Coolpad Note 3 has been a game changer in the industry when it was released, with a fingerprint sensor being offered at the price it was released at. Coolpad has announced a younger sibling to the Note 3 called the Note 3 Lite, with the specifications it does not seem to be like every other device having a “lite” or “mini” version, where the specs are heavily compromised but comes well equipped to be one of the best devices in that price range.
Let us see what are the differences between the Coolpad Note 3 and Coolpad Note 3 Lite in detail. Priced at Rs. 6,999 and sporting the same fingerprint sensor which was seen in the Coolpad Note 3 is something we did not expect.
Design:
The Coolpad Note 3 Lite comes with an slightly improvised design is what I felt personally, it has a golden metallic rim running on the bezel around the display which has given it a premium look compared to its elder sibling which has a black bezel to give it a bezel less appearance. The back of the device has also been slightly altered with, it has a textured finish giving it a decent feel compared to the matte finish of the Note 3. The golden rim also looks nice compared to the metallic rim of the Note 3. The plastic button and the lack of back lit buttons are expected in a device at this price range. For the price and the display size the Note 3 Lite looks and feels a bit enhanced compared to the Note 3.
Display:
The display is a smaller but has the same resolution as the elder sibling, both the devices come with 720p display. The Note 3 Lite has a 5-inch 720p display whereas the Note 3 has a 5.5-inch HD display. The bezel (apart from the golden strip) on the Note 3 Lite is a bit more compared to the Note 3 which can be seen when the phone is turned on, but the company has done well to hide the bezel when it is turned off. The capacitive touch keys are not back lit in the Note 3 Lite. There is not much of a difference between the two in the display aspect.
| Coolpad Note 3 | Coolpad Note 3 Lite | |
| Display | 5.5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display
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5-inch (1280 x 720 pixels) HD IPS display, Scratch-resistant Glass
|
| Processor | 1.3GHz Quad-Core 64-bit MediaTek MT6753 processor with Mali-T720 MP2 GPU | 1.3GHz Quad-Core 64-bit MediaTek MT6735 processor with Mali-T720 GPU
|
| RAM and Storage | 3GB DDR3 RAM, 16GB internal storage, expandable memory up to 128GB with microSD
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3GB RAM, 16GB internal memory, expandable memory up to 32GB with microSD
|
| Camera | 13MP rear camera with LED flash, f/2.0 aperture, 5P lens and 5MP front-facing camera
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13MP rear camera with LED flash and 5MP front-facing camera
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| OS | Android 5.1 (Lollipop) with Cool UI 6.0 | Android 5.1 (Lollipop) with Cool UI 6.0 |
| Battery | 3,000mAh | 2,500mAh |
| Connectivity | 4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS, NFC
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4G LTE / 3G HSPA+, WiFi 802.11 b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0, GPS and USB OTG
|
| Additional features | Fingerprint Sensor | Fingerprint Sensor |
| Price | Rs. 8,999 | Rs. 6,999 |
Processor, RAM and Storage:
At this price range, offering a 3GB RAM is impressive and being coupled with the basic Mediatek MT6735 SoC clocking at 1.3GHz is a decent processor which is quite good for the price of the Coolpad Note 3 Lite. The Coolpad Note 3 comes with a better 1.3GHz Quad-Core 64-bit MediaTek MT6753 processor and similar RAM at 3GB. Looking at the smaller 5-inch display at offer the processor is decent for the Note 3 Lite. The Storage space in the Note 3 Lite has 16GB internal storage and expandable up to 32GB using microSD card. The Note 3 has similar 16GB internal storage which is expandable up to 128GB using microSD card. Both the devices are decent in their own terms with the smaller display size and the basic SoC to go with it compared to the Coolpad Note 3.
Complete Review of Coolpad Note 3
Camera:
Both the devices come with similar camera set up having a 13MP rear camera with LED flash, f/2.0 aperture, 5P lens and 5MP front-facing camera. Although the camera set up is same in both, a Rs. 7,000 smartphone sporting these specs is impressive. Click to can check the Camera samples of the CoolPad Note 3 which has similar sensor as the Note 3 Lite. The shooter is decent for a 13MP sensor but not that great in terms of color processing and contrast, video quality is not up to mark with a 13MP sensor.
Battery:
The battery capacity in the Note 3 Lite has been toned down to 2500mAh compared to the 3000mAh battery capacity of the Note 3. The smaller 5-inch display and less powerful Processor will compensate for the decrease and both will be giving almost similar battery life. The screen on time was impressive between 5 hours to 6 hours, but the standby time was not that great.
The inclusion of the same Fingerprint sensor in the Coolpad Note 3 Lite gives it an edge over many other devices, we have seen in the Note 3 that the Fingerprint sensor is quite accurate most of the times. One thing which I felt was a bit uncomfortable at first is, locating the sensor thanks to my big hands which was comfortable for the bigger Note 3 but the Note 3 Lite need a little getting used to. Overall with a fingerprint sensor at the Rs. 7,000 price is one heck of a deal which should make the competition take notice. Along with these specs it also supports 4G LTE which has become a must have feature these days for even budget smartphones.
Conclusion:
The CoolPad Note 3 was a great device but the Note 3 Lite is even better, in terms of design with the golden border along with the textured back panel gives it a more premium look compared to the Note 3. The same Camera set up along with same Fingerprint sensor being used in the Note 3 Lite makes it a great deal at Rs. 6,999 which cannot be missed and surely takes it away from the Coolpad Note 3.
