14 DAY TRIAL // The Chinese smartphone market is very different from any other markets in the fact that handset makers have very low profit margins for their devices. Low prices mean less (and in some cases none at all) profit, but that doesn't seem to bother companies like Xiaomi, LeEco, Coolpad, Huawei or Lenovo.
The Cool S1 is a brand-new smartphone that's just been released in China. It's the result of the collaboration between two Chinese smartphone brands: Coolpad and LeEco.
The phone is available in three variations, but the most expensive doesn't cost more than $460 outright. Obviously, this is the phone's price in China, so if the Cool S1 were released in other countries, it would most likely be more expensive.
But that's not why we're reporting about a smartphone that you won't be able to purchase unless you're located in China. It's what you get for the money you pay that piqued our interest.
The Cool S1 is a real beast on paper, as the phone is powered by Qualcomm's new Snapdragon 821 processor, which is complemented by 6GB of RAM and 128GB of internal memory. There's no mention of microSD card, but the amount of default storage should be more than enough even for hardcore users.
Furthermore, the Cool S1 sports a 5.5-inch display that supports full HD (1080p) resolution, as well as a 16-megapixel rear-facing camera that features phase detection autofocus (PDAF) and 4K video recording. Dual LED flash is included as well, along with a secondary 8-megapixel camera in the front.
The Chinese companies contributing to the development and release of the Cool S1 also added Harman Kardon front-facing speakers, which take advantage of the Clari-Fi audio enhancing technology.
Just like the iPhone 7, the Cool S1 has dropped the 3.5mm audio jack and adopted the USB Type-C port that can be used for headphones and charging.
It's also worth mentioning the Cool S1 is powered by a large 4,070 mAh battery and runs LeEco's EUI 5.8 based on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
Are we going to see the Cool S1 released in other countries? We doubt that will happen, but if it does, it will be much more expensive than the Chinese variant.