Coolpad today unleashed Cool 1, a handset manufactured in association with LeEco, in India. Even though everything about the phone spells LeEco, the Coolpad branding on the rear carries substantial weightage.
That’s because Coolpad handling retail and after sales services should inspire more confidence among buyers since LeEco is already shutting shop in India. Also, for existing Indian LeEco fans (or rather ‘Super Fans’), the Coolpad Cool 1, which should easily pass as an upgraded variant of Le 2 (Review), is as good as it gets.
We had some first-hand experience with the new Cool 1 at the India launch event. Let’s first list the Cool 1 specifications before we elaborate on our first impression.
Also Check: LeEco Le 2 VS Coolpad Cool 1
Coolpad Cool 1 Specifications and Features
| Model | Coolpad Cool1 |
| Display | 5.5-Inch, Full HD, IPS LCD display |
| Processor | Octa-core(1.8GHz quad Cortex A-72+1.2GHz quad Cortex A-53) Snapdragon 652 processor with Adreno 510 GPU |
| RAM | 3GB RAM (offline)/ 4GB RAM (Online) |
| Internal Storage | 32GB |
| Software | Android 6.0 (Marshmallow) based EUI |
| Primary Camera | Dual-13MP sensor, dual-tone LED Flash, PDAF, 720p video recording(f/2.2 aperture lens) |
| Secondary Camera | 8MP Front-Facing Camera(f/2.2 aperture,80-degree wide-angle lens) |
| Battery | 4000 mAh, fast charging |
| Others | Dual SIM (Nano + Nano), 4G VoLTE, Fingerprint Sensor, USB type C, IR blaster |
| Price | Rs. 13,999 |
As we have already mentioned, the design and build have been lifted straight out of LeEco’s book. The mirror finish on the rear fingerprint sensor, chamfered edges, display with black adjoining bezels, and soft unobtrusive navigation buttons are all design elements that we have experienced before in LeEco phones. Thankfully, unlike Le 2, the 3.5mm audio jack has made the cut for the Cool 1!
The dual camera set-up on the rear also makes for a notable change. Coolpad is using two 13MP sensors and the implementation is the same as on Huawei P9. One of the two sensors is missing Bayer filter, that is, it’s a monochrome sensor and thus capable of capturing more light.
Theoretically, this should result in better details; especially in low light shots. The camera app has also been revamped. There is an elaborate pro mode that helps you toggle intricate settings like ISO, White Balance, Focus, etc.
An SLR mode leverages depth sensing ability of dual sensors and can be used to shoot sauve bokeh shots with blurred background. Shooting in SLR mode does require you to hold your phone still for a few seconds, though.
In our brief testing, the camera certainly felt better than the one we have seen on Le 2, but of course, we are in no position to pass a definite verdict just yet. On the front, an 8MP shooter is present for selfies.
Also Read: Vivo V5 Review – It’s not all about selfies
We are glad that Coolpad has sided with LeEco’s EUI instead of its own Cool UI for this joint venture. For obvious reasons, there are no Le content ecosystem apps like Le Vidi and Live on Cool 1 and perhaps that’s the only difference in software experience compared to LeEco phones. The 5.5-inch Full HD display on which the software is mirrored also felt same as the one that we saw on Le 2.
The chipset pushing all those pixels is Snapdragon 652, which still qualifies as a very sweet deal at the aggressive price of 13,999 INR. If you plan on buying Cool 1 offline, you will get the 3GB RAM variant for the same price. The one retailing online on Amazon is the 4GB RAM variant.
Either way, both the variants should be good enough to satisfy even the most demanding of users. Also, both variants have 32GB of onboard storage and unfortunately this can not be expanded any further. Confirming tp LeEco ideology, there is no MicroSD card slot on Cool 1.
All said and done, the LeEco Cool 1 feels like a very lucrative handset for anyone looking for a sub 15,000 INR phone. The Le 2 itself was quite good and the Cool 1 is expected to iron out a few more kinks, particularly the feeble camera performance of the former. We will test out our assumptions further and will be back with a final verdict post our full review treatment. Stay tuned.
