Coolpad
Boost Launches New $100 Phone from Coolpad
Boost this week launched the Coolpad Legacy Brisa, a new Android phone for $100. It replaces the original Coolpad Legacy released in the middle of last year. It has similar design and features, but improvements include a Snapdragon 665 processor, 16 megapixel selfie camera, and a slightly larger display at 6.53 inches, thanks to a more modern notched design. Like the original Legacy, it sports full-HD display resolution, large 4,000 mAh battery, 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB storage, memory card slot, 16 megapixel main camera, rear fingerprint reader, and USB-C.
Coolpad Planning Smartwatch for Seniors
Coolpad is planning to introduce a new smartwatch later this year that will target the senior market, according to Coolpad US CEO Steve Cistulli in an interview with Phone Scoop. It will be based on the company's Dyno 2 smartwatch for children, but add an optical heart rate monitor and two-contact ECG sensor. It will also offer a new user interface tailored for the senior market. It will be offered under its own brand, while Dyno will remain a kid-focused brand. Similar to how the Dyno watches connect to a platform that allows parents to monitor their children, the new watch will allow adults to keep tabs on the whereabouts and health of their aging parents, and stay in touch more easily. Coolpad hopes the watch will enable more "aging in place" living.
Hands On with the Coolpad Dyno 2 Smartwatch for Kids
Coolpad has a new version of its Dyno smartwatch for kids, and it's better in every way. The Dyno 2 is a "kids" smartwatch that slightly older kids might not be embarrassed to wear, thanks to new color and interface options. And they've upgraded the display, processor, and charging connector. It also has dramatically better LTE network support. A new feature called Quests lets parents game-ify chores. Like the original Dyno, it has an SOS button, full parental control, location tracking, voice calling, and text messaging. Coolpad it currently planning to ship it April for $190. Read on for more details and hands-on impressions.
Coolpad Bringing Unlocked 5G Phone to US for Under $400
Coolpad's first 5G phone will be offered as an unlocked phone in the US with wide support for most US 5G networks. It will sell for under $400, making it the most affordable 5G phone to date in the US. It will be fully compatible with the current and planned sub-6 GHz 5G networks of AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint, supporting 5G NR in frequency bands 2, 5, 12, 25, 41, 66, and 71. That is, by far, the largest number of US 5G bands supported in a single phone announced to date. (It won't support the faster mmWave 5G networks offered by Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, although those networks offer limited coverage in only the densest area of major cities.) This new phone will feature a 6.53-inch Full-HD+ display with HDR10 and a small notch, Qualcomm Snapdragon 765 chip, 4 GB RAM, 64 GB storage, 4,000 mAh battery, and 18W fast charging. For cameras, it will have a 48 megapixel main, 8 megapixel wide, and a 16 megapixel front camera. It will also come with Android 10, 3.5mm headphone jack, THX-certified stereo speakers, and a memory card slot. A unique color gradient on the back fades from denim to sand. It will be available in the second quarter of 2020. The exact model name and additional details will be announced later.
T-Mobile Free Trial Offer Includes Free Hotspot, Free Month of Data
T-Mobile is inviting customers of other carriers to test its network free for 30 days, using their existing phone and before deciding to switch. To do this, it's giving away free Coolpad Surf mobile hotspots with 30 days or 30 GB of free data (whichever comes first). Users connect their existing phone to the hotspot via W-Fi, which in turn connects to the T-Mobile network. This allows users to test T-Mobile's network without switching phones or leaving their current carrier. T-Mobile is eager to show off its improved coverage. T-Mobile has spent $30 billion in recent years to add LTE in band 71 nationwide. Band 71 is a swath of radio frequencies near 600 MHz, which is lower than other mobile phone bands. The lower frequency provides farther-reaching coverage and better service indoors.
Coolpad Legacy Comes to Boost
Boost Mobile now offers the Coolpad Legacy, a $100 Android phone with a premium metal design, a huge 6.36-inch screen, and several features not usually found on phones in that price range. Metro by T-Mobile launched the Legacy a month ago for $130 (now $180). The phone has a fingerprint reader, full-HD display with 2:1 aspect ratio, 4,000 mAh battery, Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging, USB-C connector, and Android 9 (Pie). It also offers dual rear cameras, FM radio, and dual-band Wi-Fi. It's powered by a Snapdragon 450 processor, with 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, and a memory card slot. Boost already offers the lower-end Coolpad Illumina, which has since been renamed "Legacy Go".
Sprint, Verizon, AT&T Offer New GPS Tracking Devices
Sprint and Verizon both recently started offering standalone GPS tracker devices that can report their exact position using cellular networks. AT&T already offers such a device. The devices use the new LTE Cat-M1 technology designed specifically for small, low-power devices that only need to transmit small amounts of data. Unlike Bluetooth-based tracking tiles, they do not need to be near the phone viewing the location, although the tracker device does need to be within the coverage area of the cellular network it's associated with. All of the tracker devices are roughly the size of a matchbook, are water-resistant, include Wi-Fi for enhanced location accuracy and efficiency, and have multi-day battery life. They are designed for tracking kids, pets, vehicles, and luggage, for example. Sprint's Tracker is made by Coolpad and features a light sensor and speaker. Its battery lasts 3-10 days and it's rated IP67 for dust and water. Sprint is charging $60 for the tracker and $5/month for service. The Verizon Smart Locator has battery life up to five days and an IP67 rating. Verizon charges $100 for the tracker with one year of free service, after which service is $3/month. AT&T offers the Samsung SmartThings Tracker, which has battery life up to one week and an IP68 rating. AT&T charges $100 for the tracker which includes one year of service. After the first year, service on the AT&T network is offered through Samsung, and runs $5/month or $50/year.
Hands On with the Coolpad Legacy
Very affordable phones with huge screens have been a relatively popular segment in the US in recent years. ZTE used to address this market well. Now, Coolpad is stepping up to offer their take. The Coolpad Legacy indeed has a massive, sharp display, plus a few nice extras like a huge battery, USB-C, and a fingerprint reader. It also has a design with a little personality, carved from metal and Gorilla Glass. That's pretty good for just $130. But what's it like in person? We checked it out.
Coolpad Legacy Offers Premium Features for $130
Metro by T-Mobile launched the Coolpad Legacy today, a $130 Android phone with a huge 6.36-inch screen and several features not usually found on phones in that price range. It has a metal frame with Gorilla Glass 3 front, fingerprint reader, full-HD display with 2:1 aspect ratio, 4,000 mAh battery, Quick Charge 3.0 fast charging, USB-C connector, and Android 9 (Pie). It also offers dual rear cameras, FM radio, and dual-band Wi-Fi. It's powered by a Snapdragon 450 processor, with 3 GB of RAM, 32 GB of storage, and a memory card slot. The phone is on sale starting today.
Coolpad Invites Parents to Beta Test New Monitoring App
Coolpad today announced FamilyLabs, a new app that lets parents communicate, locate, and provide remote support to multiple family members, on both Android and iOS phones. The first phase of FamilyLabs is launching on Indigogo, where available bundles include the app, a new Coolpad phone, and service from Mint Mobile. Bundles start at $99 with 1 month of service. Larger bundles include up to three months of service (unlimited talk and text plus 8 GB of 4G data per month). The initial version of the app will offer location tracking, geo-fencing with alerts, content filtering, remote setting of alarms and reminders, and panic alerts. Coolpad will actively solicit feedback and ideas from Indiegogo supporters in order to refine the app before a wider launch beyond Indiegogo. The included phone is the Coolpad Model M, which is based on the REVVL Plus for T-Mobile. Coolpad will make both iOS and Android versions of the app available for Indiegogo customers to download and test on other phones. The target shipping timeframe for Indiegogo customers is June. Beyond the app, FamilyLabs is also a platform and brand Coolpad will use for additional family-oriented products. The company launched Dyno, a smartwatch for kids, in January.
T-Mobile Finally Launches Hotspot That Supports Its Whole Network
T-Mobile today launched the Coolpad Surf, its first mobile hotspot device to support newer LTE bands 71 and 66. Band 71 — AKA 600 MHz — became a large and important part of T-Mobile's network in 2018. Band 71 provides much-needed extra capacity in dense urban areas, and extended coverage elsewhere. T-Mobile has been offering phones with band 71 since November 2017, but before today, T-Mobile's only mobile hotspot device was the Alcatel Linkzone, which only supports older LTE bands 2, 4, and 12. The Coolpad Surf has a 2,150 mAh battery that should provide 5.3 hours of continuous use. It sells for $72, or $3/month for 24 months.
Hands On with the Coolpad Dyno Watch for Kids
Coolpad's new strategy includes a focus on products for families, so it's fitting that their first device of 2019 is a watch for kids. Naturally, it includes real-time GPS location tracking, for parents to keep tabs on their little ones. But Coolpad's fully custom software includes a lot of other thoughtful features, such as voice calling, audio messages, texting, step tracking, and more. It works over 4G LTE, and yet it's surprisingly affordable. We checked it out.
Boost Mobile Lights Up the Coolpad Illumina
Boost Mobile today announced the Coolpad Illumina, an affordable Android phone that runs the lightweight Android Go platform. Android Go is designed for low-spec'd devices and includes simplified versions of core apps such as Gmail, YouTube, and Maps. The Illumina has a 5-inch screen and it is powered by a quad-core Snapdragon 210 processor with 1 GB of RAM and 8 GB of storage. A 5-megapixel camera graces the rear and a 2-megapixel camera faces the user. Other features include a 2,150mAh battery, Bluetooth 4.2, GPS, WiFi, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Boost Mobile is selling the Coolpad Illumina for $40 after an instant $40 credit.
Coolpad Announces Kid-Focused Dyno One Smart Wearable
Coolpad today announced the Dyno One, a smart wearable meant for kids. The product is made from bright-colored materials and boasts a kid-friendly user interface. It includes a dedicated SOS button and is rated IP65 for protection against dust and water exposure. Coolpad says the Dyno offers an Android and iOS app, available to parents, for controlling and monitoring the smart wearable. It can deliver real-time location as well as set geo-fences for virtual perimeters and location-based alerts. Parents can message or call the Dyno when needed. Coolpad claims the wearable has been put through rigorous tests to ensure that the data is encrypted and safe from prying eyes. For example, the Dyno wearable is COPPA compliant and is secured by Smartcom. The hardware is based on the Snapdragon Wear 2100 platform and includes 4G LTE connectivity. It is being prepared for a launch in the U.S. market ahead of the 2018 holiday shopping season. Coolpad says more details will be made available over time.
Coolpad Sues Xiaomi Over Patents
Coolpad's China-based business has sued Xiaomi for violating its patented technology. Coolpad Group's Yulong Computer Telecommunications Scientific business unit filed lawsuits against three Xiaomi entities: Xiaomi Telecom Technology, Xiaomi Technology, and Xiaomi Factory. Coolpad says Xiaomi is violating patents that pertain to the design of dual SIM card designs and technology related to the user interface. Yulong Computer wants Xiaomi to cease producing and selling some of its phones, including the Mi Mix 2, Xiaomi's flagship device. Coolpad is seeking compensation for lost revenue, though the company did not provide a dollar amount. Xiaomi is trying to have the patents invalidated through a separate lawsuit. Yulong Computer owns and operates Coolpad Americas, which sells budget devices in the U.S. Xiaomi has a large presence in its home market of China and in India, and recently announced plans to expand to Europe. Xiaomi said it hopes to begin selling phones in the U.S. later this year. Xiaomi recently filed for an IPO that is valued at $10 billion.
Hands On with the T-Mobile REVVL Plus
T-Mobile's relatively new REVVL brand is all about affordability and popular features, like large screens and fingerprint readers. The REVVL Plus is the second in the series, made by Coolpad. It has a massive six-inch, 16:9 display, a fingerprint reader, and dual cameras. Otherwise, it's a pretty standard affordable Android phone. What's it like in person? We checked it out.
T-Mobile's Revvl Plus Hits Stores November 17 for $200
The Revvl Plus, made by Coolpad, is the latest smartphone to carry the T-Mobile brand. This big brother to the Revvl offers big features at a small price. The Revvl Plus cranks the screen size up to 6 inches with full HD resolution. The phone is powered by a 2.0 GHz octa-core processor with 2 GB of memory and 32 GB of storage. The Revvl Plus boasts dual cameras on the rear, a rare feature for a phone at this price point. The main sensor captures 13-megapixel HDR images while the secondary sensor captures 5-megapixel shots. The front camera has its own 8-megapixel camera. Other features of the Revvl Plus include fingerprint sensor, LTE, expandable storage, and 3,380mAh battery. T-Mobile plans to sell the phone starting November 17. It will cost $200, or $8 per month for 24 months with an $8 down payment. The Revvl Plus runs Android 7.1 Nougat.
Cricket Wireless Enlists In Military Exchanges
Cricket Wirelss today said it has expanded its retail footprint to 122 post exchanges on U.S. military bases. This includes 83 Army and Air Force bases, 14 Marine exchanges, and 26 Navy exchanges. Servicemen and servicewomen will be able to purchase Cricket Wireless handsets, including the Risio 2, CoolPad, HTC Desire 550, and Sol 2, at their local exchange and enroll in Cricket’s low-cost, prepaid wireless service. Post exchanges will also offer SIM cards for bring-your-own customers.
Coolpad Expands Unlocked Lineup with the Splatter
Coolpad today launched the Splatter, a $140 unlocked Android phone available from Amazon.com. It's the company's second unlocked phone for the U.S.; the first was the Conjr. Coolpad is also bringing the same phone to Cricket as the Canvas. The phone has a large 5.5-inch HD display, 8 megapixel main camera, 5 megapixel selfie camera, 2,500 mAh battery, and memory card slot. It runs Android 7 Nougat and is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 425 processor. It has LTE 2/4/5/12/30, which translates to good support for the AT&T (and Cricket) network, and decent support for T-Mobile as well. It's available now from amazon.com
T-Mobile Now Selling the Coolpad Defiant for $100
T-Mobile today added the Coolpad Defiant to its roster of inexpensive Android handsets. The phone features a 5-inch screen with 854 by 480 pixels and it is powered by a 1.4 GHz quad-core processor with 8 GB of storage. The Defiant also includes an 5-megapixel main camera, 2-megapixel front camera, 2,450mAh battery, and Bluetooth 4.2, WiFi, GPS, and LTE 4G. The Defiant runs Android 7 Nougat. T-Mobile says the phone is available online for $100 at full retail price or $4 per month for 24 months on an installment plan. MetroPCS plans to sell the Coolpad Defiant later this summer.
Google, Seeking Patent Peace, Debuts PAX Licensing Network
Google today announced PAX, a patent-licensing initiative for Android that the company hopes will help resolve and/or prevent patent-related threats. Companies that join PAX give each other royalty-free patent licenses that cover Android and Google applications on compatible devices. The founding members of PAX include Google, Samsung, LG, Foxconn, HMD Global, HTC, Coolpad, BQ, and Allview. Together, these companies own some 230,000 patents. Google says the patent pool will only grow as more companies join the network. "We believe PAX will further expand the openness of Android for its members, promoting patent peace that will free up time and money for members, who can then dedicate those resources to creating new ideas," said Google. PAX is free for companies to join. Electronics companies often use technology patents as revenue sources, and litigate in order to seek payment. PAX may help reduce patent-based litigation depending on which companies join and what patents are cross-licensed with the group.
Hands On with the Coolpad Conjr
Coolpad debuted the Conjr, a budget Android smartphone, at CES this week. The handset includes a 5-inch screen, MediaTek processor, 13-megapixel camera, and Android 6 Marshmallow. Here are our first impressions.
T-Mobile Picks Up Coolpad Catalyst for $100
Coolpad today said T-Mobile has agreed to sell its Catalyst Android smartphone. The Catalyst will be the first Coolpad phone sold to postpaid customers in the U.S. The phone features a 5-inch, 854 by 480 screen, 5-megapixel main camera, 2-megapixel selfie camera, and support for T-Mobile's LTE 4G network. Other features include Bluetooth, GPS, WiFi, and 2,200mAh battery. The phone runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and will cost $100 at T-Mobile retail stores. The phone goes on sale at T-Mobile shops on June 7, with MetroPCS stores to follow on July 11. Coolpad is a Chinese manufacturer that has sold a few handsets in the U.S. in recent years.
T-Mobile Offering Free Phone to New Prepaid Customers
T-Mobile will give a free phone to new customers who sign up for one of its prepaid services. The free phone deal kicks off February 3 and includes the Coolpad Rogue, ZTE Obsidian, LG Leon, and Samsung Core Prime. Customers must select a Simply Prepaid, Simple Choice Prepaid, or Simple Choice No Credit plan valued at $40 per month and up in order to receive the free phone. Customers who opt for a Simple Choice No Credit plan can receive an extra $50 mail-in rebate when activating a second line. T-Mobile didn't say how long the free phone deal will be available.
T-Mobile to Sell Coolpad Rogue September 30
T-Mobile said the Coolpad Rogue will soon join its lineup of inexpensive Android smartphones. The Rogue features a 4-inch WVGA screen, 1.1GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and 4GB of storage. It supports memory cards up to 32GB. The main camera captures 2-megapixel images, while the user-facing camera is good for VGA selfies. The phone includes Bluetooth 4.0, WiFi, and support for WiFi Calling, but without LTE it is limited to HSPA+ data speeds. The Coolpad Rogue goes on sale Sept. 30. It runs Android 5.1 Lollipop and will cost $49.99.
Coolpad Flo Hits T-Mobile's GoSmart Prepaid Network
GoSmart Mobile today announced the Coolpad Flo, an inexpensive Android smartphone that is available without signing an annual contract. The Flo runs Android 4.1 Jelly Bean and features a 4.5-inch display with 854 x 480 pixels, a 1GHz dual-core processor with 4GB of internal storage, and a 5-megapixel main camera. The Flo includes HSPA+ data, but no LTE. It also features a VGA user-facing camera; support for 32GB microSD cards; Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth radios; and an 1,880mAh battery. The CoolPad Flo is available for $99.
Hands-On: Coolpad Quattro II 4G
Coolpad announced the Quattro II on the sly during an event at the CTIA trade show. Phone Scoop took a quick look at the company's latest low-cost wonder.
Coolpad Reveals the Quattro II 4G
Coolpad today revealed the Quattro II 4G, an Android smartphone slated to land at C Spire Wireless in the next few weeks. It features a 4.5-inch qND display, dual-core 1.2GHz Qualcomm Snapdragon processor with 1GB of RAM, and 5-megapixel camera. It will run on LTE 4G and is capable of VoLTE calls. It offers 4GB of storage and included supports microSD cards for expanded storage. It ships with Android 4.1 Jelly Bean.
MetroPCS Expands Joyn Availability to More Android Phones
MetroPCS today indicated that its joyn service can now be used on a wider range of its Android handsets. The service initially launched on the Samsung Galaxy Attain 4G. It now also works on the Samsung Galaxy S III and S Lightray 4G; the LG Connect 4G and Motion 4G; the ZTE Anthem 4G; and the Coolpad Quattro 4G. Joyn is a standards-based Android application that collects and merges messaging services, such as IM and SMS. The app lets users conduct threaded text conversations and supports presence, which lets users know when their friends are available. It also makes it easier to share photo and video content when the user is on an active phone call (this is traditionally not possible on CDMA-based devices). Last, it lets MetroPCS customers make voice and video calls to other joyn users via Wi-Fi.
