Keeping up with its success formula, a Chinese smartphone maker does an encore with two new devices
The Type C port in Le 2 that connects with CDLA headphones (available in the Le Max2 as well)
Months after the launch of the Le 1s, and six months since its arrival in India, Chinese smartphone maker and content provider, LeTV (known as LeEco in India) has launched two new devices — Le 2 and Le Max2 — ditching the 3.5mm audio jack for lossless audio on a USB port. But, is it enough to motivate the Indian buyer? Let’s find out.
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Also read - Tech: Le Eco's Le 2, Le Max2 smartphones to be launched in India soon
Le Max2
Build and design: It has made no changes in the looks of the two devices. Both retain the same metallic appeal of their previous offerings, and surprisingly, also the LeTV logo. All smartphones are available in rose gold, silver and grey, and are surely attractive to look at. Weighing 153g and 185g respectively, the Le 2 and Le Max2 are lighter than their predecessors.
Le 2: (6/10); Le Max2: (6/10)
DISPLAY: They have packed stunning displays in both Le 2 (5.5-inch Full HD 1920x1080 with 403 ppi pixel density) and Le Max2 (5.7-inch 2560x1440 display with 551 ppi pixel density), which makes them easy to work with. However, there’s no word on display protection on either device, but they seem tough.
Le 2: (9/10); Le Max2: (9/10)
CONNECTIVITY: Both devices are dual-sim enabled and support 2G, 3G and 4G LTE with VoLTE (available on Le 2 only after OS update). The audio quality during phone calls is good. Other connectivity features include Bluetooth, dual-band Wi-Fi, GPS, USB Type-C, a fingerprint sensor at the back, which is quick to respond.
Le 2: (8/10); Le Max2:(9/10)
BATTERY: It once again surprises us with the battery performance in both devices. While the Le 2 (3,000-mAh) lasts nearly a day and a half, the Le Max2 (despite having just 3,100 mAh) manages to give nearly a full day usage. Still, you miss a more powerful battery. Both devices support Quick Charge.
Le 2: (9/10); Le Max2: (8/10)
AUDIO: The biggest change brought in the two devices is replacing the 3.5mm audio port with a proprietary Continual Digital Lossless Audio (CDLA) on the Type-C USB port. What this means is that now you can enjoy lossless digital music using LeEco’s CDLA earphones (they cost Rs 1,999, but are offered for free with the gadgets). The change in audio quality is significant, as we realised while listening to a recording of Jazz legend, Charlie Parker. But to enjoy the earphones to their full potential, you need lossless audio files that take more space. For those who can’t get enough of the analogue audio, the device ships with a 3.5mm adapter.
Le 2: (9/10); Le Max2: (9/10)
Hardware and Performance: The Le 2 ships with Qualcomm Snapdragon 652, which along with the 3GB RAM pulls through most tasks, be it gaming or multi-tasking. The internal storage is same at 32GB. As for the Le Max2, it now runs the highly-rated S820 chipset from Qualcomm (also seen in OnePlus 3, Xiaomi Mi5 and LG G5) along with 4GB RAM (there is a 6GB RAM version too), thus, making it a sweet deal at Rs 23k. Though heavy gamers (on a constant gameplay of more than an hour) may face stuttering and heating, we faced no issues during multi-tasking or video playback. The internal storage starts at 32GB.
Le 2: (8/10); Le Max2: (9/10)
CAMERA: The cameras have been upgraded in both devices. The Le 2 now features an 18MP rear camera and 8MP front camera whereas the Le Max2 gets the same 21MP rear but an upgraded 8MP front camera. We have no complaints about the cameras while shooting outdoors, but indoors, the colours appear a bit too dull (even white balance settings don’t help).
Le 2: (8/10); Le Max2: 9/10)
OS: Both devices run LeEco’s proprietary user interface, the EUI, on Android Marshmallow. The OS is one of the best-designed, but had a few bugs. However, a new update is on air, and we hope that fixes the problems.
Le 2: (8/10); Le Max2: (8/10)
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