At a time when smartphones in India -- especially in the Rs 8,000-Rs 15,000 ($120-$225) price band -- are going through a massive change, global internet and technology conglomerate LeEco has brought to the fore a new handset that may be a challenge to its rivals.
While its previous model, the Rs 10,999 Le 1s Eco, has broken several industry records and has become the highest-selling online smartphone brand in the country, newly-launched Le 2 at Rs.11,999 is once again set to impact the smartphone landscape in India.
What works for the device.
In a first for the Indian consumers, Le 2 comes with "Continual Lossless" Digital Audio (CLDA) technology that has made the traditional 3.5 mm audio jack redundant.
So you do not need to insert headphone into a 3.5 mm rounded socket as before. You can hear your favourite music with the USB Type-C port which is used to charge the device.
The phone comes with a LeEco proprietary headphone set. The company has also provided a small adapter to connect other headphones.
"Continual Digital Lossless Audio or CLDA is LeEco's proprietary technology that is a global first in the smartphones industry, replacing the 3.5mm headphone jack with a standard Type-C interface for a revolutionary music experience," Atul Jain, COO, Smart Electronics Business, LeEco India, told IANS.
"The CLDA standard raises the bar for audio quality and represents a digital architecture that enables end-to-end lossless digital music transmission," he added.
With 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM and weighing 153 gram, the dual-SIM, 5-5 inch device has 16MP rear camera and 8MP front camera. It comes with a full-HD resolution display and a mirror-surfaced fingerprint sensor.
Powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 652 processor,Le2 supports 4G LTE (VoLTE ready) and runs on Android 6.0 Marshmallow.
The non-removable 3000 mAh battery can get charged to half of its capacity in a flat 30 minutes.
The device, available in gold, silver and grey, is a competition to Moto G4, Xiaomi Redmi Note 3 and the Coolpad Note 3 Plus, among others.
What does not work.
Well, if the device is charging, you will not be able to listen to your favourite music as the port is the same. Also, heating issues with a metal body remain which, of course, is an issue with almost all metal-body devices.
Conclusion: At Rs 11,999, it is a good deal. Remember that one year LeEco's membership worth Rs 4,900 also comes free with the device where the users will have access to over 2,000 movies (in 10 languages) and over 100 live TV channels.
The first flash sale of Le2 will begin on June 28. Registrations for Le2 are on.
(Anuj Sharma can be contacted at anuj.s@ians.in)--IANS
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