Coolpad Cool Play 6: Heavy-duty phone at reasonable price (Tech Review)

By Gokul Bhagabati

New Delhi, Sep 6 (IANS) Be it for gaming, chatting on social media, or watching videos and movies, almost everybody -- not just a fortunate few -- now needs a heavy-duty phone that works fast without screaming for a battery charge after a few hours of use.

Chinese smartphone maker Coolpad's Cool Play 6, launched in India for Rs. 14,999, may make it possible for many to own one without burning a hole in their pocket.

What works for the device?

Coolpad Cool Play 6 comes in a metal body and the rounded edges of the phone provide an easy grip. The phone, which is now available in gentle gold colour on Amazon, looks pretty decent at this price point.

Powered by a 1.95GHz Octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 653 processor, Cool Play 6 is now the most affordable 6GB RAM smartphone in the country. Once charged to its capacity, its massive 4,000mAh battery ensures you can put it to all kinds of use for almost an entire day without plugging in again. The phone offers fixed 64GB of internal storage.

In comparison, the 4GB RAM Moto G5 Plus, which is available for the same price, has a 3,000mAh battery and offers 32GB internal memory. Honor 6X with 64GB internal memory will cost you Rs 1,000 less, but it has a 3,340mAh battery and provides 4GB RAM.

Cool Play 6 runs on the Android 7.1 Nougat operating system. In fact, in terms of specifications, many of Cool Play 6 features are comparable to phones which cost double the price. And in terms of performance too, it does not disappoint.

The phone is targetting gamers and its 5.5-inch IPS full HD-display works equally well for those who want to use it for watching movies. Another plus is its speaker, which offers clear sound. Running the device for three consecutive hours does not make you feel it is heating up.

Besides the powerful processor, time-tested operating system and a massive battery, one more area where the phone is likely to strike the right chord with its users is its camera which can open a whole new world for those willing to experiment with photography.

Both the 13 MP + 13 MP dual primary camera and an 8 MP front shooter for selfies produce impressive photos. With the primary camera, one can even shoot SLR-level bokeh photos. To highlight an area in the picture you are taking, all you need to do is tap the screen.

The monochrome sensor also allows you to experiment with arty pictures and videos. While the HDR option can help you add a dynamic range to your photographs, the Pro mode can help make your pictures look professional. The device is equipped with night mode and flash too. There is also an option to record videos in slow motion.

The phone supports dual Nano SIM cards and USB Type-C reversible connector. The fingerprint sensor works quite fast. An intriguing feature of the phone is the Dual App which allows you to run two Facebook accounts on the same device.

What doesn't work?

Design is one area where the makers of the phone could have worked more. Compared to the hardware and software it has, the design is no match. So it fails to stand out at first glance.

The phone is also slow at charging. It takes an hour to charge just around 25 per cent of the battery. Some people may find it annoying, especially because several phones at this price range come with speed-charging features.

And, surprisingly, the phone also does not offer an option to expand its 64GB memory.

Conclusion: Overall, we find the device quite sturdy for a below 15K device. And given the fact that Coolpad is coming up with more of its exclusive service centres in India, which is one of its most important overseas markets, Cool Play 6 has the potential to make the country's "game of phones" under 20K a lot more competitive.

(Gokul Bhagabati can be contacted at gokul.b@ians.in)