my DSLR at home as I loved clicking pictures on this device <3 Here are some of the best one that I clicked :)



As you can see, the focus is sharp thanks to PDAF [ Phase Detection Auto-focus] and the colors are vibrant due to dual 6P lens. I even managed to click light trails up-to 8 seconds without a tripod and that itself is a proof of what's possible with dual cameras these days. The front camera is a 8 MP shooter and manages to click decent images. 

The camera app is very easy to use but packed with advanced features in Pro mode for all the shutterbugs out there! Manual Focus, Shutter Speed, ISO and even Manual White balance is offered right in the camera app. The Cool One also features a SLR Bokeh mode but I would suggest to use the Manual Focus in Pro Mode instead for blurred background as it's much faster and accurate.

There is also 4K video recording in colour mode and Full HD recording in monochrome mode. The front camera is also capable of making Full HD videos.




Design & Feel - 8/10

Coolpad is known to make sturdy smartphones and even Cool One features a metal build which is similar to the one on LeEco 2 but is made of magnesium alloy with chamfered edges which is a delight to hold in hands and looks premium.

In the front, there's a Full HD 5.5 inch display which is one of the best in its class when it comes to colour reproduction along-with capacitive buttons which are back-light. On the right, there's a power button and volume rockers, both of which are also made of metal.
 

The highlight of the design though is the beautiful Dual Camera setup along-with Dual-Tone flash on the back which is an eye catcher and don't be surprised to find strangers asking which mobile is it ;)
Just below the Dual camera is the mirror finish fingerprint sensor which looks great but is prone to fingerprint marks.

Performance & Software - 8/10

Cool One is powered by Snapdragon 652 clocked at 1.8 GHz along-with Adreno 510 GPU and 4 GB ram. Performance is a bliss with EUI's good memory management which is based on Android Marshmallow 6.0 and the overall performance is really snappy. It comes with 32 GB non-expandable storage and supports OTG . Thankfully, there's a 3.5 mm audio jack. On the connectivity front, there's dual sim with 4G (VoLTE supported), WiFi, Bluetooth 4.1, GPS, and USB Type-C port.




Thanks to Snapdragon 652 and Adreno 510, Gaming is smooth and we tried multiple high end games including Asphalt 8, Modern Strike, Bully, GTA SA, etc. with no lags or heating whatsoever! Multi-tasking is also smooth and apps don't close automatically due to 4GB ram. The mobile scored 81562 in the Antutu benchmarks.




The fingerprint sensor unlocks within 0.1 seconds and supports up-to 5 fingerprints! With the ability to lock apps in EUI with fingerprint, it also doubles up as a shutter button in the camera app which is super convenient to click selfies. EUI also has the option to enable on-screen buttons just in case you don't like the on-screen buttons. There's also 4 display colour modes to play with, so be assured about customizing it as per your preference.  

Battery Life - 9/10

Powered by a 4060 Mah battery, Cool one easily manages to survive 2 days on a single charge for normal users and a day for power users, which is really impressive. Even after heavy gaming and photography on full brightness, Cool one managed to survive the day with 37% charge left which is incredible. It's easy to bet that most users will be happy with such great battery life. The mobile also supports fast charging and comes with a 2A charger with USB Type-C cable.

Verdict 

At a price of Rs. 13999, Cool One is the best you can get in the below 15k smartphone market, especially when it comes to camera, battery and performance. Give it a pass if you are the user who can't deal with 32 GB on-board storage but there's OTG just in case you need extra data.

The powerful battery backup along-with fluid performance and metal build easily makes it among the the best in its price segment and the only one with a Dual-camera setup. Be assured about enjoying smooth gaming for long hours on this one thanks to a beautiful display plus a snappy fingerprint sensor. It is a complete package that can be easily recommended, especially for smartphone photographers on a tight budget.




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Reliance Jio launched the Flame series of its LYF smartphones at a price of just Rs. 2,999 which includes Flame 4,5 and 6. This price includes the amazing free  Jio SIM with Unlimited high-speed 4G Data, Unlimited Calls and Messages for 90 days which is a steal deal. Here's the full review of Flame 4 and Jio 4G network which is now available in LYF outlets across India!

              Reliance Jio 4G Network Review!


I got the Jio 4G Sim for free with the Flame 4 and my experience was amazing. This is the real 4G speed everyone dreams of and Jio has fulfilled this! Speeds of around 30 MBPS are really common even in your basement, thus network coverage is great.   
Check this screenshot to get an idea :D

In just 2 days, we were able to use more than 140 GB 4G data with average speeds of 20 MBPS+, so the overall experience was a bliss. If you are a hungry data user, cancel your internet connection right now and get a Jio 4G mobile. The benefit - Unlimited High Speed 4G with free calls and messages & the best thing - portability and stability even on roaming. I tested this sim right from Delhi to Kerala so you can be sure about its usability. With the hotspot feature, you can set a high speed Wi-Fi virtually anywhere!

Calls were crisp and clear with no limits, so enjoy this offer before it is gone. Messages were also delivered on time and gaming was a bliss because of the stability. For 2,999 you will get the full value of money and a free mobile to use.

                                Design & Build


The LYF Flame 4 offers a plastic build which is a little slippery at the back though which is acceptable at this price point. It features a dual sim-slot, a micro-sd card slot and a 3.5 mm audio jack. The build is sturdy for its price and fits perfectly in your hand due to its small 4 inch display, so expect the one hand use to be great.





                                  Performance 



Flame 4 features a 4 inch mobile with a resolution of 480x 800 pixels (QHD) along-with just 512 MB ram and a 1.5 Ghz Quad core processor. Overall performance is sluggish due to low Ram and a number of Jio apps but the UI is based on stock android. Touch quality is not good and the display viewing angles are just view-able.

Surprisingly we got an Antutu score of 14010 even with such specs. Expect the performance to be decent for messaging apps and medium graphic games like Temple Run and Subway Surfer. We tried running Nova 3 and Gta San Andreas but the experience was not good with frame drops and force stops (due to low Ram)  





                                        Camera


LYF Flame 4 has a 2 MP auto focus back camera and a 0.3 MP front camera. The back camera clicks decent images in day light but the low-light performance is mediocre. The front camera manages to click selfies but at a very low resolution.  

The UI of the camera app is simple to use with basic settings available like the HDR mode. Touch to focus is enabled by default and is pretty easy to use.

 

                                   


                        

                               Battery Life 

Flame 4 comes with a 1400 mah battery which is able to last almost up to 12 hours of light usage which is just not enough for an average user so always keep a power-bank handy if you want to use 4G on the go.

                             Verdict 

Reliance Jio has done an incredible job by introducing this offer as at a price of Rs. 2,999 it's a steal deal with Unlimited 4G, Calls and a basic 4G smartphone. Overall experience is great on Jio network and its actually better than most of the broadband providers with the element of portability! The smartphone though is value for money as it's the cheapest 4G mobile in India as of now with a ok performance. Our advice- Go for Flame 2 which has 1 GB of Ram along-with a better processor for just Rs. 600 more.The extra Ram in Flame 2 will make your experience much better.

Just avail this offer as soon as possible and you will not regret it. In the end, you will always have a mobile to use Jio 4G even in future. Buy one right now at any of the LYF outlets.

















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Coolpad might be a new name in the Indian Smartphone Market but it has a lot going on in its favor especially with mobiles like Note 3 & Note 3 Lite which completely disrupted the below 10,000 category and were a complete hit! A year back it was impossible to think of mobiles with 3 GB Ram & a fingerprint sensor in the below 10k mark and then Coolpad introduced it first with the Note 3 (Rs. 9,999) and then the Note 3 Lite (Rs. 6,999)





Coolpad MAX is a premium flagship which  is significant for the company to propel into the big league & the dual space feature does make it unique and secure. It is completely different from the value for money Note series which has a plastic build. Priced at 24,999, it brings premium build and powerful specs for the consumers with Snapdragon 617, 4 GB RAM and 64 GB internal storage on board. This review comes after a month's usage of Coolpad MAX as my primary device and thus will be as detailed as possible with a special emphasis on Camera!




Camera -


Coolpad Max comes with a 13 MP camera with ISOCELL, 6P lens, f/2.0 aperture, PDAF(Phase Detection Auto-Focus) and dual LED flash on the rear, and a 5MP camera on the front. The front camers is clear & bright enough for selfies and shoots upto 1080p video. While the rear camera specs may seem standard, I was surprised by the clarity and true to life colors of the rear camera. PS- I have stopped using my digital camera after clicking with Max and this is one of the main reasons Coolpad Max is my daily driver.


While the Auto mode is good enough with various extras available like HDR, Long exposure, GIF, Refocus mode among others, the "PRO" mode is what makes the camera unique. It offers DSLR like control like Manual Focus, Manual White Balance, ISO, Exposure and even the Shutter Speed! The PDAF focus is really fast and accurate & the 6P lens really does wonders in low light for extra details. On top of it, the fingerprint sensor acts like a shutter button which is really useful for selfies and pro shots.  I would like to give it a rating of 9.5 for its awesome back camera. 
Check the amazing pictures which I have clicked with Coolpad Max <3





Design & Feel -


Coolpad Max features a metallic build based on aluminum alloy and I was struck by the build quality of the device. Max feels great in hand and is compact with a 5.5 inch Full HD display which is complemented with a 2.5D curved glass along with Gorilla Glass 4 which makes it scratch proof even without a screenguard/tempered glass. It is available in 2 variants - Royal Gold and Rose Gold.


There's no hint of plastic being used even for the buttons which are sturdy and easy to press. One thing I love about Max is the 2.5D curved glass which makes the screen a delight to look at with a smooth feel.


 The placement of fingerprint sensor is at the back of the device with a metallic finish which is really easy and natural to reach. The 13 Megapixel is placed at the back in the middle of the device alongwith a dual tone flash. Overall the design is really refined and premium which can only be felt after holding the Coolpad Max once.  I would like to give it a rating of 9 for it's premium design.




Performance -


Coolpad Max is powered by 1.5 Ghz Qualcomm Snapdragon  617 along-with 4GB Ram which makes the performance smooth and fluid. I installed and tested over 60 games including the high end Asphalt 8, Modern Combat 5, GodFire, NFS, Real Racing 3, GTA San Andreas and played them in highest settings. Gaming on this device is fluid with no problems whatsoever and around 2-2.5 GB of RAM is usually free for apps. The 64 GB internal storage is more than enough for most users which again is expandable with a micro sd card (upto 64GB as I have tested).


Benchmark scores were average with  44,550 in AnTuTu, 25,202 in Quadrant 20FPS in GFXbench and 5,500 in 3DMark Ice Storm Extreme. LTE reception is great (as tested on Airtel 4G) and USB OTG is supported.

The Fingerprint sensor is as fast as you can imagine and opens the phone in milliseconds even when your hand is wet. Upto 5 Fingerprints can be recorded to unlock the mobile. The FP sensor is very nicely integrated for features like App lock and Shutter Button.


The Display is crisp and clear with a 1080P panel but the main highlight is the 2.5D glass which really makes the experience nice.

Overall performance is stable  and fast thanks to the 4 GB Ram even though the software (CoolUI) is heavily customized. Here are the games that I tested in the highest settings <3





Though at this price point, a better SoC would definitely have been better, Coolpad has worked heavily on the software features while also making sure that the overall performance is swift. I would like to give it a rating of 8 for it's performance.


Battery -


Coolpad Max has a 2,800 mAh with QuickCharge 3.0 which easily lasts a day with light usage. In real life usage, I found the phone to quickly charge as much as 35% in 20 minutes which is great as the mobile can get fully charged within an hour. The charging cable also has a blue LED light which looks really cool and is useful in dark scenarios. 
Power users will need to charge their mobile at-least once to survive the day. I would give the battery life a rating of 7 as this could have been better with a 3,000 mAh+  battery. 



Software -


Coolpad Max runs CoolUI 8.0 based on Android 5.1 Lolipop which is heavily customized to add much more useful features. Those who love Stock Android might not like the feel of the UI  but it does have some really useful features and pretty cool themes to choose from.


 The highlight of Coolpad Max is the Dual Space feature which is almost like using 2 mobiles and is a must for people who like to keep their personal and professional life apart. The Private Space, which is encrypted & secure can be accessed in a single touch where you can use a different Whatsapp, Facebook account alongwith a different call & camera app. The bestbpart is that when you connect your mobile to a PC, the files stored in the Private Space are not shown no matter what (as they are encrypted)


CoolUI 8 has many extra features like 3 Finger Scroll Screenshot, Inbuilt Screen Recording, Double Tap for camera feature,etc. Cool Manager App lets you block calls/messages, configure Ad-block and has a built in system cleaner. The best thing about CoolUI is the integration of the Fingerprint Sensor to secure everything i.e to access Private Space, to lock individual apps,etc there is no need to install another app. This is one of the best uses of FP sensor and Coolpad has done a commendable job to integrate the same even in the Camera App! I would like to give CoolUI a rating of  7 for its usability.

Accessories -

Coolpad Max comes with a 2A Quick Charger with a Micro-USB, Ear Pods, SIM tray ejector, Screen guard and even a Transparent back cover which is of a nice quality and is a nice move  by the company as everyone needs one cover as soon as they get their mobile.

Verdict -

Coolpad Max is a polished and well designed uni-body mobile with an amazing Camera and overall performance thanks to its 4GB Ram. Gaming is smooth and there is no heating problem in Coolpad Max. Fingerprint  sensor is just excellent with system-wide integration. 

Thought a bit pricey, it does have some unique secure features for professionals like Dual Space.  It's not as value for money as the Coolpad Note series, but Coolpad  Max offers a better build and secure features with  a much better camera and overall performance. 

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