Coolpad Mega 2.5D: A pocket-friendly launch

Loaded with interesting features, the phone packs a punch

Coolpad, the Shenzhen-headquartered smartphone maker, has always been known for bundling exciting features in a smartphone at an affordable price. And to carry this forward, it has come up with its latest launch - the Coolpad Mega 2.5D.

Launched at Rs 6,999, the Mega 2.5D is another budget smartphone which very well caters to your "selfies". It comes loaded with an 8-megapixel (MP) rear and an 8MP front camera. The plus point to this phone is its rear camera - a specification that is not easily available at this price. And, this might just be the USP of this phone.

Over the last couple of months, one has seen a plethora of launches that bring the "selfie" option on the table, such as the Oppo F1s, which comes with a 16MP front camera, and the Gionee S6s, which has an 8MP front camera with flash. However, both these smartphones are priced around Rs 18,000, which is a little difficult to shell out keeping in mind the youth.

The Mega 2.5D uses the edge-to-edge screen feature to woo its customers. The front is covered by a 2.5D curved glass to boost the style quotient, giving the phone a premium look. The phone has a decent-sized screen with the power button on the right side, similar to conventional handsets. The volume buttons are placed on the left side coupled with the 3.5-mm audio jack on the top and a microUSB port at bottom. The hybrid SIM tray is near the power button.

It is powered by 2,500 mAh non-removable battery and supported with 3GB of RAM. It has 16GB of expandable internal memory, runs on a 1Ghz quad-core MediaTek MT6735P processor and runs the 6.0.1 Marshmallow version of Android.

The 5.5-inch screen has a clear resolution with good colour quality and viewing angles. A major let-down is the absence of a fingerprint scanner. Coolpad included a fingerprint scanner on the Note 3 Lite available at the same price, so the users were expecting one with the Mega 2.5D too.

However, the 3GB RAM is a well-strategised addition to the phone. The phone runs smoothly without any major glitch, even while playing FIFA or streaming high-definition videos. Another attractive feature is the battery life - despite having a 2,500mAh battery, the phone lasted 12 hours with ease.

The phone is an interesting launch in the budget segment at an affordable price considering among its competitors is the much-hyped Xiaomi Redmi 3S Prime.