Coolpad Note 5 specifications
5.5-inch ( 1920 x 1080 pixels) Full HD fully laminated display, scratch-resistant glass for protection
1.5GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 617 processor with Adreno 405 GPU
4GB RAM, 32GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 64GB with microSD
Hybrid Dual SIM ( nano+ nano/microSD)
Android 6.0.1 ( Marshmallow) with Cool UI 8.0
13MP rear camera with dual LED flash, 5P lens, f/2.2 aperture, CMOS sensor, 1080p video recording
8MP front-facing camera, f/2.2 aperture, 80.1-degree wide-angle lens, LED flash
Fingerprint sensor
Dimensions: 152×75.7×8.85mm; Weight: 173.4g
4G VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, USB OTG
4010mAh battery
Design
The Coolpad Mega 2.5D represented a change in design language for the company and the Note 5 represent a coming of age. An evolution of the design pioneered on the Mega 2.5D, the Coolpad Note 5 looks and feels like a positively premium device.
Up front is the 5.5 inch Full HD laminated display that is flanked by not so insignificant bezels.
Flip the Coolpad Note 5 over to the back and you can see the metal back of the phone. The design here is somewhat generic and draws inspiration from a whole host of hardware. Antenna bands at the top and bottom segregate the plastic end caps from the metallic back panel. A 13MP camera island sits proud of the back of the phone and is hence prone to scratches. Next to it is the dual LED flash. Following modern design trends, the circular fingerprint scanner placed below the camera module is the exact size as the camera. The fingerprint scanner remains active even when the screen is off so you can simply tap on it to unlock your phone. The module works really well as far as fingerprint readers go and there was no sense of lag in unlocking your device using the protection method.
We really like what Coolpad is doing with the Note 5 on the design front. The phone measures 152×75.7×8.85mm and with a weight of 173.4g, the heft feels suitably premium without being too heavy.
Software
Built on Android 6.0.1, the phone runs a custom skin called Cool UI. Now in it’s 8th revision, there’s some interesting features thrown in for good measure.
Performance
The Coolpad Note 5 is powered by a 1.5GHz Octa-Core Snapdragon 617 processor paired with an Adreno 405 GPU. Now, the Snapdragon 617 is not quite the newest or fastest chipset around and with the Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 being powered by the superior Snapdragon 650 chipset, you’d be tempted to drop the handset from your consideration. Where the Coolpad Note 5 loses out in terms of sheer performance, it is still a very well optimized piece of hardware that enables an above average usage experience. With 4GB of RAM onboard, we observed the multitasking experience to be extraordinary. We had no trouble running multiple games, apps and easily switching between them.The extended RAM is more evident in day to day usage and positively augments the general experience.
Display
Earlier on, we’d mentioned that the display on the Coolpad Note 5 is a 5.5 inch Full HD IPS panel. The colors on the display are very accurate and we observed viewing angles to be terrific with almost no color shift even at extreme angles.
Brightness levels go particularly high and there’s absolutely no issue with viewing the screen outdoors in sunlight. The display comes calibrated to be just slightly oversaturated, the way that most users would prefer it. Unfortunately, there is no way to tweak the warmth levels of the display.
Camera
In terms of camera specifications, there’s a 13MP rear module with a dual LED flash. The camera has a 5P lens, f/2.2 aperture which means that you should temper your expectations for low light performance.
We’d recommend staying away from this mode though as it imparts a very unnatural hue to the shots. In addition, there’s of course the regular photo mode. Diving into settings let you switch resolutions between a 13MP 4: 3 mode, 10MP 16: 9 and a 10MP 1: 1 mode. The sensor has a native aspect ratio of 4: 3 because of which it crops in when you switch to the 10MP 16: 9 mode.
Connectivity & Battery Life
Connectivity options on the handset are par for the course. Between 4G & VoLTE, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 and GPS, you get feature parity with most other phones in the category. Xiaomi’s phones stand out in comparison due to the presence of an IR port that can be used to control consumer electronics around the house. Of the 32GB of built in storage, there’s approximately 21GB available at launch. While the phone does include the ability to expand storage, it is by means of a Hybrid SIM slot which essentially means that you have to give up on Dual SIM capabilities to be able to expand storage. The other option is to use USB OTG to add further storage.
The Coolpad Note 5 with it’s 4010mAh battery performs extremely well in terms of battery life. We consistently observed almost two days of battery life with average usage. With multiple email accounts, a couple of phone calls and extensive social media usage, it would still be very hard to run the battery down by the end of the day. For a large number of people, the Coolpad Note 5 should easily deliver over a day of usage. The phone’s battery of course is non removable and we find it a bit unfortunate that the phone still charges over microUSB. The presence of a USB Type C connector could have served as yet another way to differentiate the handset.
Conclusion
The Coolpad Note 5 serves as a reminder of how far technology has come. Between the high quality Full HD display, 4GB of RAM and ensuing performance in addition to the attention to design are all hallmarks of premium handset. To deliver these features at a price point of Rs. 10, 999 indicates the rapid commoditization of technology.
Certain compromises have been made of course, especially on the camera front. We really wish that the Note 5 was capable of taking better images which would have made it a sure shot recommendation from us. Additionally, a newer CPU would have gone a long way in assuaging prospective consumer’s fears over long term usability.
Pros
Great design
Good display
Excellent battery life
Cons
Specifications aren’t very competitive
Below average camera quality