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The Coolpad Quattro 4G isn't running the most advanced Android software, it's stuck with Android 2.3: Gingerbread. A dated operating system on a budget smartphone is not unusual, although we have started to see Android 4.0: Ice Cream Sandwich on devices like the LG Motion 4G.
At the bottom of the display are the four buttons you'll be using to navigate. From left to right they are Menu, Home, Back and Search.
As usual, Menu is one of the more important keys. It lets you mess with the options of different apps and the phone's home screens. It's also used to compose messages on the text interface and customize the wallpaper and such.
The Quattro has a basic Android lock screen that gives the time and date. You can swipe to unlock the screen or swipe the other side to quickly mute/unmute the phone, which is a nice touch. Users can also add a password, pin or pattern lock for extra protection.
Unlocking the phone takes you to the designated primary home screen, which can be switched around. Out of the box it's the third screen, which displays an array of MetroPCS preloaded apps, the Google Play Store app and a Google search bar. There is also a portal/ad for the Rhapsody app, but it can be deleted off the panel.
Speaking of ads, the phone is littered with them. Sometimes we'd have to dismiss an ad after unlocking the phone, only to have it pop up during a game. They're stapled onto a few home screens too, but can, thankfully, be deleted. They were slightly intrusive as well as annoying. That's the price MetroPCS expects you to pay for a contract-free 4G smartphone, we suppose.
The home screens are kind of hard to edit. Customization options are scattered across several menus, which makes it impossible to control the layout of the phone from one menu. Adding widgets takes one gesture, while adding apps requires another menu. Also, deleting unused home screens from the overall phone is unintuitive.
