CoolPad Cool 1 to be launched in India on Wednesday, price 11k expected

Coolpad and its parent LeEco will launch the much-anticipated mid-range smartphone Cool 1 in India on Wednesday at a starting price of around Rs 11,000.

The phone was launched in Chine in late August, and the company has taken four months to make it available in its second biggest market.

However, on the positive side, the India launches could sport cheaper prices compared to the Chinese market.

While the starting model — which carries 3 GB RAM and 32 GB storage — is likely to be priced at the same level as in China (Rs 11,000), the other two are seen priced lower.

For example, the 4+32 GB version was priced at Rs 15,000 in its home market, but is likely to be available for around Rs 14,000 in India.

The models will compete with the Lenovo K5 Note (Rs 13,500 for the 4GB version) and the K6 Note, priced at Rs 14,000 for the 3GB version.

It will also compete with Coolpad Note 5, which is available at Rs 11,000 and comes with 4GB RAM, a 4Ah battery and Snapdragon 617 octa-core processor.

The primary difference between the Coolpad Note 5 and the Cool 1 is in the processor and the imaging capabilities.

The Note 5 is a regular mid-range device with an average 13 MP rear camera and a slightly above-average octa-core chipset.

However, the Cool 1 is built around the Snapdragon 652 chipset, which is about 50% more powerful than the Snapdragon 617 and Helio P10 platforms. However, the 652 is also prone to more heating since it is built using the 28 nm technology, unlike Snapdragon 820 and 821.

Secondly, the Cool 1 also has a dual-camera set up at the back with two 13 MP sensors, 4k video recording (which is not there in the competitors) and dual-color flash. Battery capacity is at largely the same level at 4.1 Ah.

The India launch of the Cool 1 comes close on the heels of the unveiling of the high-end Cool S1 phone in China. The device, announced two days ago in the company’s home market, comes with a Snapdragon 821 chipset, and up to 6 GB of RAM. The phone is priced at Rs 26,000 for the 6GB version in China.