Coolpad has officially launched the Cool X Wide in China, and it's carving out a genuinely unusual niche: a phone that's wider than it is tall—without folding.
The device, which first appeared for reservation in late October, went on sale on November 8 . Coolpad is calling it the first "wide-body candybar" phone in the Android ecosystem —a form factor that mimics the wide aspect ratio of a book-style foldable without the hinge, the crease, or the $1,500 price tag.
Pricing and Configurations
| Configuration | Price (China) |
|---|---|
| 8GB + 128GB | ¥999 (~$140) |
| 8GB + 256GB | ¥1,199 (~$170) |
| 12GB + 256GB | ¥1,399 (~$195) |
The entry price makes the Cool X Wide one of the cheapest ways to get a wide-screen Android device—a deliberate strategy to lower the barrier for anyone curious about the form factor.
The Wide-Screen Bet
The centerpiece is a 6.38-inch 16:10 display with a 90Hz refresh rate . That aspect ratio is much wider than the typical 20:9 or 19.5:9 panels on modern phones, and Coolpad is pitching the extra horizontal space as a better canvas for reading, split-screen multitasking, and media consumption.
There's a significant catch, though: the resolution is only 720 × 1158 (720p). On a 6.38-inch panel, that's a low pixel density—fine for casual video and reading, but noticeably soft compared to the 1.5K and 2K screens on mid-range phones from Xiaomi, Realme, and Samsung.
Specs at a Glance
| Component | Details |
|---|---|
| Display | 6.38-inch, 16:10, 720p, 90Hz |
| Processor | MediaTek Helio G99 (4G only) |
| Memory | LPDDR4X |
| Storage | UFS 2.2, up to 256GB + microSD |
| Rear camera | 50MP |
| Battery | 4,600mAh |
| Software | Android 16 |
| Dimensions | 150.3 × 94.5 × 8.95mm |
| Colors | Gilded White, Rock Black, Crimson Red |
| Security | Side-mounted fingerprint sensor |
The Helio G99 is a 4G-only chip, which means the Cool X Wide won't work on 5G networks. For a budget device aimed at reading, media, and secondary use, that's a reasonable trade-off—but it does limit the phone's longevity as 5G becomes standard.
Coolpad also includes split-screen multitasking and WeChat 8-instance support , features that make more sense on a wide screen than a tall one.
Who Is This Actually For?
Coolpad isn't pretending the Cool X Wide is a flagship. The company's own positioning points to two clear audiences:
Secondary device / backup phone. At under ¥1,000, it's cheap enough to buy as a dedicated media player—something to watch videos, read ebooks, or browse on without draining your main phone's battery.
Older users. The wide screen and larger display area make text and video easier to see without squinting, and the low price makes it a low-risk upgrade for parents or grandparents.
What it's not for is gaming or photography. The Helio G99 and 720p screen aren't built for demanding titles, and the single 50MP rear camera (with no ultrawide or telephoto) is a basic snapshot shooter.
The Bottom Line
The Cool X Wide is a niche device executed with a clear-eyed sense of its limits. The 16:10 wide-body design is genuinely novel in the Android space, and ¥999 is an aggressive price for anyone who wants to try the form factor without committing to a foldable.
But the 720p resolution and 4G-only chip are real compromises, and Coolpad hasn't announced availability outside China. For US buyers, the Cool X Wide remains a curiosity rather than a practical option.
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