Coolpad Shine Comprehensive Review of Features Pricing and Pros & Cons

Design and Build Quality

The Coolpad Shine was introduced in a sleek and modern design that was typical of its release period in late 2015. The device measures 153 x 77.2 x 8.6 mm and features a comfortable grip, making it suitable for everyday use despite its larger size. With a screen-to-body ratio of approximately 70.6%, the front is dominated by a 5.5-inch display that appeals to multimedia consumers. Its body, although solid, retains a lightweight feel which complements its dual SIM capability, allowing users to maintain professional and personal contacts within one device.

Display

The Coolpad Shine features a 5.5-inch IPS LCD display, providing vivid colors and sharp visuals at a resolution of 720 x 1280 pixels. While the pixel density of approximately 267 PPI might not compete with modern high-definition screens, it provides sufficient clarity for casual browsing, media playback, and gaming experiences. The display's sizable surface ensures comfortable interaction and engagement with content, whether it's browsing the internet or using social media applications.

Performance and Hardware

Powering the Coolpad Shine is the Qualcomm MSM8939 Snapdragon 615 chipset, an octa-core processor consisting of 4x1.5 GHz Cortex-A53 cores and 4x1.0 GHz Cortex-A53 cores. This configuration, coupled with an Adreno 405 GPU, provides a balanced performance suitable for handling day-to-day tasks and moderate multitasking. The device is equipped with 2GB of RAM and 8GB of internal storage, expandable via microSDHC, which facilitates adequate space for apps and personal data.

Camera Quality

The single 13 MP rear camera of the Coolpad Shine offers auto-focus capabilities, LED flash, HDR, and panorama modes. While it suits basic photography needs, the camera captures video at 1080p@30fps, allowing for high-definition video recording. On the front, a 5 MP selfie camera is designed for video calls and selfies, although it may struggle under low-light conditions.

Network and Connectivity

Supporting a range of network technologies like GSM, HSPA, and LTE, the Coolpad Shine ensures connectivity through various generations of network bands. Capable of providing internet speeds of HSPA 42.2/11.5 Mbps and LTE Cat4 150/50 Mbps, it offers users reliable performance for streaming, downloading, and web browsing. Equipped with Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n, Bluetooth 4.0 with A2DP, LE, GPS, FM radio, and microUSB 2.0, it provides essential connectivity options for daily use.

Battery Life

The device is driven by a non-removable 2500 mAh Li-Ion battery, which offers all-day battery life under regular usage conditions. Although it might require more frequent charging under intensive use or extended multimedia playback, the design of the battery aims at providing efficiency and longevity.

Operating System and Features

Running on Android 5.1 Lollipop, the Coolpad Shine delivers an intuitive experience with access to a wide ecosystem of applications through Google Play. Enhancing user interaction, it includes a fingerprint sensor mounted at the rear, offering security and convenience. Additional sensors such as accelerometer and proximity sensors provide further functionality to the device's feature set.

Conclusion

The Coolpad Shine, released in 2015, remains a testament to the competitive mid-range smartphone segment of its time. While it may seem modest by today's standards, it was equipped with essential features and reasonable performance capabilities, meeting the needs of users seeking affordability and basic functionality. Its reasonable pricing at about 200 EUR appealed to budget-conscious consumers, rounding off a package that provided value in a crowded market.