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Coolpad Modena Smartphone Review

Grainy. Besides well-known Chinese manufacturers like Huawei or Lenovo, the company Coolpad now launches its first smartphone on the German market: the Modena. Find out in our review whether looking at the device is worthwhile and what it features in our review.

For the original German review, see here.

The company Coolpad, still rather unknown in Germany, is one of the biggest and most successful Chinese smartphone manufacturers. It now brings a device situated in the entry-level to lower mid-range dubbed Modena to Germany. The handset has a 5.5-inch IPS panel with a resolution of 960x540 pixels. It is powered by a Snapdragon 410 quad-core processor by Qualcomm, which finds support in 1 GB of working memory. The LTE smartphone has 8 GB of internal storage that can be expanded up to 32 GB via a micro-SD card. Coolpad's Modena, available in black, white and champagne (gold), will have an RRP of 169 Euros (~$186) in Germany.

Rivals of the 5.5-inch phablet from the entry-level sector are, for example, Motorola's Moto G (2015), Huawei's P8 lite, and ZTE's Blade A452.

Coolpad Modena (Modena Series)
Processor
Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916 4 x 1.2 GHz, Cortex-A53
Graphics adapter
Memory
1024 MB 
Display
5.50 inch 16:9, 960 x 540 pixel, capacitive touchscreen, IPS-LCD, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
8 GB eMMC Flash, 8 GB 
, 5.04 GB free
Connections
1 USB 2.0, Audio Connections: combined headphone and microphone jack, Card Reader: micro-SD, Brightness Sensor, Sensors: ambient light sensor, proximity sensor, accelerometer
Networking
802.11 b/g/n (b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/), Bluetooth 4.0, LTE: Band 20(800), 8(900 MHz), 3(1800 MHz), 7(2600 MHz), UMTS: 900 MHz, 2100 MHz, 2G GSM: 900 MHz, 1800 MHz, 1900 MHz , Dual SIM, GPS
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 8.6 x 153 x 77.5 ( = 0.34 x 6.02 x 3.05 in)
Battery
10 Wh, 2500 mAh Lithium-Ion, Talk time 2G (according to manufacturer): 10 h, Talk time 3G (according to manufacturer): 8 h, Standby 2G (according to manufacturer): 330 h, Standby 3G (according to manufacturer): 270 h
Operating System
Android 5.1 Lollipop
Camera
Primary Camera: 8 MPix auto focus, 1080p Full HD photos, f/2.2, release time: 1 sec, 28 mm wide angle
Secondary Camera: 2 MPix BSI sensor, f/2.4 and 720p HD photos
Additional features
Speakers: 1, Keyboard: on-screen, USB cable, power supply, in-ear headphone, 24 Months Warranty, SAR 0.308 W/kg, fanless
Weight
158 g ( = 5.57 oz / 0.35 pounds), Power Supply: 44 g ( = 1.55 oz / 0.1 pounds)
Price
170 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

At first glance, the thin 8.6-millimeter casing of Coolpad's Modena makes a high-quality impression. However, the feel and build of the price range is reflected in the entry-level handset's plastic casing when held in the hand. Pressure on the smartphone's back or edges is enough to produce a cracking noise. The manufacturer states a relatively high weight of 158 grams, but we measured 157 grams, which conveys a certain degree of quality and makes the device pleasant to hold. The back that can be dented marginally is removable to expand the storage via a micro-SD card or to access the micro-SIM card slot. The 2500 mAh battery is, however, not removable and cannot be replaced. In addition to the 8-megapixel camera alongside an LED in the center rear, Coolpad's Modena has a 2-megapixel camera for selfies and video chats on the front.

Both quality and positioning of the physical keys is basically not convincing. Particularly the power button on the handset's right is placed too high. The volume buttons on the left have a lot of play and wobble. However, the pressure point of both plastic keys is well-defined.

The edge between the display and casing make a very narrow impression when the screen of Coolpad's Modena is off. It first becomes very visible when the handset is turned on. The panel's glass is inserted flat in the casing. A lightly curved 2.5-D bezel does not exist, and thus the transition from glass to casing is very palpable. With a height of 153 mm and width of 77.5 mm, the Modena's screen reserves a surface area of 70.3% on the smartphone's front. That is a good ratio compared with rivals like Motorola's Moto G (2015) (67%) or Huawei's P8 lite (68.3%). 

153 mm / 6.02 inch 77.5 mm / 3.05 inch 8.6 mm / 0.3386 inch 158 g0.3483 lbs145.4 mm / 5.72 inch 71.9 mm / 2.83 inch 9.4 mm / 0.3701 inch 157 g0.3461 lbs142.1 mm / 5.59 inch 72.4 mm / 2.85 inch 11.6 mm / 0.4567 inch 155 g0.3417 lbs143 mm / 5.63 inch 70.6 mm / 2.78 inch 7.7 mm / 0.3031 inch 133 g0.2932 lbs148 mm / 5.83 inch 105 mm / 4.13 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 1.5 g0.00331 lbs

Connectivity

The connectivity clearly shows that Coolpad's Modena is a handset from the entry-level to lower mid-range sector. Coolpad does not install a fingerprint scanner, NFC or Quick Charge for fast recharging in the Modena. On the other hand, the handset scores with dual-SIM functionality, as well as the option of using the device as an FM radio via the included headset in conjunction with the audio jack on the smartphone's upper edge.

The internal storage of Coolpad's Modena has a capacity of 8 GB (ROM). However, the user only has 5.04 GB after deducting the operating system. Approximately 0.7 GB of that storage is reserved by preloaded apps. Some can be uninstalled. It is possible to install the App2SD application on the Modena to prevent storage from getting tight. This app allows moving apps from the internal storage to an external memory card.

Software

The Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop) operating system is preloaded on Coolpad's Modena. The Android security patch level is 2015-12 in delivery state. The Cool UI user interface looks modern and restrained although a bit colorful. Like other Chinese manufacturers, Coolpad does not use an app drawer. All applications are distributed over the home screen, but they can be compiled in folders.

The Modena has quite a bit to offer in terms of software considering the price that Coolpad calls for. For example, the camera offers multiple settings like "Beauty Mode", "Smile Mode" or a picture-in-picture feature. Shortcut applications on the lock screen can be customized and swapped as the user pleases. Predefined input options on the disabled screen allow opening apps from standby. For example, it is possible to open the Internet browser by sketching an "e" or to launch the music app by writing "m" on the disabled screen. That functioned quite reliably in the test.

Besides various Google services like Google+ and Google Maps, a multitude of third-party apps are preloaded. Apart from few exceptions, most can be removed completely from the system.

GPS signal indoors
GPS signal outdoors

Communication & GPS 

Coolpad's Modena utilizes all GSM, 3G and LTE wireless frequencies standard in Germany. Even LTE Cat. 4 at up to 150 megabits per second (download) with all important frequency bands is supported as mobile wireless standard. That enables using up to two micro-SIM cards simultaneously in the handset. The additional SIM card is inserted in the micro-SD card in that case. However, the second micro-SIM card can only be used for making calls in the 2G GSM network.

The Modena sports Bluetooth 4.0 for wireless communication between terminals; NFC is unfortunately not supported. Beyond that, Wi-Fi in 802.11 b/g/n standards is on board. The reception quality of the installed Wi-Fi module did not give us reason for complaint.

Mobile tracking is performed via aGPS and GLONASS. Localization was fast with an accuracy of 10 feet (~3 meters) outdoors. The signal was not strong enough to track us indoors. The comparison with the Garmin GPS exhibits inaccuracies in the route. At the end of the approximately 5.5-kilometer test route, a difference of approximately 60 meters separates the Modena and the Garmin Edge 500 navigation system.

Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Garmin Edge 500
Coolpad Modena
Coolpad Modena
Coolpad Modena
Phone app

Telephone & Call Quality

Test calls made with Coolpad's Modena did not exhibit static nor did the sound quality give us reason for complaint. The same is true for the included headset. The speaker's position on the rear is noticed unfavorably when the smartphone is used as a hands-free device while on a table. The volume and intelligibility were restrained here.

A clear image noise was visible in video test calls via Skype. The microphone also rendered the sound very quietly and sometimes unintelligible for other participants.

Cameras

The primary camera on the handset's rear with an aperture of f/2.2 and a 28 mm wide angle has a resolution of 8 megapixels at a format of 4:3. The camera's resolution drops to 5 megapixels when pictures are taken in the 16:9 format. The primary camera records videos in maximum 1080p, and the front-facing camera with 720p.

Photos made using the auto-focus are characterized by blurriness (room photo) and lack of details (ambient photo). Pictures shot with the Modena even in good light conditions are rather low in quality. A visible color inaccuracy can be seen when comparing the camera's colors with the ColorChecker color chart.

The front-facing camera in the Modena features a BSI CMOS sensor with an aperture of f/2.4. The image quality of the 2-megapixel camera is also only enough for snapshots. Like in the primary camera, the photos look blurry.

Test picture
Test picture
Picture with front-facing camera
Screenshot of ColorChecker colors
Test chart

Image Comparison

Choose a scene and navigate within the first image. One click changes the position on touchscreens. One click on the zoomed-in image opens the original in a new window. The first image shows the scaled photograph of the test device.

Scene 1Scene 2Scene 3
click to load images

Accessories

Besides the Modena itself, the box of our review sample contained a user's guide, warranty conditions, and a USB cable and power supply for recharging the battery. Coolpad also adds an in-ear headset. All accessories were white.

Warranty

According to the included warranty card, the manufacturer gives a 24-month warranty from date of purchase. That excludes parts of wear, such as battery, charger and included headphones. Coolpad only covers these components for 6 months.

Input Devices & Handling

The Modena does not have on-screen buttons. The controls are implemented as capacitive buttons in Android Lollipop style below the display. They cannot be illuminated.

Coolpad preloads the keyboard by SwiftKey as the on-screen input option. It offers multiple settings, themes and customization options. Input is stored in the SwiftKey Cloud and used for personalized word suggestions. Users who are not happy with the handling can also switch to the preloaded Google stock keyboard.

The touchscreen's sensitivity and accuracy, as well as the feel of the panel glass are acceptable for a device from this price range. Swiping over the home screen was sometimes mistaken for an input, which launched an app unexpectedly.

On-screen keyboard
On-screen keyboard (landscape mode)

Display

Subpixel grid

In times of UHD panels (3840x2160, Sony Xperia Z5 Premium), qHD screens with a resolution of 960x540 pixels like in the Modena have become rare even in this price range. That results in a pixel density of just 200 PPI at a screen diagonal of 5.5-inches. Rivals like Motorola's Moto G (2015), ZTE's Blade A452 or Huawei's P8 lite have a considerably higher resolution with 294 PPI. The low resolution is primarily noticed in texts with small fonts in routine use. They look blurred, which could be stressful for the eyes when viewed for a longer time.

329
cd/m²
345
cd/m²
336
cd/m²
325
cd/m²
345
cd/m²
339
cd/m²
333
cd/m²
350
cd/m²
342
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
IPS-LCD tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 350 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 338.2 cd/m² Minimum: 16.1 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 93 %
Center on Battery: 345 cd/m²
Contrast: 1190:1 (Black: 0.29 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.59 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 6.75 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
Gamma: 2.38
Coolpad Modena
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB eMMC Flash
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB eMMC Flash
ZTE Blade A452
Mali-T720, MT6735, 8 GB eMMC Flash
Huawei P8 lite
Mali-450 MP4, Kirin 620, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Huawei Mate 8
Mali-T880 MP4, Kirin 950, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Screen
3%
-17%
-6%
19%
Brightness middle
345
418
21%
446
29%
365
6%
514
49%
Brightness
338
407
20%
411
22%
353
4%
513
52%
Brightness Distribution
93
95
2%
83
-11%
93
0%
94
1%
Black Level *
0.29
0.49
-69%
0.65
-124%
0.42
-45%
0.35
-21%
Contrast
1190
853
-28%
686
-42%
869
-27%
1469
23%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.59
3.92
30%
6.29
-13%
5.2
7%
5.08
9%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.58
8.28
22%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
6.75
3.81
44%
5.58
17%
5.85
13%
5.49
19%
Gamma
2.38 92%
2.27 97%
2.04 108%
2.17 101%
2.08 106%
CCT
8290 78%
7361 88%
7636 85%
7252 90%
7254 90%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
70.86
79.95
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
91.25
99.84

* ... smaller is better

Coolpad Modena outdoors

The screen's maximum brightness of 350 cd/m² is not exactly high. The screen's brightness when bright and dark content is distributed evenly (APL50) is also on this level. Comparable handsets from this price range, such as ZTE's Blade A452 or Motorola's Moto G (2015), are considerably brighter. Reflections and sunlight limit the content's legibility especially outdoors. Then again, the panel's illumination of 93% is very good.

Compared with the resolution and brightness, the quality of the LC display is on a good level. Colors look rich and vivid in real-world use. The color reproduction remains relatively stable even in extremely flat viewing angles thanks to the IPS panel; color inverting was barely visible. These positive impressions are continued in the measurements of the screen in the Modena. Both the black level and contrast are very good.

Viewing angles (reference image landscape mode)
Viewing angles (reference image landscape mode)

The review sample's panel also achieves a superb rate in sRGB color-space coverage. Solely ZTE's Blade A452 reached similarly good color-space coverage in the comparison field. The average DeltaE shifts in colors (5.59) and grayscale levels (6.75) in relation to the sRGB color space are quite high (ideal <3). The measured color temperature of 8290 K indicates that the screen has a light bluish tint in grayscale reproduction compared with the ideal rate of 6500K.

sRGB ColorChecker (non-calibrated)
sRGB Colorspace (non-calibrated)
sRGB Saturation Sweeps (non-calibrated)
sRGB Grayscale (non-calibrated)

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
240 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 120 ms rise
↘ 120 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 100 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM not detected

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Performance

Card-reader performance

The Modena is powered by a 64-bit quad-core processor by Qualcomm from 2013, the Snapdragon 410 MSM8916. The ARM-based mid-range SoC with four Cortex A53 cores clock at a maximum of 1.2 GHz. In our standard benchmarks, the Modena places itself at the lower end of the score chart compared with its rivals.

Smooth handling of Coolpad's Modena was only conditionally possible in real-world use. Evident jerks and hang-ups as well as delays when launching apps were noticed during multitasking. Browsing via the preloaded Chrome browser functioned mostly without problems. However, loading content sometimes also took longer here.

The evaluated performance of the card reader using our Toshiba Exceria SD-CX32UHSI reference card is below average with 42 MB/s in write and 14 MB/s in read.


AnTuTu v6 - Total Score (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
18230 Points
ZTE Blade A452
25381 Points +39%
Huawei Mate 8
93767 Points +414%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
1563 Points
32 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
528 Points
64 Bit Multi-Core Score (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
1372 Points
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
1561 Points +14%
ZTE Blade A452
1358 Points -1%
Huawei P8 lite
2754 Points +101%
Huawei Mate 8
6265 Points +357%
64 Bit Single-Core Score (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
471 Points
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
526 Points +12%
ZTE Blade A452
485 Points +3%
Huawei P8 lite
588 Points +25%
Huawei Mate 8
1721 Points +265%
PCMark for Android
Work 2.0 performance score (sort by value)
Huawei Mate 8
5220 Points
Work performance score (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
2966 Points
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
3701 Points +25%
Huawei P8 lite
3717 Points +25%
Huawei Mate 8
7344 Points +148%
BaseMark OS II
Web (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
614 Points
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
484 Points -21%
ZTE Blade A452
642 Points +5%
Huawei P8 lite
616 Points 0%
Huawei Mate 8
1127 Points +84%
Graphics (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
314 Points
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
315 Points 0%
ZTE Blade A452
174 Points -45%
Huawei P8 lite
303 Points -4%
Huawei Mate 8
1636 Points +421%
Memory (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
262 Points
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
394 Points +50%
ZTE Blade A452
262 Points 0%
Huawei P8 lite
816 Points +211%
Huawei Mate 8
2339 Points +793%
System (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
972 Points
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
1166 Points +20%
ZTE Blade A452
916 Points -6%
Huawei P8 lite
1467 Points +51%
Huawei Mate 8
4064 Points +318%
Overall (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
477 Points
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
515 Points +8%
ZTE Blade A452
405 Points -15%
Huawei P8 lite
687 Points +44%
Huawei Mate 8
2046 Points +329%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
13569 ms *
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
11843 ms * +13%
ZTE Blade A452
17652 ms * -30%
Huawei P8 lite
15866 ms * -17%
Huawei Mate 8
3643 ms * +73%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
17.9 Points
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
20.83 Points +16%
ZTE Blade A452
15.3 Points -15%
Huawei Mate 8
65 Points +263%
Octane V2 - Total Score (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
2721 Points
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
3296 Points +21%
ZTE Blade A452
2348 Points -14%
Huawei P8 lite
2483 Points -9%
Huawei Mate 8
11329 Points +316%
AndroBench 3-5
Random Write 4KB (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
3.88 MB/s
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
5.11 MB/s +32%
ZTE Blade A452
4.76 MB/s +23%
Huawei P8 lite
8.32 MB/s +114%
Huawei Mate 8
15.74 MB/s +306%
Random Read 4KB (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
11.97 MB/s
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
22.79 MB/s +90%
ZTE Blade A452
16.1 MB/s +35%
Huawei P8 lite
18.46 MB/s +54%
Huawei Mate 8
24.98 MB/s +109%
Sequential Write 256KB (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
7.73 MB/s
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
22.33 MB/s +189%
ZTE Blade A452
8.53 MB/s +10%
Huawei P8 lite
52.8 MB/s +583%
Huawei Mate 8
124.8 MB/s +1514%
Sequential Read 256KB (sort by value)
Coolpad Modena
122 MB/s
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
131.4 MB/s +8%
ZTE Blade A452
125.7 MB/s +3%
Huawei P8 lite
139.5 MB/s +14%
Huawei Mate 8
238.3 MB/s +95%

Legend

 
Coolpad Modena Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916, Qualcomm Adreno 306, 8 GB eMMC Flash
 
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541 Qualcomm Snapdragon 410 MSM8916, Qualcomm Adreno 306, 8 GB eMMC Flash
 
ZTE Blade A452 Mediatek MT6735, ARM Mali-T720, 8 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei P8 lite HiSilicon Kirin 620, ARM Mali-450 MP4, 16 GB eMMC Flash
 
Huawei Mate 8 HiSilicon Kirin 950, ARM Mali-T880 MP4, 32 GB eMMC Flash

* ... smaller is better

Games

The installed Qualcomm Adreno 306 GPU is responsible for video output, and its power was enough for smoothly rendering graphics-driven games like Real Racing 3 and Modern Combat 5 in the test. However, Coolpad's Modena sometimes needed some time for reloading during the game. Resuming with the game was possible after short waiting times.

Real Racing 3
Modern Combat 5

Emissions

Temperature

The temperature development of Coolpad's Modena was hardly perceptible in real-world use. The handset remained pleasant to hold even during computing-intensive use. The Modena heated up to a maximum of 39 °C on its upper side in the stress test via the Stability Test app (CPU and GPU under full load), while the other parts remained below 34 °C. Only ZTE's Blade A452 is cooler here.

Max. Load
 39.4 °C
103 F
32.4 °C
90 F
31.8 °C
89 F
 
 39.5 °C
103 F
32.3 °C
90 F
33.3 °C
92 F
 
 36.5 °C
98 F
31.4 °C
89 F
31.5 °C
89 F
 
Maximum: 39.5 °C = 103 F
Average: 34.2 °C = 94 F
29.7 °C
85 F
34.4 °C
94 F
36.6 °C
98 F
29.9 °C
86 F
32.6 °C
91 F
36.3 °C
97 F
29.4 °C
85 F
30.5 °C
87 F
33.6 °C
92 F
Maximum: 36.6 °C = 98 F
Average: 32.6 °C = 91 F
Power Supply (max.)  39.9 °C = 104 F | Room Temperature 22.2 °C = 72 F | Voltcraft IR-260
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 34.2 °C / 94 F, compared to the average of 32.7 °C / 91 F for the devices in the class Smartphone.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 39.5 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 35 °C / 95 F, ranging from 21.9 to 56 °C for the class Smartphone.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 36.6 °C / 98 F, compared to the average of 33.8 °C / 93 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 30.7 °C / 87 F, compared to the device average of 32.7 °C / 91 F.

Speaker

Speaker evaluation: Pink Noise

The rear-sided speaker's maximum volume is sufficiently high for everyday use. Up to 86.7 dB was measured in the test. The speaker's playback quality was mostly satisfactory. However, the sound is impaired as soon as the smartphone is picked up because the speaker openings are largely covered. The Pink Noise diagram illustrates that the medium and high frequencies from 1 to 9 KHz are rendered quite consistently. As typical for smartphones, basses are virtually non-existent. The included headset renders music clearly even at maximum volume. Playing music via the audio jack delivered subjectively good results although basses are virtually imperceptible when using the included headset.

Energy Management

Power Consumption

Coolpad's Modena does an exemplary job in power consumption. The low energy requirement in idle and in particular during load is the result of the relatively weak hardware. Only the Motorola Moto G (2015) achieved similarly good power consumption rates.

The non-removable 2500 mAh battery is recharged via the conventional micro-USB port on the handset's lower edge. The Qi standard for wireless charging is not installed as typical for the price range. The Modena needs 2 hours and 54 minutes to recharge a fully depleted battery (device on, screen off).

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0 / 0.55 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 0.79 / 1.51 / 1.63 Watt
Load midlight 3.37 / 4.67 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Gossen Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.

Battery Runtime

It is quite possible to get through a day with the non-removable battery even without an external power source when using the handset intensely. According to the manufacturer, the Modena should achieve up to 270 hours in standby when using 3G wireless frequencies with one battery load. The handset exhibited very good runtimes in the test under real-world conditions (screen brightness: 150 cd/m², energy-savings mode). Coolpad's Modena is on par with the rivals with 10 hours and 16 minutes in the Wi-Fi test. Coolpad does not install any special energy-saving features for achieving longer runtimes in its Modena. The user can use the Android-integrated energy-saving modes.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing
10h 16min
Coolpad Modena
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB eMMC Flash
Motorola Moto G 3. Gen 2015 XT1541
Adreno 306, 410 MSM8916, 8 GB eMMC Flash
ZTE Blade A452
Mali-T720, MT6735, 8 GB eMMC Flash
Huawei P8 lite
Mali-450 MP4, Kirin 620, 16 GB eMMC Flash
Huawei Mate 8
Mali-T880 MP4, Kirin 950, 32 GB eMMC Flash
Battery Runtime
WiFi v1.3
616
526
-15%
816
32%
351
-43%
865
40%

Pros

+ good battery life
+ screen's color reproduction
+ display-surface ratio

Cons

- camera
- screen resolution
- performance

Verdict

In review: Coolpad Modena. Review sample courtesy of Coolpad Germany.

The still unknown manufacturer Coolpad makes its first attempts to enter the German market with its model Modena. The verdict: Worthy of improvement. Coolpad made cutbacks in the wrong places in the 5.5-inch entry-level smartphone. The qHD screen resolution (960x540 pixels, 200 PPI) is outdated, and photos shot with the 8-megapixel camera are characterized by haziness and lack of detail even in good light conditions.

The plastic casing makes an overall good impression although the build quality shows weaknesses in some places, such as the somewhat wobbly keys. The screen's color reproduction is also satisfactory. Colors look rich and high contrast. The screen's maximum brightness is sooner below-average, though.

Despite the very good battery life, Coolpad's Modena would need a better camera, brighter screen and higher resolution to make it a rounded bundle.

Other manufacturers simply have more to offer for a price of 170 Euros (~$187). Motorola's Moto G (2015) and ZTE's Blade A452 can convince with a better price-performance package.


Coolpad Modena - 02/29/2016 v5(old)
Marcus Herbrich

Chassis
61%
Keyboard
75 / 75 → 99%
Pointing Device
75%
Connectivity
32 / 60 → 54%
Weight
92%
Battery
93%
Display
81%
Games Performance
15 / 63 → 24%
Application Performance
23 / 70 → 32%
Temperature
91%
Noise
100%
Audio
58 / 91 → 64%
Camera
46%
Average
65%
76%
Smartphone - Weighted Average

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Marcus Herbrich, 2016-03- 8 (Update: 2018-05-15)