LeEco (formally called LeTV) had launched their first handset the Le 1s in India for ₹10,999. Here is the retail review of the same. I bought the Le 1s from the first flash sale and here is the review. This is another amazing handset for an affordable price.
LeEco Le 1s Unboxing
The box packing is not that happening, until you unbox. Inside you will find the handset, SIM tray ejector pin, quick start guide, data cable (USB Type C) and travel charger (fast charger 12V / 2A). SAR value: 0.404W/kg 1g head and 1.38W/kg 1g body.
Design
I bought the Gold colour version. Once you hold the handset you get that satisfaction a high end mobile. Build quality and finishing is awesome. It’s using a metal body – brushed sides with parallel shinny borders.
The screen is almost black on the front and the next thing noticeable is the bezel, its amazingly slim, almost bezel-less. The finger print scanner on the rear has got a mirror finishing – it does help grab attention. Weight is 167 grams with battery and dimensions are 74.24 x 151.14 x 7.36 (mm).
Power button and volume rocker is on the right side. SIM tray is on the left side. Audio jack and IR blaster in on the top and USB Type C port, mic vent and single speaker vent is at the bottom.
This is a dual SIM handset SIM slot 1 is a nano SIM slot and SIM slot 2 is a micro SIM slot. VoLTE is not supported. Both the SIM slots support 4G. There is no micro SD card support.
Le 1s comes with LED notification and loaded with following sensors – accelerometer, light, proximity and magnetic.
Display
1s comes with a 5.5 inch screen protected with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 and supports 1920 x 1080 pixels resolution. Colour reproduction and viewing angles are pretty good. Touch response is fantastic, buttery smooth.
Memory, Storage and OS
LeEco 1s is packed with 3GB RAM and 32GB ROM. On first boot you will get 22GB free ROM and 1.5GB free RAM. There is no support for external SD card. OTG did not work, I tried connecting an OTG pendrive using USB Type C to micro USB adapter but the drive failed to detect. It seems the adapter that I am using is defective, many users have confirmed that OTG is working.
LeEco Le 1s is running EUI based on Android 5.0.2 (64 Bit).
Performance
This handset is using MediaTek Helio X10 2.2GHz MT6795 octa core processor coupled with PowerVR Rouge G6200 GPU. Performance was smooth, did not find it lagging and the heat-up was well under control. Max battery temperature I encountered was 41 degrees while shooting videos / images under the sun.
Benchmark
- Quadrant – 25044
- Antutu (64 bit) – 1st time 53501, 2nd time 55916
- Nenamark 2 – 58.7fps
- Internal storage Speed – Read (139MB/s), Write (54MB/s)
- Multi Touch – 10 Point.
When using benchmark apps the handset automatically switched to performance mode.
Gaming
Hardware is powerful, it can play high end games. I played Asphalt 8 in high visual quality mode with ease, smooth, better control on the car and lag free, even at higher levels.
Camera
There is a 13MP primary camera with LED flash and a 5MP camera on the front. You can use tap to focus and also control the exposure. Tap and keep holding for few seconds and then you will be able to move the circle and control exposure as needed (check video review).
Rear camera can shoot 4K videos. I was able to shoot 4K videos and play the same on PC / phone, however there was some issues processing those 4K videos when uploading on YouTube.
You can shoot 4x slow motion videos. Camera quality is above average. Check the sample images and video that I shot using the Le 1s.
You can swipe left on the text (photo / video etc) to get more options that includes HDR and night shots.
Rear Camera Sample
Front Camera Sample
FHD sample video @ 30fps
Others
Sound output is loud and clear. In-call sound quality and clarity I found was way better than as experienced on most handsets. No issues with 4G, WiFi, GPS, IR and Bluetooth.
Finger print scanner is fast and accurate. You can unlock the handset by simply placing the finger on the scanner hold it or pull up the finger it will switch on the screen and unlock the handset. It does take 2 second for this unlock process.
Those complaining about dull / dark screen – disable battery assistant.
Battery
There is a 3000 mAh non-removable battery that does a good job. You can expect 4 to 5 hours of continuous moderate to heavy usage on a single charge. The best part is the fast charger. This 12V/2A charge will charge this handset at an amazing speed – around 1 hour for a full charge. And yes the battery temp increases while the handset is charged (41 degrees).
Battery Performance
- Running Benchmark app – 17 minutes / battery dropped by 6% / battery temp = 37 degrees.
- Played Asphalt 8 (high mode) – for 20 minutes / battery dropped by 8% / battery temp = 39 degrees.
- Watched 4K video with full brightness (WiFi /4G on) – for 34 minutes / battery dropped by 10% / battery temp was 35 degrees.
- Handset charging (wall charge) 45 minutes from 9% to 100% using 12V / 2A charger – battery temp 41 degrees. Estimated charge time from 0% to 100% – around 1 hour.
Verdict
The LeEco Le 1s is a powerful handset loaded with good feature and even the look is as impressive. There is no heat up issue, performance was smooth. UI is pretty cool and camera quality is above average. Finger print scanner and IR blaster are added advantage. An excellent buy for the price, for now.
LeEco Le 1s will go on sale on Flipkart for ₹10,999.