Review: LeEco Le 1S Can be the ‘Bang for the Buck’ Phone of 2016
The phone with its premium looks and quality hardware has warranted our attention.
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LeEco, formerly known as LeTv is just another Chinese brand making its foray into the competitive Indian mobile space. They’ve managed to grab some eyeballs over the past couple of months in the market and is hopeful that their products get positive response from consumers.
The company has launched two Le products in India – Le Max and Le 1s. While the latter is an affordable product, the former ranks amongst its premium peers. Priced at Rs 10,999, Le 1S has the look of a competent product looking to break the price barrier in 2016.
Key Specifications: LeEco Le 1s
- Display: 5.5-inch Full-HD 1920x1080 pixels with Corning Gorilla Glass 3
- Operating System: Android 5.0 Lollipop
- Processor: Octa-core MediaTek Helio X10
- RAM: 3GB
- Rear Camera: 13-MP
- Front Camera: 5-MP
- Battery: 3000 mAh
- Price: Rs 10,999
What’s Good?
LeEco Le 1S is definitely a contender, combined with its pricing has the ingredients to succeed in India. The phone’s got a 5.5-inch full-HD bezel-less display that offers crisp details and the colour gamut is at its vibrant best. You can also bank on the phone for its durability, with its full-metal body construction that manages to stand out among the crowded mobile segment.
The 13-megapixel snapper is at par with most mid-range phones like the Moto G (2015), OnePlus X and Lenovo Vibe P1 among others. Pictures clicked in broad daylight were much to our delight, while the detailing and limited noise visibility with low-light images is also worth mentioning here.
The fingerprint scanner is responsive to minute touches and works like what we’ve come to expect of phones nowadays. While people may not openly ask for it, but the 32GB on-board storage offered by LeEco is what people will really end up using on a day-to-day basis. The Le 1S is the phone that will let you store music, click-and-save pictures, and save up some movies for quick one-the-go entertainment.
And finally, the 3000mAh battery – which for us felt could be the Achilles heel for the Le 1s – in reality holds up admirably. The phone went from 100 percent to 32 percent on WiFi or 3G most of the time, on medium brightness, without showing up any heat strains that can make using the phone uncomfortable.
What’s Bad?
There are few things to point out about the Le 1s, most notably the lack of storage expansion which primarily implies you’re stuck with 32GB space, after which you’ll have to rely on USB OTG to free up space.
While it may not matter to most of you, but Le 1s comes devoid of a built-in FM Radio, which in a market like India is still a preferred mode of listening to music. For a phone which costs around 11K we’re not sure as to why LeEco gave it a miss.
LeEco is said to be a hardware, software, and also a content specialist. While they’ve got the former two right in India, the latter remains a work in progress. The brand has joined hands with Eros and Yupp TV to offer local content, but the existing catalogue leaves us wanting for more.
LeEco has been in the news across the country, and they’re hopeful consumers are taking a good look at their work and products. After-sale service can be an issue if you buy the Le 1S. Although the company has announced that they will have 555 service centres across 300 cities in India for after-sales support, only time will tell how well managed they are.
Why Buy It?
LeEco Le 1S has the looks, price and hardware that helped Xiaomi become an instant hit with Indian consumers last year. Le 1S is probably the best looking metal-body phone you can buy for under 12K in the country and that feat could last a little longer than one can imagine.
The phone’s fingerprint scanner works well, there’s ample storage space on-board, and it’s supplied by a battery life that is at par with phones in the mid-range segment. For Rs 10,999, Le 1S is a phone worth going for. However, the flash sale model could turn a few heads to look at other options.
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