An in-depth Coolpad Legacy SR review discussing all you need to know about this affordable phone. Use the information inside to help you consider your next phone.

Coolpad Legacy SR smartphone was released in July 2020. This phone’s appearance resembles what it liked in the pre-notch era. It is an Android 9 phone and its price is super affordable.
We can imagine Coolpad Legacy SR being a starter phone for a certain segment of consumers. Featuring a 5.5-inch display, the phone also offers a 2,450mAh battery and a unique back cover design.
The phone employs an entry-level CPU and has no dual-camera. We also don’t see a fingerprint reader here. Specs are generally minimalistic, but we can see it’s probably the Coolpad Legacy SR’s charm.
In this Coolpad Legacy SR review, we present more details regarding the phone’s specs and price. Let’s see what is our final verdict for this particular model.
Page Contents:
Key Specs
Coolpad Legacy SR specifications:
- Weight: 159g
- Dimensions: 151 x 71 x 9.4mm
- OS: Android 9
- Screen size: 5.5-inch
- Resolution: 1440 x 720
- CPU: 2GHz Quad-core, MediaTek Helio P22
- RAM: 2GB
- Storage: 16GB
- Battery: 2,450mAh, Removable
- Rear camera: 8MP
- Front camera: 5MP
Design

Strictly compared to today’s smartphones, Coolpad Legacy SR features a relatively petite design. It has a dimension of 151 x 71 x 9.4mm and weighs only 159g. Small and lightweight, this device is easy to carry anywhere you go.
The design of the phone features the old style before full-screen displays flooded the smartphone market. You will get an LCD screen with thin bezels left and right. However, the top and bottom parts are very thick. You won’t find a notch here. It can be good news for those who find notches awkward and distracting.
The back cover is our most favorite part about the design. In short, it looks distinct and unique. There is a vertical oblong space that holds the camera, the flash, and the logo. This vertical shape goes all the way down, it also hosts the loudspeaker at the bottom. Back covers are typically boring, but not on Coolpad Legacy SR.
Beyond its look, the phone’s build quality is average. Coolpad Legacy SR uses plastic for the frame and the casing. Being light, the weight lacks that solid feel of a metal phone. The plus point of this area does lie in aesthetics alone.
Read also: Coolpad Legacy SR User Manual
Display

The 5.5-inch display of Coolpad Legacy SR might appear too small for some people. This phone uses an LCD TFT panel with a screen resolution of 1440 x 720. This configuration puts Coolpad Legacy SR’s screen in the HD+ category. The pixel density is at 295ppi.
The display size certainly discourages consumers who prefer a bigger screen. On the other hand, this size can also be seen as a refreshing break from the gigantic display trend. Users can operate this phone easily with just one hand. The size is also perfect for children as their first phone.
At this price, we are pretty satisfied with the display quality. The HD+ screen is nothing exceptional, but it produces graphical output with few flaws. Colors appear on the display with adequate accuracy and punchiness. You would also rarely spot rough pixels.
It’s an overall comfortable display to work with for everyday use. The touchscreen is responsive. Beyond casual app browsing and internet surfing, you can use the display for comfortable movie viewing too. The aspect ratio, at 18:9, supports most movie formats for an immersive media experience.
Camera

With an 8MP rear camera and a 5MP front-facing camera, we can see how Coolpad Legacy SR’s selling point lies somewhere else. It’s definitely not the camera, as the configuration is mediocre. Today, when you can get a dual-camera phone at a low price, the Coolpad Legacy SR would look way below average.
The rear camera produces just okay-ish pictures. At 8MP, there are not many details packed and captured in one image. Colors sometimes can be a bit off due to the small dynamic range.
Coolpad Legacy SR tries to compensate with the LED flash and several in-camera features like manual ISO. You can set the white balance manually to try to get the best outcome. Other than that, there are not many features available.
The camera quality improves a little when it comes to video recording. We are delighted to find that an EIS is present. EIS (Electronic image stabilization) helps users stabilize the camera as they record, producing less shaky recordings as a result.
The 5MP front camera is a nice lens for selfies and video calls. We rarely expect a lot from a front-facing lens. Therefore, as long as you can use it for the occasional selfies, a 5MP lens will do just fine.
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Storage
Don’t expect a lot of storage space on Coolpad Legacy SR. Unfortunately, 16GB is the most you can get for internal storage. Yes, this is a very low amount that can hold only a dozen or more user-installed apps. Since the capacity is low, adding an SD card seems like a no-brainer.
In that case, prepare to get a 64GB MicroSD card. Because that’s the maximum amount you can put on Coolpad Legacy SR. A storage expansion is better suited for personal files like photos and music. However, it’s not for app data as Android doesn’t allow apps to be installed except on internal storage.
Performance

Task processing on Coolpad Legacy SR relies on a 2GHz MediaTek Helio P22 chipset. The phone also runs with 2GB RAM and Android 9. We are no stranger to this configuration on a budget phone. Helio P22 is often a favorite among entry-level smartphones. As you might have guessed, the performance here is in line with the price.
Expect lots of hiccups when operating the phone. Usually, everything is nice and smooth at the beginning. As the number of apps users install grows, performance can lag sometimes. Especially during a session when you need to open many apps at the same time. Moving from one app to another requires quite a bit of app reloading.
On such a phone as Coolpad Legacy SR, it’s best to keep only the essentials most of the time. Use the phone for calling, texting/chatting, and some light entertainment. Heavier apps can struggle because the CPU and RAM work too hard to keep up. This situation also applies to games, especially 3D games.
Don’t worry, Coolpad Legacy SR is still a fun phone to have. Light gaming is okay, as well as using the phone as your multimedia hub. In general, watching movies should show no significant lag. So does use the phone to stream music. These are activities that still lie within the phone’s performance limitations.
The Android 9 Pie on this phone is an older version of the operating system. It was pretty recent at the time of release. Right now it’s already outdated, making Coolpad Legacy SR miss a lot of improvement. There’s no information about software upgrades either. It’s likely that buyers will have to make do with Android 9 indefinitely.
The phone’s user interface is still great, nonetheless. It’s easy to navigate the phone even when you’re a beginner. The Android on Coolpad Legacy SR is unmodified, keeping things clean with no bloatware. Essentials apps from Google are pre-installed. Users can immediately use them.
There’s no fingerprint reader to give that extra layer of security. Instead, Coolpad Legacy SR presents you with Face Unlock. Biometric technology on this phone claims to recognize 192 facial features. That way you can instantly unlock the phone in seconds. Other features available involve hearing aid support, Accelerometer, and support for multiple languages.
Connectivity
Staying connected is an important part of every phone, even if it’s a cheap one like Coolpad Legacy SR. This device supports 4G LTE, the most widely used network currently. Obviously, don’t hope for a 5G support on this phone. The SIM type supported on this device is a Nano-SIM.
4G LTE is enough for most folk. It gives loud and clear phone call output with rare cases of dropped calls. For the internet, it’s also speedy with most delays usually coming from the performance limit. Alternatively, users can switch to Wi-Fi when a network is available.
Other than that, this phone also comes with Bluetooth, tethering and hotspot, and GPS. The phone also uses USB Type-C. Overall, this device presents a complete connectivity lineup you’ll need every day. It misses some fancy features, as expected, such as NFC.
Battery
Coolpad Legacy SR comes with a 2,450mAh removable battery. A small-capacity battery is often enough for a low-performance phone. In this case, Coolpad Legacy SR promises up to 17 hours of talk time. On general use, you can hope the phone can last throughout the day. On standby mode, this phone can reach 480 hours at maximum. Note that real-life performance may vary.
A smaller battery typically leads to quicker charging time. That’s why Coolpad Legacy SR doesn’t need fast charging. Since this phone also uses a USB Type-C port, charging is also faster than with a MicroUSB port.
Is the Coolpad Legacy SR a good phone?
Coolpad Legacy SR is a phone targeted to entry-level consumers. This fact also reflects on its price. The retail price is at $49. Even better, Walmart is selling this phone at a discounted price of $17.95. If you are seeking a basic smartphone, under $20 is a good deal.
In return for that price, you will get a phone with decent specs. Some of them are outdated, such as the Android version, the no-notch design, and the small battery. Regardless, there are some distinct features to enjoy, like the HD+ display, Face Unlock, and USB Type-C. That’s our conclusion of this Coolpad Legacy SR review.
Coolpad Legacy SR Pros
- HD+ display
- Face Unlock
- USB Type-C
- Very cheap price
Coolpad Legacy SR Cons
- Small storage space
- Still uses Android 9
- Low-quality camera