Coolpad Torino S quick review – a fresh mid-ranger

Last year we presented to you our first review of a Coolpad, it was that of the popular Coolpad Modena. Its popularity was mainly due to the great balance between price and capabilities it offered. Now the time has come for the new Coolpad Torino S to shine, and it has the ambition to conquer the attention of mid-range users (or budget mid-range, to be more precise).

Here is what Coolpad Torino S has to offer. The model has compact design and also features a fingerprint scanner. Additionally, you are provided with an HD display and Snapdragon 410 mobile CPU. However, specs are not the only thing that is important for a phone’s image. We mean the real image, not the one suggested by the manufcaturer. This is why our review will definitely be of great help to anyone who’s interested in this model.

If you want to learn more about the price and availability of Coolpad Torino S, visit the following link: http://amzn.to/1Q6SWP6

Contents

Design and construction

Appearance is surely one of the merits of Coolpad Torino S, especially if one considers the price. The smartphone’s profile is only 7.9 mm thick. It even feels thinner because the back is slightly rounded in the fashion of most Moto models, and this allows for very thin buttons on the sides. Furthermore, the compact feel is further emphasized by the light weight of only 119 grams. We also consider the fact that this is 4.7″ device which contributes to the comfortable grip and operation with a single hand. As a small drawback we can point out the somewhat slippery finish of the back that would have been a problem, had the screen ratio been more than 4.7″. On the other hand, the matte finish on the back does not retain any unpleasant fingerprints or smudges which is great.

Speaking of fingerprints, Torino S boasts a scanner for those, and it is located right below the main camera and its LED flash. The shape of this sensor is round and its placement is convenient – your index finger finds it quite naturally, once you take the device in your hand. We shall discuss this aspect in greater detail further down in the article. It is again on the back that you observe a Coolpad inscription, together with some other product info.

At the front you will perhaps notice that there is a lot of empty space below the screen. There are no indicators of the sensor buttons because they are part of the screen. You can find the same amount of space above the screen which, however, is occupied by the front camera, earpiece, and proximity and amibent light sensors.

Torino S features a unibody design and you won’t be able to access the battery yourself. The SIM card slots are located on the left and are accessible via a tool included in the box. You are provided with a microSIM and a nanoSIM card slot. The latter shares its position with a microSD card slot and you will have to choose only one of them. On the right you will find the volume controls and Power button below them. Additionally, the bottom contains a microUSB port for charging and the built-in microphone, and at the top there is a 3.5 mm audio jack and an IR blaster.

Display

Coolpad Torino S features a 4.7″ display which is just as big as that of an iPhone 6s. Its resolution is HD (1280 x 720p). This provides a relatively detailed image with pixel pitch of 312 ppi. Torino S offers an IPS panel so you can expect vivid colors and wide viewing angles. In addition, we can note the presence of 2.5D screen glass which is not only famous for its sturdiness, but it also contributes to the elegant style (creating a feel for protruting display). When outdoors, you might have some visibility problems only if there is direct sunglight. Nonetheless, the maximum brightness (albeit not great) resolves this problem to a great extent. We can also mention that the display section of the settings menu does not offer anything to write home about.

Specs sheet

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OS	Android 5.1.1 (Lollipop)
CPU	Snapdragon 410 (4-core, 1.20GHz, Cortex-A53)
RAM	2GB
Internal storage	16GB
GPU	Adreno 306
Display	4.7-inch IPS capacitive multitouch display (1280 x 720 p)
Connectivity	Bluetooth v4.1, A2DP, Wi-Fi 802.11 b/g/n, GPS, А-GPS
Cameras	8MP with autofocus and an LED flash (rear), 5MP (front)
Features	2x SIM card slots – micro-SIM and nano-SIM microSD card slot microUSB v2.0 port integrated loudspeaker 3.5 mm audio jack FM radio fingerprint scanner IR blaster
Batteries	1800 mAh
Dimensions	139 x 67.8 x 7.9 mm
Weight	119 grams

Battery

Torino S comes with battery capacity of 1800 mAh which is undobutedly insufficient. Even the relatively small screen and low consumption CPU won’t be enough to compensate for it. On the other hand, the thin body and light weight immediately suggest small battery inside. However, we shall check the actual battery performance in the following tests – phone call, Wi-Fi and 3G Web browsing, video playback and gaming. Of course, the settings used are as per our tradition – screen brightness set to 120 cd/m2, turned on Wi-Fi module, and turned off 3G, GPS and BLuetooth (with the exception of the 3G browsing test).

The settings menu contains a submenu for battery saving but it only provides info about how much energy certain apps consume. In other words, the submenu does not offer modes for battery saving.

Software

Torino S features Android 5.1.1 Lollipop together with Coolpad’s UI. The latter provides a lot of additional options. There is no internal menu, however, so all apps are arranged on the homescreen.

Pre-installed apps

Coolpad’s UI brings not only changes in design, but also a good number of pre-installed apps. For example, you can find the following: FM radio, WhatsApp, Facebook, WPS Office, an app for storage optimization, weather forcasting app, voice recorder, an app for notetaking, one for themes and wallpapers, and even a Coolpad remote that can control a lot of electrical appliances.

Fingerprint scanner

We are mostly impressed by the app that registers fingerprints. Like we already mentioned, the sensor itself is located on the back of the phone, below the camera. You can use it for other purposes besides screen unlocking. For example, you can quickly capture a photo, call a certain number or launch an app. Apart from the provided wide variety of options, the fingerprint scanner is also quite fast and accurate which is not always the case even with higher-end smartphones.

Settings menu

The settings menu has a specific style of its own. It is simplified and convenient, including small and discrete icons. The image below displays all of the available sections.

Zen Mode

You can choose a specific day and period of the week when the smartphone will automatically launch Zen Mode. In it you can decide not to receive any notifications from the alarm clock, or any events and reminders, text messages or calls. In other words, this is a mode that allows you to relax in a healthy way.

Virtual-Key Settings

As it was mentioned above, the three sensor buttons are part of the screen and are complemented by another button that hides the rest of them. Additionally, the settings menu has a section dedicated  to these buttons. It offers four possible combinations for their arrangement. You can also customize the function of the third button – it may open recent apps or home screen settings (wallpapers, slide effects, widgets, etc).

Intelligent control

C-button

The Intelligent control submenu offers additional options for easier and faster operation with the device. The first on the list is C-Button. It is a small virtual button that can be placed along the entire length of both display sides. Additionally, it provides shortcuts to basic functions and settings such as volume control, brightness level, screenshot, lock screen, turn off and others.

Wake-Up Gesture

This section allows you to draw a symbol on the locked screen of Torino S. In this way, if you draw “M”, you will be redirected to the music player. A horizontal slide switches to the next song on the list. If you draw “C”, the keypad for quick dial is launched. Finally, a double tap turns the screen on.

Action and Screen

This allows you to take a screenshot by flicking up or down with three fingers.

Performance

Just like the majority of mid-range devices, Torino S uses Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 410 CPU. It offers four Cortex-A53 cores, ticking at 1.2 GHz. Snapdragon 410 provides not only smooth operation, but is also famous for its low power consumption and low exterior temperatures after load. It is a 64-bit processor with 28 nm architecture. Some of its characteristic features are the support of Qualcomm Quick Charge 2.0 technology, LTE Cat 4, Bluetooth 4.1, up to 13.5 MP cameras and Full HD video recording. Also available are the Adreno 306 GPU and 2 GB of RAM.

You can find more information about Snapdragon 410 on Qualcomm’s official page: https://www.qualcomm.com/products/snapdragon/processors/410

In addition, the smartphone offers 16 GB of internal storage, 10 GB of which are available for the user because the rest is occupied by OS files and pre-installed apps. If this isn’t enough for you, you can always expand via the microSD card slot.

CPU

GPU

Temperatures

We didn’t have any worries while conducting this test, as it’s not the first time with this processor, and results have always been normal. Nonetheless, the device went through a few hours of gaming simulation with the help of the Epic Citadel app. Immediately after the end of the test we measured the exterior temperatures in three main sections of the back. The hottest point proved in the camera area (42.2 degrees Celsius) which would not cause discomfort, but is still noticable. What we registered for the other two areas was below 40 degrees – 39.6 °C in the middle and 35.2 °C in the loudspeaker area. Such results are quite normal and do not cause any worries for users.

Camera

Coolpad Torino S features an 8MP rear camera with an LED flash, autofocus and an aperture value of f/2.0. It is also capable of Full HD recording. Furthermore, the camera menu offers many manual settings such as control of white balance, ISO, shutter speed, exposure compensation and others. All of them are available in the Pro mode. Also present is night mode suitable for lowlight shots, and a Beauty mode featuring settings that are supposed to make you appear more beautiful. You can also use HDR, Panorama, Long exposure (it’s better to use it with a tripod), capture short GIFs, and refocus after you have taken a shot. There is also an additional menu that allows face recognition and capturing an image via the fingerprint scanner.

Modes and settings

Shots

Macro shots

Video

Verdict

Coolpad Torino S is yet another mid-range phone and its class belonging is not something to complain about. Actually, the smartphone has two main merits that distinguish it from its competiton. The first of them is its compact and comfortable design, characterized by profile thickness of only 7.9 mm and weight of only 119 grams. What leaves us even more impressed is the fingerprint scanner on the back of the phone. It is fast, accurate, and offers several additional features.

We were also happy with the Coolpad UI in Torino S. Additionally, the settings menu offers a lot of useful functions that may come in handy. Also, the homescreen features both the standart Google apps folder as well as some additional applications, including a remote control for different appliances.

We have no remarks as regards the HD IPS display. It will not impress you with high brightness levels but it still offers contrasty colors and wide viewing angles. As far as performance is concerned, the combination of Snapdragon 410 and 2 GB of RAM takes care of that. You won’t be dissapointed by the camera either, at least if your expectations are realistic. However, we were underwhelmed by the battery which was expected since the capacity is only 1800 mAh.

If you want to learn more about the price and availability of Coolpad Torino S, visit the following link: http://amzn.to/1Q6SWP6