Gadget Review: LeEco's Le 1S - Here comes the budget fixer
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Chinese smartphone maker LeEco is all set to redefine the budget segment as
its feature-rich Le 1S goes on sale on Tuesday
Just when we thought that madness of flash sales was over, it seems to have
returned with the Le 1S, brought to India by LeTV, now known as LeEco. The
Chinese company claims to have received more than 5 lakh registrations for its
first flash sale happening today at 12 noon. And, why not? For Rs 10,999, the
specs of the Le1S look too good to be missed. But does it match up with
performance?
Build and design (9/10): The Le 1S is a looker. Its stylish full metal body
and slim (7.5mm) form is incomparable in this price range. Available in gold
(more light pinkish), the body is bezel-less, and polished along the curvature,
adding to the charm. Controls in the front are hidden and emerge only when
unlocked. The back gets a shiny fingerprint sensor, with the Letv logo (it may
be replaced by LeEco) imprinted underneath. At the bottom are the single,
dotted grills for the speaker on both sides with a Type C USB port placed in
between. It is sleek and strong, but feels heavy weighing around 165g. A word
of caution, thanks to its full metal body, the Le 1S is also slippery, and a
plastic/silicon case for extra grip is recommended.
Display (8/10): The Le 1S gets a
5.5-inch Full HD (1920x1080) display with a pixel density of 403ppi. The
display, though prone to smudges, is sharp and offers decent clarity even under
sunlight. When used with the provided wallpapers, it almost dissolves into its
black front body. We, however, feel the brightness could have been higher. The
touch is great too. As for protection, we didn't find any details in the
official documents but it is scratch-resistant as it survived our scratch-a-pin
test.
Camera (6/10): The Le 1S gets a 13MP rear shooter with LED flash. The focus
is quick, and can record 4K or 1080p
videos. But image quality is below average in normal situations and very poor
in low light. Also, the auto brightness is a pain, and sometimes doesn’t work
properly. It gets a 5MP front camera that can cover up to 85-degrees view and
gives decent results with selfies. Both cameras, however, can be controlled
using the finger print sensor at the back.
OS and User Interface (8/10): The Le
1S runs a customised EUI user interface built on top of Android Lollipop 5.0.2.
Its sleek and clutter-free design offers much-needed break from the same old
icons on Android. The quick settings menu that offers a list of quick controls
as well as the recent apps can be accessed by pressing the options button at
the bottom of the device. The OS ran smoothly without any crashes; however,
some may find the font size tiny for normal viewing. The device also has few
factory apps, which is refreshing.
Connectivity (9/10): The Le 1S is a dual SIM smartphone with support for 4G
on both SIM cards. It also gets dual band Wi-Fi (a/b/n/ac), Bluetooth 4.1,
Wi-Fi Direct, MHL (no 4K display, though),
A-GPS, and 2G and 3G networks as well. It also gets an infrared sensor
that allows it to double up as a universal remote controller for home
appliances like TV using the remote control app provided with the phone, a
feature hardly seen at this price range.
Battery (8/10): The Le 1S gets a 3,000mAh non-removable lithium-polymer
battery, which manages to survive a full day, but we advise carrying a
powerbank at all times. It supports fast charging through the USB Type C port.
If you are heavy user, Redmi Note 3 may be worth a wait as it packs a 4,000mAh
battery.
Hardware and Performance (8/10): LeEco has managed to pack a lot of
features in this price range (10,999) including the Mediatek Helio X10 SoC
which has quadcores of 64-bit A53 processors, clocked at 2.2GHz. The device
gets 3GB RAM, and 32GB internal storage. It manages to pull through most of the
tasks, and can easily take head on all other phones in the same price bracket.
Users, however, may experience slight heating up, during games, but it’s a
common occurrence. There’s no support for external SD card, and that is the
second major drawback. Audio quality is good, during music playback and while
on a call. The built-in speakers are also loud. The device also gets a
finger-print scanner at the back, which can record data about up to five
fingers, and is quick to respond.
Note: LeEco India doesn’t have an official website as yet, but information
about its products is available on Forum.letv.com/in
Overall rating8.0/10 The guide verdict:The Le 1S is not a terminator of
flagship phones, as LeEco likes to call it. It comes with its set of flaws,
including a poor rear camera and heavy body, and lacks support for external SD
card. But it has redefined the budget segment with premium features like Type C
port, infrared sensor and a full metal body. And for R10,999, it gives you more
bang for your buck.
SpecificationsDisplay: 5.5-inch 1920x1080, 403ppiProcessor: 2.2 GHz octa
Core processor Helio X10Mdmory: 3GB RAM, 32GB internalCamera: 5MP (front), 13MP
with flash (rear)Connectivity: A-GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 2G, 3G, 4G, infrared
sensorPrice: Rs 10,999
