LeEco formerly Letv took to the stage to announce a trio of new phones today. The Le 2, Le 2 Pro, and Le Max 2 phones are the successors to their Le 1 series they released last year. Just like last year these phones come in all metal bodies and pack a lot of punch for the price. The biggest change to the phones though is the lack of a headphone jack.
The Le 2 series now uses the USB-C port for audio. Once again beating other OEMs including Apple to dumping the headphone jack. I’m a bit conflicted about this change. Many people have invested hundreds of dollars in premium headphones over the years. Unless there is some sort of adapter it seems like these would now become obsolete. Even with an adapter it would add more bulk and be slightly annoying.
Maybe it would have made more sense to keep the headphone jack this generation. Then a pair of USB-C headphones to test the waters and ease people into a transition. Instead LeEco jumped in feet first into the deep end by nixing the headphone jack all together. Still this is something I love about this company. Their ability to embrace new technology quickly. They’ve also released two pairs of USB-C headphones, one over the ear and a pair of earbuds.
The Le 2 is a 5.5 inch phone with a 1080P display, MediaTek Helio X20 SoC, 3GB of RAM, 32GB of storage, 16MP rear camera, 8MP front facing camera, and 3000mAh battery. It will carry a price tag of 1099 RMB which is around $170 USD.
The Le 2 Pro keeps the same 5.5 inch 1080P screen, 32GB of storage, 8MP front facing camera, and 3000mAh battery. The rest of the internals get a nice little upgrade. It is the first phone to feature MediaTek’s deca-core Helio X25 SoC. Along with 4GB of RAM and the rear facing camera is a 21MP Sony IMX230 sensor. It will retail for 1499 RMB which is around $232 USD.
The Le Max 2 is the flagship of the three phones and earns it’s position and name. It comes with a 5.7 inch Quad HD screen enhanced for Virtual Reality. A Snapdragon 820 SoC, 21MP rear facing camera with the Sony IMX230 sensor with OIS, 8MP front facing camera, and 3100mAh battery.
There will be two different variants one with 4GB of RAM and 32GB of storage, and a second variant with 6GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. Along with Qualcomm’s SenseID ultrasonic fingerprint sensor and Quick Charge 3.0. All of this and it retails for a very reasonable 2099 RMB $325 for the 4GB/32GB version, and 2499 RMB $387 for the 6GB/64GB version.
Pre-orders start April 20th in China and rumor is that at least one of these will be coming to the US later this year. I can’t wait for LeEco to start making a major push into the US. They are making some fantastic hardware, taking chances, and adopting new technology before it becomes the standard. While also keeping the prices down.
I am a LeEco Champ. I receive their products from time to time, but my opinions are my own.
Source: Android Authority
